Outcome of Visa V buyout of Plaid – $5.3 billion

 

HEXAGRAM 55 – Feng – Abundance (Fullness)

Above    CHEN    THE AROUSING, THUNDER

Below    LI    THE CLINGING, FLAME

• Chen is movement;
  
• Li is flame, whose attribute is clarity.
  

• Clarity within,
  
• movement without –
  

this produces greatness and abundance.

The hexagram pictures a period of advanced civilization.

However,

the fact that development has reached a peak suggests that

this extraordinary condition of abundance cannot be maintained permanently.

 

THE JUDGMENT

ABUNDANCE has success.

The king attains abundance.

Be not sad.

Be like the sun at midday.

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of

• outstanding greatness and
  
• abundance.
  

Only a born ruler of men is able to do it,

because his will is directed to what is great.

Such a time of abundance is usually brief.

Therefore

a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow.

But such sadness does not befit him.

Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care

can lead in a time of abundance.

He must be like the sun at midday,

illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.

 

THE IMAGE

Both thunder and lightning come: The image of ABUNDANCE.

Thus

the superior man

• decides lawsuits And
  
• carries out punishments.
  

This hexagram has a certain connection with Shih Ho, BITING THROUGH (21),

in which thunder and lightning similarly appear together,

but in the reverse order.

• In BITING THROUGH, laws are laid down;
  
• here they are applied and enforced.
  

• Clarity [Li] within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly, and
  
• shock [Chen] without ensures a strict and precise carrying out of punishments.
  

 

THE LINES

Nine at the beginning means:

When a man meets his destined ruler,

• They can be together ten days, And
  
• it is not a mistake.
  

Going meets with recognition.

To bring about a time of abundance,

a union of clarity with energetic movement is needed.

Two individuals possessed of these two attributes are suited to each other,

and even if

they spend an entire cycle of time together during the period of abundance,

it will not be too long, nor is it a mistake.

Therefore

one may go forth, in order to make one’s influence felt;

it will meet with recognition.

 

MOVING HEXAGRAM

 

 

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.
  

 

 

 

 

55 ABUNDANCE

(FULLNESS)

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) with the help of an able assistant as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle.

Hexagram 55 warns the CEO that success and failure are both part of the never ending YIN –YANG Cycle. The CEO must now manage the corporation through this YIN-down cycle in the same way he lead it through the YANG-upward cycle.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The Superior CEO knows that the qualities to lead the corporation in periods of a downward cycle are the same as those of leading the corporation in periods of upwards cycles. It requires of a special CEO with special talents and inborn qualities not every CEO has, such as:

1. Vision – the CEO who has a clear vision and the leadership qualities to push the corporation to its limits will surely lead it to success. The CEO’s vision took this corporation to its full growth, and his new vision will help the CEO to establish the rules, the discipline and the control to bring order out of this period of disorder.
   

1. Focus – a highly focused mind to stay with the great tasks that affect the future of the corporation.
   

1. Endurance – born out of his long-term vision and understanding of the economic YANG and YIN cycles, of the ups and downs.
   

1. Optimism – born out of the complete certainty that regardless of how bad things seem, they will always turn around, and just as times of abundance will turn into times of stagnation, they will eventually turn into a time of abundance once again.
   

1. Attitude – all great corporate CEOs know cycles to be a fact, that abundance is always followed by a downturn, much as the case of IBM, Intel, Oracle, etc. Their CEOs know that trees cannot grow to the sky and that they must abandon some areas to look for growth in other areas in order to renew the corporation time and time again. This is the attitude of the ideal CEO. He is so highly focused on success; he has no time to feel neither the joy nor the sorrow that come with the Yin – Yang cycles.
   

1. Preparedness – It is an irony that at times of full growth is when the corporation is in the greatest of dangers because that is the time when there are more possibilities of disorder, of disarray, of things coming apart. Growth is difficult to manage. That is the reason why the CEO must prepare for the worst-case scenario.
   

1. Discipline – the wise CEO will adhere to the strict code of rewarding good (YANG) and punishing evil (YIN) to bring the corporation back on track.
   

1. Communication – the CEO’s natural optimism must be broadcasted to all employees at all times to prepare them for the difficult times that will surely come and to keep the morale high during such difficult times.
   

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Abundance represents in general terms a not so favorable Time-Space to invest. Abundance (Fullness) is positive in the beginning but points to the cycle of Yin to Yang – from full Abundance to semi Abundance to no Abundance. No matter how positive, it points to the inevitability of the decline.

By itself (no lines) the Time-Space points to Success but warns the CEO to prepare for the end of the cycle:

ABUNDANCE has success.

The king attains abundance.

Be not sad.

Be like the sun at midday.

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.

The lines include three possibilities of Good Fortune (the 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th), and only one possibility of Misfortune (the sixth).

THE LINES

NINE IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – bringing about the time of Abundance.

Managerial Lesson: Be clear/energetic.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO finds an assistant who complements him. While the CEO has the vision (clarity), the assistant has the strength and managerial skills to materialize the vision (energetic movement). This combination of vision and strength creates tremendous growth or abundance.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows that when he finds an able assistant who can help him execute his vision, he must hold on to him and bind him firmly to the corporation. To accomplish this, the CEO must reward him extremely well and publicly acknowledge his abilities.

All the great CEOs (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, had the vision but they also had very able assistants with the will and skills and the proper rewards to carry out the vision.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – when conflict threatens its Abundance.

Managerial Lesson: Be patient.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO encounters the first sign of conflict between himself and the able helper. The CEO still has the vision, while the able assistant still has the strength and the managerial skills to properly secure the vision. Yet at this very moment when great things can be accomplished, a conspiracy from an unknown group (shareholders or directors) divides this potentially great team. And pride, the eternal reason for the fall of man, takes hold of them.

The I CHING describes this situation as a partial eclipse of the sun, as a partial harm to what could have been a great team. Most corporations have gone through this scenario, including Apple. The bad blood between Steven Jobs and John Sculley was caused by hidden forces bent on destroying what could have been a working team – that of the great idea generator and the marketing man. Once they drove Jobs out, these same dark forces placed the able (in marketing) assistant in the role of the CEO. However, much to their surprise, he proved no match for the job and they lost in time much of the value of their investment.

Managerial Advice: The Superior Assistant:

• Realizes the weakness of his position and acts accordingly.
  
• Keeps in mind that his strength lies in playing second to his CEO, and not forcibly push forward projects or ideas, as this will immediately create opposition.
  
• Is true to his own ideas and principles because he knows that in the end, the CEO will appreciate his great value and bring him back closer to him.
  

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – its worst moment.

Managerial Lesson: Be strong.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO finds he is in a weak position and has lost too much power. He continues to generate ideas but the able assistant cannot carry them out.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows:

• He is so weak anyone can push any initiative against him.
  
• He must accept the blame for losing power,
  
• Part of the reason for the loosing of power is that he has been too lenient on certain groups, which have risen against him.
  
• He has allowed dark groups to become stronger in time, and to separate him from his able assistant.
  
• His best manager is definitely not to blame.
  

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – when fate turns in his favor

Managerial Lesson: Be wise.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO recovers his position of strength as the power of his enemies who conspired against him dwindles. Now the CEO as the symbol of wisdom can gather the best managers around him. The circle of the power of the CEO once again turns, and this time it turns in his own favor.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows that:

• Humility, patience and optimism will eventually pay off and turn the conditions to his own favor.
  
• When the conditions are in his favor, he must seize the opportunity to put together the best team possible to create the greatest growth period.
  
• Now is the time for the active and able assistants to meet with the wise CEO and accomplish great projects together. And
  
• When activity and wisdom meet, only joy can come out of their every action.
  

Investment Advice: Invest.

SIX IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – listening to his best advisors.

Managerial Lesson: Be humble.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO exercises humility, the greatest quality in a CEO, and listens to his able assistants without any prejudices.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows humility is one of the greatest lessons a CEO can learn: To be humble enough to listen to all his employees regardless of rank. This is the one managerial practice the Japanese are best known for. In the assembly line every worker has the right to make any constructive criticism to improve the productivity of the corporation. This managerial practice alone, if born out of a real sense of humility, will lead any corporation to the greatest of success.

Investment Advice: Invest.

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing Abundance (fullness) as the corporation reaches the peak of its cycle – failing due to lack of humility

Managerial Lesson: Be noble.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Abundance Time-Space, the CEO fails to exercise humility, the CEO’s greatest quality. Instead, he allows pride, the CEO’s greatest enemy, to lead him on the wrong path.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows that:

• Pride will shut his ears to good advice and he will refuse to listen. What good can come out of a managerial practice where the only voice heard is that of the CEO’s?, where every other opinion regardless of the rank behind it is shut out? If only one is thinking, then no one is thinking.
  
• Even though he might be sincere in his desire to turn the corporation into the best in the industry, his ego and his desire to be the only idea generator will create such a bad feeling amongst his directors, executives and all other employees, that they will all reject him.
  

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

 

 

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.

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