The earliest existing book classification catalog document in China, "Han Shu•Yiwenzhi", summarizes Taoist thought as "the leadership art of the monarch". As the founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu repeatedly taught the princes and kings in the "Tao Te Ching", expounding the way of governing the country by the saints, and pointed out that "I do nothing and the people do well themselves".
Here, "I" is the first person, referring to the monarch. Heaven and earth do nothing and all things do well themselves, and the monarch does nothing and the people do well themselves. Tao is not a personal god. Here, an inappropriate analogy is that it is like the constitution of the universe, and all things in heaven and earth follow Tao and run. If there is a monarch in the universe, it is also a constitutional monarch. Man follows the law of heaven, and man should imitate the natural world. According to the laws, rules and order between heaven and earth, the monarchs of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period in China where Lao Tzu lived should also establish a constitution and follow Tao to govern the world, and they should also do nothing. Tao is an existence beyond time and space, and this is the same in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. By analogy, the management staff of an enterprise, the head of a family... their leadership philosophy is also "I do nothing and the people do it themselves", and they manage the enterprise and the family according to their respective "constitutions" (corporate culture and fundamental systems, family traditions, etc.).
What is "do nothing"? "Tao" seems to have no control over all things, but all things are thriving, the weather is varied, the sun and the moon are waxing and waning, the vitality is competing, the life is endless, and the life is very lively and prosperous. In fact, they are under the control of the king of inaction and the control of natural laws. Tao "gives birth to all things without possessing them, rules them without restraining them, and makes them successful without enjoying them".
Human affairs are adapted to the way of heaven, and the world should also be inaction: free market competition, open trade, light taxes and levies, streamlined institutions, relaxed and tolerant public opinion, diverse thoughts and debates, no strict control over all industries and fields, no improvisation of document policies instead of legal provisions, no snap decisions, no tossing. In a word, do nothing.
In the early
stages of enterprise development, entrepreneurs have to do many things by
themselves, and the rise and fall of enterprises often depends on one person.
When the enterprise is stable and sound in all aspects, management and
operation should give full play to the wisdom of the people, institutionalize
division of labor and cooperation, and let go of many things. The same is true
for a family. When children reach adolescence and rebellious period, parents
worry too much about their children and supervise them too much and too
carefully, which is not conducive to the growth of minors. It is time to
gradually let go and give them space to grow freely. This is also the embodiment
of inaction.
But inaction does not mean doing nothing. Although "the best monarch is known to the people", the best monarch does not seem to exist, but he still controls the overall situation and holds the power of life and death, so he said, "If the people are always afraid of death, and I can kill those who do strange things, then who dares to do it?" It's just that the monarch does nothing and does not toss, so all things, people, employees, and family members can do well and toss by themselves. If the monarch acts recklessly, it will be difficult or impossible for all things, people, employees, and family members to compete freely and create. They will be bound and their vitality will be stagnant. The monarch only established the constitution and was bound by the constitution (Tao). "Laozi" pointed out the sacredness, authority, and transcendence of the monarch, "Tao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king is also great. There are four great things in the world, and the king is one of them."
In general, the monarch's inaction is the premise for the people to do well themselves, and the people's doing well themselves is the result of the monarch's inaction. Only when the leader is open-minded, wise, does not toss, uses power prudently, and releases social vitality, can the people toss, create, and instinctively compete with each other, and human society will be as prosperous and magnificent as nature.
Laozi's leadership philosophy is unique in Chinese history and culture, and became the source of the Huang-Lao Daoism that flourished in the middle and late Warring States period. It was also the guiding ideology of the prosperous times such as the "Wenjing Reign" and the "Zhenguan Reign". In modern times, it is highly respected internationally, has new developments, and has enriched its connotation. Laozi's leadership philosophy of "I do nothing and the people do it themselves" still has great vitality today, and is still worth our study, development and practice.
中国现存最早的图书分类目录文献《汉书•艺文志》对道家思想的概括，是“君人南面之术”，而作为道家的开山祖师老子，在《老子》一书中反复谆谆教诲侯王，阐述圣人治国之道，指出要“我无为而民自化”。
在这里，“我“是第一人称，指君主。天地无为而万物自化，君主无为而百姓自化。道并非人格神，在此打个不恰当的比喻，如同于宇宙之宪法，天地万物都遵循着道而运行。倘若宇宙有君，那也是立宪之君。人法天，人要效法自然界，按照这个天地间的规律、法则和秩序，春秋战国时期的君主也都应立宪，遵循着道来治理天下，同样要无为。道是超越时空的存在，古今中外都同此理。据此类推，一企业的经营管理人员、一个家庭的当家的……他们的领导哲学同样是“我无为而民自化”，根据各自的“宪”（企业文化和根本制度、家风等）去治企、治家。
何为“无为”？“道”看似没有管束万物，但万物欣欣向荣、气象万千、日月盈亏、活力竞逐、生生不息、热闹兴旺得很。它们实际上不脱无为之君的掌控，离不开自然规律的支配，道对万物“生而弗有、为而弗恃、长而弗宰”。
人事与天道相适应，人间也应无为：市场自由竞争、贸易开放往来、税役轻徭薄赋、机构简政放权、舆论宽松包容、思想多元争鸣、不对各行业各领域严密管制、不以即兴文件政策替代法律规定、不拍脑袋决策、不折腾。总之一句话，无为。
在企业发展初期，创业者很多事都要亲力亲为，企业兴衰常系于一人。而到了企业各方面稳定、健全下来，经营管理就更要发挥众人智慧，制度化分工协作，很多事要放手。一个家庭也是这样，当小孩到了青春期、叛逆期，家长再为孩子操心操劳过多，监管过多过细，并不利于未成年人的成长，是该逐步放手，给他们自己自由成长的空间。这也是无为的体现。
但无为并非什么都不为。虽然“太上，下知有之”，最好的君主好像不存在，但他依然把控大局，掌握着生杀予夺大权，所以他说“若民恒且畏死，而为奇者吾得而杀之，夫孰敢矣”。只是君无为、不折腾，所以万物、百姓、职工、家人才能够自化、自己去折腾。如果君有为、妄为，则万物、百姓、职工、家人难以或不能够去自由竞争、奔腾创造，束手缚脚、僵化活力，顿成一潭死水。君只是立了宪，受宪（道）的约束。《老子》指出君主的神圣性、权威性、超然性，“道大、天大、地大、王亦大，域中有四大，而王居其一焉”。
总的来看，君无为是民自化的前提，民自化是君无为的成果。只有领导者开明、睿智、不折腾、慎用权力、释放社会活力，民众才能去折腾、去创造、去本能地千帆竞发、百舸争流，人类社会才会像自然界一样，欣欣向荣，气象万千。
老子的这一领导哲学，在中国历史文化中独树一帜，并成为战国中后期兴极一时的黄老道的思想源泉，也是“文景之治”“贞观之治”等盛世的指导思想，而在现代则在国际上备受推崇，有了新的发展，丰富了它的内涵。老子“我无为而民自化”的领导哲学，如今依然有着它极大的生命力，仍值得我们去研究、发展和践行。
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