。
  The　work　done　in　order　to　shed　the　light　of　awareness　on　whatever　is　happening：　also；　selfless　service；　without　prejudice；　available　to　all。
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  Do　not　get　carried　away　by　the　group　process。
  Stick　to　the　single　principle。　Then　you　can　do　good　work；　stay　free　from　chaos　and　conflicts；　and　feel　present　in　all　situations。
  The　superficial　leader　cannot　see　how　things　happen；　even　though　the　evidence　is　everywhere。　This　leader　is　swept　up　by　drama；　sensation；　and　excitement。　All　this　confusion　is　blinding。
  But　the　leader　who　returns　again　and　again　to　awareness…of…process　has　a　deep　sense　of　how　things　happen。　This　leader　has　a　simple　time　of　it。　The　sessions　flow　smoothly；　and　when　the　group　ends；　the　leader　is　still　in　good　spirits。
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  All　behaviours　contain　their　opposites：
  …　Hyper…inflation　leads　to　collapse。
  …　A　show　of　strength　suggests　insecurity。
  …　What　goes　up　must　come　down。
  …　If　you　want　to　prosper；　be　generous。
  Also：
  …　The　feminine　outlasts　the　masculine。
  …　The　feminine　allows；　but　the　masculine　causes。
  …　The　feminine　surrenders；　then　encompasses　and　wins。
  And：
  …　Water　wears　away　the　rock。
  …　Spirit　overcomes　force。
  …　The　weak　will　undo　the　mighty。
  Learn　to　see　things　backwards；　inside　out；　and　upside　down。
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  It　puzzles　people　at　first；　to　see　how　little　the　able　leader　actually　does；　and　yet　how　much　gets　done。
  But　the　Leader　knows　that　is　how　things　work。　After　all；　Tao　does　nothing　at　all；　yet　everything　gets　done。
  When　the　leader　gets　too　busy；　the　time　has　come　to　return　to　selfless　silence。
  Selflessness　gives　one　center。
  Center　creates　order。
  When　there　is　order；　there　is　little　to　do。
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  Potent　leadership　is　a　matter　of　being　aware　of　what　is　happening　in　the　group　and　acting　accordingly。　Specific　actions　are　less　important　than　the　leader's　clarity　or　consciousness。　That　is　why　there　are　no　exercises　or　formulas　to　ensure　successful　leadership。
  Potency　cannot　be　calculated　or　manipulated；　nor　is　it　a　matter　of　trying　to　look　good。
  Three　examples　illustrate　differing　degrees　of　potency　in　leadership：
  …　Potent：　a　conscious　yet　spontaneous　response　to　what　is　happening　in　the　here…and…now；　no　calculation　or　manipulation。
  …　Less　Potent：　trying　to　do　what　is　right。　This　is　calculated　behaviour　base　don　the　concept　of　right；　and　manipulative　behaviour　based　on　an　idea　of　what　should　happen。
  …　Least　Potent：　imposed　morality。　Imposed　morality　rests　entirely　on　should　and　shouldn't。　It　is　both　calculated　and　manipulative；　and　meets　resistance　with　punishment。　It　sheds　no　light　on　what　is　actually　happening。　It　often　backfires。
  Leaders　who　lose　touch　with　what　is　happening　cannot　act　spontaneously；　so　when　they　try　to　do　what　they　think　is　right。　If　that　fails；　they　often　try　coercion。
  But　the　wise　leader　who　loses　the　sense　of　immediacy　becomes　quiet　and　lets　all　effort　go　until　a　sense　of　clarity　and　consciousness　returns。
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  Natural　events　are　potent　because　they　act　in　accordance　with　how　things　work。　They　simply　are。
  Study　natural　processes：　the　light　in　the　sky；　the　gravity　of　earth；　the　unfolding　of　your　own　ideas　and　insights；　the　emptiness　of　space；　the　fullness　of　life；　and　the　behaviour　of　saints。
  Imagine　what　would　happen　if　these　processes　were　neurotic　and　self…centered：　a　lazy　sky　flickers；　gravity　varies　from　moment　to　moment；　your　mind　is　irrational；　space　is　agitated；　life　is　abortive；　the　saints　are　worthless　models。　Nothing　works。
  The　wise　leader　knows　better　than　to　be　neurotic　and　self…centered。　Potency　comes　from　knowing　what　is　happening　and　acting　accordingly。　Paradoxically；　freedom　comes　from　obedience　to　the　natural　order。
  Since　all　creation　is　a　whole；　separateness　is　an　illusion。　Like　it　or　not；　we　are　team　players。　Power　comes　through　cooperation；　independence　through　service；　and　a　greater　self　through　selflessness。
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  Learn　to　return　to　your　self。
  Become　silent：　What　is　happening　when　nothing　is　happening？
  Can　you　tell　the　difference　between　what　is　happening　and　how　it　happens？
  Can　you　sense　how　what　is　happening　arises　out　of　how　it　happens？
  Process。。。　and　principle。
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  The　wise　leader；　learning　how　things　happen；　lives　accordingly。
  The　average　leader　also　learns　how　things　happen；　but　vacillates；　now　acting　accordingly　and　then　forgetting。
  The　worst　leaders　learn　how　things　happen　and　dismiss　the　single　principle　as　total　nonsense。　How　else　could　their　work　be　so　futile？
  After　all；　they　say；　any　principle　that　does　not　get　you　love　or　money　or　power　must　be　useless。　A　silent　mind　is　a　dumb　mind。　Selflessness　is　no　way　to　get　ahead。　Virtue　is　for　fools。　Kindness　is　weakness。　And　so　on。
  This　is　a　problem：　because　the　wise　leader's　only　allegiance　is　to　how　things　happen；　people　who　do　not　see　how　things　happen　naturally　think　that　the　wise　leader's　behaviour　has　no　basis　in　reality。　Also；　the　leader's　silence　and　manner　of　being　are　disturbing。　Because　the　leader's　motives　are　obscure；　the　leader　is　hard　to　figure　out。
  The　problem　comes　back　to　the　fact　that　the　principle　is　not　a　thing　and　cannot　be　defined。　That　does　not　make　sense　to　some　people。
  It　is　not　easy　to　understand　a　person　whose　foundation　is　invisible。
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  The　principle　is　not　a　thing。　Call　it　zero。
  The　principle　in　action　is　the　unity　of　creation。　This　unity　is　a　single　whole。　Call　it　one。
  Creation　consists　of　pairs　of　opposites　or　polarities。　Call　these　polarities　two。
  These　polarities　become　creative　when　they　interact。　Their　interaction　is　the　third　element。　Call　it　three。
  For　example；　a　man　and　a　woman　are　two。　Their　interaction；　or　intercourse；　the　third　element　makes　babies。　That　is　creative。　That　is　how　all　creativity　occurs。
  The　wise　leader　knows　about　pairs　of　opposites　and　their　interactions。　The　leader　knows　how　to　be　creative。
  In　order　to　lead；　the　leader　learns　to　follow。　In　order　to　prosper；　the　leader　learns　to　live　simply。　In　both　cases；　it　is　the　interaction　that　is　creative。
  Leading　without　following　is　sterile。　Trying　to　become　rich　by　accumulating　more　and　more　is　a　full…time　career　and　not　free　at　all。
  Being　one…sided　always　produces　unexpected　and　paradoxical　results。　Being　well…defended　will　not　protect　you；　it　will　diminish　your　life　and　eventually　kill　you。
  Exceptions　to　these　examples　of　traditional　wisdom　are　very　hard　to　find。
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  Gentle　interventions；　if　they　are　clear；　overcome　rigid　resistances。
  If　gentleness　fails；　try　yielding　or　stepping　back　altogether。　When　the　leader　yields；　resistances　relax。
  Generally　speaking；　the　leader's　consciousness　sheds　more　light　on　what　is　happening　than　any　number　of　interventions　or　explanations。
  Few　leaders　realize　how　much　how　little　will　do。
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  Are　you　doing　this　work　to　facilitate　growth　or　to　become　famous？　Which　is　more　important：　acquiring　more　possessions　or　becoming　more　conscious？　Which　works　better：　getting　or　letting　go？
  There　is　a　problem　with　owning　a　lot。　There　is　a　problem　with　getting　more　and　more。
  The　more　you　have　and　the　more　you　get；　the　more　you　have　to　look　after。　The　more　you　might　lose。　Is　that　owning　or　being　owned？
  But　if　you　give　up　things；　you　can　give　up　spending　your　life　looking　after　things。
  Try　being　still　in　order　to　discover　your　inner　security。　If　you　have　inner　security；　you　will　have　what　you　want　anyway。　Also　you　will　be　less　harried；　and　you　will　last　longer。
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  The　best　work　often　seems　idiotically　simple　to　group　members　who　are　unaccustomed　to　this　sort　of　leadership。　Yet　a　great　deal　happens。
  Perhaps　it　looks　as　if　the　leader　is　only　sitting　there　and　has　no　idea　of　what　to　do。　But　it　is　just　this　lack　of　needless　intervention　that　permits　the　group　to　grow　and　be　fertile。
  Perhaps　some　disappointed　group　members　expected　an　expert　who　would　expound　freely。　But　what　this　leader　says　is　so　obvious；　it　often　sounds　simple…minded。　Even　this　leader's　honesty　seems　strangely　perplexing。
  Appearing　foolish　does　not　matter。　When　you　are　cold；　flap　your　arms　about　to　get　warm。　But　when　you　are　overheated；　you　keep　still。　That　is　common　sense。
  The　leader's　stillness　overcomes　the　group's　agitation。　The　leader's　consciousness　is　the　primary　tool　of　this　work。
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  The　well…run　group　is　not　a　battlefield　of　egos。　Of　course　there　will　be　conflict；　but　these　energies　become　creative　forces。
  If　the　leader　loses　sight　of　how　thing　happen；　quarrels　and　fear　devastate　the　group　field。
  This　is　a　matter　of　attitude。　There　is　nothing　to　win　or　lose　in　group　work。　Making　a　point　does　not　shed　light　on　what　is　happening。　Wanting　to　be　right　blinds　people。
  The　wise　leader　knows　that　it　is　far　more　important　to　be　content　with　what　is　actually　happening　than　to　get　upset　over　what　might　be　happening　but　isn't。
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  The　wise　leader　knows　what　is　happening　in　a　group　by　being　aware　of　what　is　happening　here　and　now。　This　is　more　potent　than　wandering　off