Outcome of Xerox XRX BuyOut of HP Inc HP ($33 billion)

 

HEXAGRAM 62 – Hsiao Kuo – Preponderance of the Small

Above    CHEN     THE AROUSING, THUNDER

Below    KEN    KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

While in the hexagram Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28),

the strong lines

• preponderate and
  
• are within inclosed between weak lines at the
  
  • top and
    
  • bottom,
    

the present hexagram

• has weak lines preponderating,
  

though here again

• they are on the outside,
  
• the strong lines being within.
  

This indeed is the basis of

the exceptional situation indicated by the hexagram.

When

strong lines are outside,

we have the hexagram

• I, PROVIDING NOURISHMENT (27), or
  
• Chung Fu, INNER TRUTH (61);
  

neither represents an exceptional state.

When

• strong elements within preponderate,
  
• they necessarily enforce their will.
  

This creates struggle and exceptional conditions in general.

But

in the present hexagram

it is the weak element that perforce must mediate with the outside world.

If

• a man occupies a position of authority for which
  
• he is by nature really inadequate,
  

extraordinary prudence is necessary.

 

THE JUDGMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

• Small things may be done;
  
• great things should not be done.
  

The flying bird brings the message:

• It is not well to strive upward,
  
• It is well to remain below.
  

Great good fortune.

• Exceptional modesty and
  
• conscientiousness
  

are sure to be rewarded with success;

however,

if a man is not to throw himself away,

it is important that they should

• not become empty form and subservience
  
• but be combined always with a correct dignity in personal behavior.
  

We must understand the demands of the time

in order to find the necessary offset for its

• deficiencies and
  
• damages.
  

In any event

• we must not count on great success,
  
• since the requisite strength is lacking.
  

In this lies the importance of the message that

one should

• not strive after lofty things
  

but

• hold to lowly things.
  

The structure of the hexagram gives rise to the idea that

this message is brought by a bird.

In Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28),

• the four strong, heavy lines within,
  
• supported only by two weak lines without,
  

give the image of a sagging ridgepole.

Here

• the supporting weak lines are both
  
  • outside and
    
  • preponderant;
    

this gives the image of a soaring bird.

But

• a bird should not try to surpass itself and fly into the sun;
  
• it should descend to the earth, where its nest is.
  

In this way

• it gives the message conveyed by the hexagram.
  

 

THE IMAGE

Thunder on the mountain: The image of PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Thus

• in his conduct the superior man gives preponderance to reverence.
  
• In bereavement be gives preponderance to grief.
  
• In his expenditures he gives preponderance to thrift.
  

• Thunder on the mountain is different from
  
• thunder on the plain.
  

In the mountains,

• thunder seems much nearer;
  

outside the mountains,

• it is less audible than the thunder of an ordinary storm.
  

Thus

the superior man derives an imperative from this image:

he must always fix his eyes

• more closely and
  
• more directly
  

on duty

than does the ordinary man,

even though this might make his behavior seem petty to the outside world.

He is exceptionally conscientious in his actions.

In bereavement

• emotion means more to him than ceremoniousness.
  

In all his personal expenditures

• he is extremely simple and unpretentious.
  

In comparison with the man of the masses,

• all this makes him stand out as exceptional.
  

But

the essential significance of his attitude lies in the fact that

in external matters

• he is on the side of the lowly.
  

 

THE LINES

Six in the second place means:

She

• passes by her ancestor And
  
• meets her ancestress.
  

He

• does not reach his prince And
  
• meets the official.
  

No blame.

Two exceptional situations are instanced here.

1. In the temple of ancestors,
   

where alternation of generations prevails,

the grandson

• stands on the same side as the grandfather.
  

Hence

• his closest relations are with the grandfather.
  

The present line designates

the grandson’s wife,

who during the sacrifice

• passes by the ancestor and
  
• goes toward the ancestress.
  

This unusual behavior is, however,

• an expression of her modesty.
  
• She ventures rather to approach the ancestress, for
  
• she feels related to her by their common sex.
  

Hence here

• deviation from the rule is not a mistake.
  

1. Another image is that of
   

   the official who, in compliance with regulation,
   

   first seeks an audience with his prince.
   

If

• he is not successful in this,
  
• he
  
• does not try to force anything
  

but

• goes about conscientious fulfillment of his duty,
  
• taking his place among the other officials.
  

This extraordinary restraint is likewise not a mistake in exceptional times.

(The rule is that every official should first have an audience

with the prince by whom he is appointed.

Here the appointment is made by the minister.)

 

Six at the top means:

He passes him by, not meeting him.

The flying bird leaves him.

Misfortune.

This means bad luck and injury.

If

• one overshoots the goal,
  
• one cannot hit it.
  

If

• a bird will not come to its nest but flies higher and higher,
  
• it eventually falls into the hunter’s net.
  

He who in times of extraordinary salience of small things

• does not know how to call a halt,
  

but

• restlessly seeks to press on and on,
  

draws upon himself misfortune at the hands of gods and men,

because

he

• deviates from the order of nature.
  

 

MOVING HEXAGRAM

 

HEXAGRAM 50 – Ting – The Caldron

Above    LI    THE CLINGING, FIRE

Below    SUN    THE GENTLE, WIND, WOOD

1. The six lines construct the image of Ting, THE CALDRON;
   

• at the bottom are the legs,
  
• over them the belly,
  
• then come the ears (handles), and
  
• at the top the carrying rings.
  

At the same time,

1. the image suggests the idea of nourishment.
   

The Ting, cast of bronze, was the vessel that

held the cooked viands

• in the temple of the ancestors and
  
• at banquets.
  

The head of the family served the food

• from the Ting
  
• into the bowls of the guests.1
  

THE WELL (48) likewise has the secondary meaning of

giving nourishment, but rather more in relation to the people.

The Ting, as a utensil pertaining to a refined civilization, suggests the

• fostering and nourishing of able men, which
  
• redounded to the benefit of the state. (2)
  

• This hexagram and
  
• THE WELL
  

are the only two in the Book of Changes that represent

• concrete,
  
• man-made objects.
  

Yet here too the thought has its abstract connotation.

• Sun, below, is wood and wind;
  
• Li, above, is flame.
  

Thus together they stand for the flame kindled by wood and wind,

which likewise suggests the idea of preparing food.

 

THE JUDGMENT

THE CALDRON.

Supreme good fortune.

Success.

While

THE WELL relates to

• the social foundation of our life, and
  
• this foundation is likened to
  
• the water that serves to nourish growing wood,
  

the present hexagram refers to

• the cultural superstructure of society.
  

Here

• it is the wood that serves as nourishment for the flame, the spirit.
  

All that is visible must

• grow beyond itself,
  
• extend into the realm of the invisible.
  

Thereby

it

• receives its true consecration and clarity and
  
• takes firm root in the cosmic order.
  

Here

we see civilization as it reaches its culmination in religion.

The Ting serves in offering sacrifice to God.

The highest earthly values must be sacrificed to the divine.

But

the truly divine does not manifest itself apart from man.

The supreme revelation of God appears in

• prophets and
  
• holy men.
  

To venerate them is true veneration of God.

The will of God, as revealed through them, should be accepted in humility;

• this brings inner enlightenment and true understanding of the world, and
  
• this leads to great good fortune and success.
  

 

THE IMAGE

Fire over wood: The image of THE CALDRON.

Thus

the superior man

consolidates his fate

By making his position correct.

The fate of fire depends on wood;

• as long as there is wood below,
  
• the fire burns above.
  

It is the same in human life;

• there is in man likewise a fate that
  
• lends power to his life.
  

And if

• he succeeds in assigning the right place
  
  • to life and
    
  • to fate,
    

thus bringing the two into harmony,

• he puts his fate on a firm footing.
  

These words contain hints about the fostering of life

as handed on by oral tradition in the secret teachings of Chinese yoga,

 

 

 

 

62 PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives.

Hexagram 62 describes the wrong CEO, in the wrong position, surrounded by the wrong executives, dealing with a job for which he is not prepared. The I CHING warns the CEO that the present circumstances have come about by the “demands of the time” rather than by his own choice.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The NOT SUPERIOR CEO should:

1. Be prudent. When the CEO is Superior and strong, and surrounded by a team of strong executives such as when Jack Welch was CEO of GE, he need not be that prudent. When the CEO and the executives are all strong, they compete against each other creating a condition where everyone adds value to the development of all the corporation’s divisions. In this Hexagram, conditions require of the CEO’s prudence because this case is quite the contrary. This is the case of a weak CEO surrounded by weak executives:
   

The I CHING says:” If a man occupies a position of authority for which he is by nature really inadequate, extraordinary prudence is necessary.”

1. Accept he cannot accomplish great tasks. A CEO who is not adequate for the job should try small tasks. The I CHING advises the CEO that not doing could be much more beneficial than trying to do something that might go wrong because he knows nothing about it.
   

1. Be humble. Humility is always the key to the CEO’s success particularly when he is not the right man for the job. Humility will lead him to seek good advice from both professionals and strong executives to make him look good in the eyes of the shareholders. But the I CHING warns the CEO that such humility must be accompanied by a “correct dignity in personal behavior”. It is bad enough to be the wrong CEO for the company, but it is even worst to be perceived as a man without character or even worst still, as a clown.
   

1. Be aware at all times he is inadequate for the job. This attitude will keep him from overreaching. This is good advice because even if he surrounds himself with talented people, he should not strive for very high goals. He will not achieve them because he is missing the necessary greatness of great CEOs to achieve high goals. In the end, the same talented executives who helped him achieve high goals will recognize his weakness and drive him out of his job.
   

1. Be extremely careful with his words and his actions. Because he is perceived as inadequate for the job, every move he makes will be closely watched to look for errors. His position of privilege and his high place give him a unique place of responsibility. His high position creates resonance. Thus in a world of instant communications with Internet, satellites, or TV, every word the CEO says will be heard by everyone around the world. Because the whole world is watching and sharing through Social Networks, the I CHING recommends the CEO should:
   

1. Pay attention to duty even if this might seem petty. The investors have a high regard for CEOs who show a high sense of duty.
   
2. Be very much aware of his actions. To act or to speak on automatic pilot will surely lead him to make grave mistakes. If he meditates on what he is going to say or do before he says it, or does it, then he will make fewer mistakes. An expert in public speaking should always review the CEO’s speeches well before delivery.
   
3. Look for the essence rather than the superficial. It is more important to know what really lies in the hearts of his workers, consumers and shareholders. In this way, no flattery coming from his closest advisors will ever mislead him. And
   
4. Be “simple and unpretentious in all personal expenditures”
   

All these recommendations will make the CEO appear as an outstanding executive in the eyes of others. He will appear as the perfect CEO who shows a sense of reverence, grief, and thrift. The advice seems complicated, yet in essence it is the same advice the I CHING repeats again and again like a mantra – humility, humility, and humility.

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Preponderance of the Small represents in general terms an unfavorable Time-Space to invest. Few CEOs can manage under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives.

By itself (no lines) the Time-Space points to Good Fortune provided the CEO executes small projects only:

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

• Small things may be done;
  
• great things should not be done.
  

The flying bird brings the message:

• It is not well to strive upward,
  
• It is well to remain below.
  

Great good fortune.

Exceptional modesty and conscientiousness are sure to be rewarded with success; however, if a man is not to throw himself away, it is important that they should not become empty form and subservience but be combined always with a correct dignity in personal behavior. We must understand the demands of the time in order to find the necessary offset for its deficiencies and damages. In any event we must not count on great success, since the requisite strength is lacking. In this lies the importance of the message that one should not strive after lofty things but hold to lowly things.

The structure of the hexagram gives rise to the idea that this message is brought by a bird. In Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28), the four strong, heavy lines within, supported only by two weak lines without, give the image of a sagging ridgepole. Here the supporting weak lines are both outside and preponderant; this gives the image o a soaring bird. But a bird should not try to surpass itself and fly into the sun; it should descend to the earth, where its nest is. In this way it gives the message conveyed by the hexagram.

The lines, however, have no good possibilities. Two are very negative, one is negative and the rest are not positive enough to present an investment opportunity.

THE LINES

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – when to make his move, when to stay put.

Managerial Lesson: Be patient.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO must learn to accept the accepted corporate ways before attempting any changes.

Managerial Advice: The I Ching warns the CEO. he:

• Must go through a learning period.
  
• Should not make any changes, particularly drastic ones, at least until a few months after his original appointment date. This is particularly the case when the CEO does not represent the best fit for his corporation. To make his move without being properly prepared for it would be disastrous for the corporation.
  
• Should continue with the business-as-usual course. The new CEO is not prepared to deal with any drastic changes the corporation might require. This course of action would avoid waste of precious energy and corporate resources. It would be best to wait, listen, learn, get advice and formulate a proper plan.
  

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – when to make exceptions to the rule.

Managerial Lesson: Be prudent.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO must show extraordinary restraint even though this might be a time to make exceptions.

Managerial Advice: The CEO who is in the wrong corporation at the wrong time should be very careful when making any sort of exception. Exceptions imply a certain element of danger. The I CHING advises the CEO there are two basic rules for making these exceptions: Humility, and Prudence. Any exception made with a sense of humility has a good chance of being successful. The same is the case of prudence – it is said that prudence is better than wisdom. CEO’s must always be prudent but this must be specially the case when making exceptions.

Investment advice: Do not invest

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – coping with the inevitable dangers caused by the seemingly harmless little problems.

Managerial Lesson: Be vigilant.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO understands that the time demands that “he pay special attention to small and insignificant things.”

Managerial Advice:
The I CHING warns the CEO one basic rule to follow is to accept that danger will always be present. One of the most common mistakes CEOs make is to feel contempt for danger thinking they are immune to it. Behind this attitude hides a lack of humility. And humility is the CEO’s best friend. A lack of humility leads inevitably to a lack of preparedness, which, in turn, invites danger. Humility demands the CEO recognize and manage any kind of problem not matter how small it might appear to be, particularly in this case. After all, elephants don’t bite, mosquitoes do.

Investment advice: Do not invest

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – balancing the YANG attitude with the YIN attitude – when to yield and when to wait.

Managerial Lesson: Be flexible.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO “must be on guard and not act”.

Managerial Advice:
The I CHING warns the CEO this is a time for resistance to his initiatives – to act will lead to destruction and not to act will postpone progress. This is a no win situation. The I CHING recommends the CEO be prudent and soften his position. This is not the time to overcome resistance by sheer will power. A strictly YANG attitude can only lead to the CEO’s destruction of the corporation. He may however, continue to be mentally and spiritually YANG in managing corporate issues, but in the outside he must combine it with a yielding YIN attitude. Not to do is as important as doing.

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – the capable CEO in exceptional times.

Managerial Lesson: Be humble.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO is capable but is alone and without qualified advisors. He is no longer acting on his own will but rather pushed by other forces that keep him from increasing revenues.

Managerial Advice: The I CHING advises the CEO of the utmost need to find able and talented executives to help him execute his bright ideas. Even the brightest of the CEOs cannot carry out important goals without the support of able and talented men. His primary goal must be to surround himself with capable men. The issue is how to find them. The I CHING warns the CEO that those talented men who can help will not be found easily because they have retired from the world. The only way to bring them in is with humility. Humility attracts humility. A humble CEO will attract humble helpers not matter how retired they might be from the world. Good men respond to humble leaders

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small – when he is the wrong CEO, in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – knowing when to stop upon reaching a goal.

Managerial Lesson: Be disciplined.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO risks falling into danger by not knowing when to call a halt.

Managerial Advice:
The I CHING advises the CEO that to be successful he must know how to establish goals, how to reach them and how to stop once he has reached these goals. One of the greatest dangers CEOs face is the tendency to try and re-live their successes again and again. Professor Christianson is right when he says that successful CEOs keep on improving the same product even when their clients are asking for different products. While this CEO pays little attention to the disruptive technology that is undermining his corporation from below, there are other CEOs from competing corporations who are paying attention to their clients by creating these same disruptive technologies. This CEO is exposed to danger and lacks the humility to deal with these dangers.

Investment advice: Do not invest.

 

50 THE CALDRON

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees.

Hexagram 48 (The Well) refers to the corporation as a source of ideas and the CEO as the one responsible for drawing those ideas from the employees.

Hexagram 50 (The Caldron) describes the corporation as a cooking vessel and the CEO in his role as the chef who must use this vessel to cook the corporate ideas and bring them to a successful completion. In this role, the CEO must get the necessary resources to prepare the corporate food and nurture the corporation.

To properly nurture the corporation he must provide for the corporation as a cooking vessel the proper “food’ which includes the proper raw materials, products, research, financial and all that the corporation needs as nourishment.

This is particularly the case with the role of nurturing the younger executives for the purpose of finding the next generation of leaders. This is one of the CEO’s most crucial roles, because on this issue depends the survival of the corporation.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

• The Superior CEO:
  

Nourishes the young executives under his training. He knows it is his sacred duty:

• To hand down his knowledge to the future generations, and
  
• To find the right replacement for himself.
  

• The Superior executive
  

Knows it is his sacred duty:

• To regard the CEO with profound respect as the man of vision who has much to teach him – after all, the CEO is a man already chosen to lead the corporation not only by the Board of Directors but also by fate (he has the mandate of Heaven),
  
• To learn all the CEO can teach him – If his attitude is the right one and if he learns properly from the CEO, the future of the corporation is assured.
  

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Caldron Time-Space represents in general terms a favorable Time-Space to invest.

By itself (no lines) the Time-Space points to Supreme Good Fortune and Success.

THE CALDRON.

Supreme good fortune.

Success.

While THE WELL relates to the social foundation of our life, and this foundation is likened to the water that serves to nourish growing wood, the present hexagram refers to the cultural superstructure of society. Here it is the wood that serves as nourishment for the flame, the spirit. All that is visible must grow beyond itself, extend into the realm of the invisible. Thereby it receives its true consecration and clarity and takes firm root in the cosmic order.

Here we see civilization as it reaches its culmination in religion. The Ting serves in offering sacrifice to God. The highest earthly values must be sacrificed to the divine. But the truly divine does not manifest itself apart from man. The supreme revelation of God appears in prophets and holy men. To venerate them is true veneration of God. The will of God, as revealed through them, should be accepted in humility; this brings inner enlightenment and true understanding of the world, and this leads to great good fortune and success.

The lines include two possibilities of good fortune (the second and third) and one possibility of Great Good Fortune (the sixth).

THE LINES

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees – managing to clear the corporate cooking vessel before starting to cook great ideas.

Managerial Lesson: Be unprejudiced.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Caldron Time-Space, the CEO finds the need to clear out all prejudices from his mind as well as from the corporation’s employees before starting to cook to nurture the corporation. In this sense, it highlights the CEO’s need for a proper sense of justice in choosing the corporation’s future leaders.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO is impartial when looking for talent among the young executives. He knows he must be blind as to sex, age, color, religion, etc. He knows his only consideration should be ability, talent and merit.

In this particular case, the I CHING points out there is someone of talent who comes from a lower social class and advices the CEO to be on the lookout for him. Once found, the CEO must accept him as a future leader because this young executive will prove his worth. This assures the future well being of the corporation.

Investment advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees – in spite of criticism.

Managerial Lesson: Be alert.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Caldron Time-Space,

• The CEO finds he must get on with the “cooking” in finding the future leaders while expecting criticism for doing his work.
  
• A talented young executive finds his colleagues are envious of him.
  

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO and the Superior executive ignore envy and criticism and continue with their work. They both continue to do great things. Think of Jack Welch of General Electric and how his envious young colleagues might have spoken evil of him when he blew up a lab. Yet he kept on doing what he did best, always concentrating on the task at hand rather than on what others were saying of him. The Superior executive who pays attention to what others say about him has a double task, he must first spend time and effort in paying attention to the criticism and then he must pay attention to his real task. The Superior CEO knows who is doing his job and when the time comes he will properly choose the next CEO.

Investment advice: Invest. (Good Fortune)

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees – but getting no recognition for it.

Managerial Lesson: Be constant.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Caldron Time-Space,

• The CEO finds he must continue to look for young talented executives at all times and at all places of the corporation. In this way he won’t miss the future talent. And
  
• The young and talented executive finds that in spite of working very hard, he has not yet found recognition in the corporation.
  

Managerial Advice:

• The Superior CEO is tireless in his search for talent.
  
• The Superior executive will continue to exercise his talent regardless of recognition. He knows that if his talent is true talent, an inborn gift, and “truly spiritual”, then he can rest assured that the wise CEO will, in time, certainly find him.
  

Investment advice: Invest. Be prepared for difficulties. (Good Fortune comes in the end).

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees – unable to use the Caldron for lack of talent and character.

Managerial Lesson: Be determined.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Caldron Time-Space, the CEO finds his lack of talent and character causes him to fail in nurturing the next generation of executives. He tends to surrounded himself with incompetent assistants, who cause him to fail in properly handing down tasks and responsibilities. The CEO must correct this situation quickly because this will end in disaster.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO will keep the company of superior employees only. How can he go wrong with their advice?

Investment advice: Do not invest. (Misfortune)

SIX IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to use the corporate cooking vessel to cook great ideas – succeeding by the proper humble attitude.

Managerial Lesson: Be humble.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Caldron Time-Space, the CEO learns his role in finding talented executives.

While in the previous line, the arrogance of the CEO attracted the worst kind of assistants. In this line the humility of the CEO attracts the best assistants, and that is how he succeeds.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows humility is above talent. He readily recognizes when he is not the most talented of the CEOs, yet, by his humility and honesty in readily recognizing merits in his subordinates, he completes his task of finding his replacement. The Superior CEO recognizes that handling people is as much of a talent as creating a new product.

Investment advice: Do not invest. Look for a better investment. (Perseverance furthers).

NINE IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporation as a cooking vessel (Caldron) to nourish great corporate ideas and employees – successfully using the Caldron to find the proper successor.

Managerial Lesson: Be a teacher.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Caldron Time-Space, the CEO finds the right executive to impart his knowledge.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO listens and looks for executives who listen. He knows that listening is one of the corporate leaders’ greatest qualities. Once the Superior CEO has found someone with talent who is willing to listen, he can begin the long process of training his future replacement. The reason why the Superior CEO knows he has found his man is because not only is the young executive talented, but also is willing to listen.

This is the line of Reginald H. Jones of General Electric finding Jack Welch, or of J. Paul Austin of Coca Cola finding Goizueta.

Investment advice: Invest. (Great Good Fortune)

 

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