The 64 Hexagrams as the Library of Decision Archetypes
A comprehensive collection of 64 hexagrams from the I Ching, interpreted as decision-making archetypes for modern leadership and strategy.
The 64 Hexagrams
Ancient wisdom for modern decision-making
The Creative — pure initiative
Theme: Strong beginnings, vision, leadership.
Meaning: Act from clarity and purpose. Set direction, define standards, and mobilize talent.
Guidance: Launch boldly, but keep discipline and cadence. Iterate from principles, not impulses.
Pitfalls: Arrogance, ignoring feedback, overextension.
Do: Articulate a north star, choose a first milestone, create a tight feedback loop.
The Receptive — responsive execution
Theme: Grounded support and timing.
Meaning: Success comes from openness, patience, and enabling others. Follow a proven pattern and build steadily.
Guidance: Listen, synthesize constraints, and shape the environment so good work flourishes.
Pitfalls: Passivity, lack of boundaries.
Do: Clarify owner/roles, document processes, reinforce what works.
Difficulty at the Beginning — messy birth
Theme: Chaos of starting.
Meaning: Resources are scattered and roles unclear; structure must be grown.
Guidance: Triage, name uncertainties, sequence foundational tasks.
Pitfalls: Rushing to scale; vague ownership.
Do: Define scope, hire or assign a coordinator, deliver a stabilizing MVP.
Youthful Folly — learning stage
Theme: Inexperience seeking guidance.
Meaning: The right teacher and clear rules prevent waste.
Guidance: Ask precise questions; design apprenticeship and guardrails.
Pitfalls: Overconfidence, ignoring mentors.
Do: Set a learning plan, cap risk on experiments, review regularly.
Waiting — strategic patience
Theme: Conditions still forming.
Meaning: Hold position until external factors align. Prepare quietly.
Guidance: Stock resources, strengthen team morale, pre‑negotiate.
Pitfalls: Drift, anxiety‑driven actions.
Do: Create readiness checklists and trigger conditions for action.
Conflict — principled dispute
Theme: Competing claims.
Meaning: Win by clarity, process, and an impartial forum.
Guidance: State facts, separate people from problems, escalate properly.
Pitfalls: Fighting on ego, endless back‑and‑forth.
Do: Choose a decisive venue (data, customer, contract), accept a bounded loss if needed.
The Army — coordinated effort
Theme: Discipline and alignment.
Meaning: A clear commander, logistics, and morale deliver results.
Guidance: Centralize strategy; decentralize execution with tight comms.
Pitfalls: Fragmented orders, unclear incentives.
Do: Issue a simple plan, cadence check‑ins, reward unit success.
Holding Together — alliance
Theme: Belonging and trust.
Meaning: Unify around shared purpose; pick partners carefully.
Guidance: Make membership explicit and costs/benefits transparent.
Pitfalls: Vague commitments, free‑riding.
Do: Draft a charter, define contribution rules, celebrate wins.
Taming Power of the Small — gentle traction
Theme: Incremental influence.
Meaning: Small, consistent constraints guide big outcomes.
Guidance: Nudge metrics, tighten quality bars, iterate.
Pitfalls: Micromanagement, impatience.
Do: Ship small improvements, publicize leading indicators.
Treading — careful conduct
Theme: Walking on the tiger's tail.
Meaning: Success by respect, protocol, and restraint.
Guidance: Mind power dynamics; be impeccably professional.
Pitfalls: Casualness near risk.
Do: Prepare scripts, follow etiquette, log agreements.
Peace — harmonious flow
Theme: Expansion with balance.
Meaning: High leverage moment; connect high/low, inside/outside.
Guidance: Invest, distribute benefits, set buffers for downturns.
Pitfalls: Complacency.
Do: Scale infrastructure, lock in key partnerships.
Standstill — blockage
Theme: Energies don't meet.
Meaning: Progress stalls; protect essentials and wait for a turn.
Guidance: Prune, conserve, maintain integrity.
Pitfalls: Forcing moves, bitterness.
Do: Pause risky initiatives; fortify the core.
Fellowship with Men — open community
Theme: Shared endeavor beyond tribes.
Meaning: Rally diverse groups around a visible fire.
Guidance: Host, convene, and clarify common ground.
Pitfalls: Cliques, vague goals.
Do: Create public artifacts and cross‑team rituals.
Possession in Great Measure — abundance
Theme: Power with responsibility.
Meaning: You hold valuable assets; deploy with virtue.
Guidance: Share credit, uplift others, invest in systems.
Pitfalls: Hoarding, hubris.
Do: Build platforms; empower stewards.
Modesty — quiet strength
Theme: Low‑ego excellence.
Meaning: Level extremes, keep work truthful and simple.
Guidance: Under‑promise, over‑deliver.
Pitfalls: False humility, invisibility.
Do: Let results speak; keep metrics transparent.
Enthusiasm — mobilized energy
Theme: Momentum via inspiration.
Meaning: Music, story, and ritual align action.
Guidance: Channel excitement into cadence and craft.
Pitfalls: Hype without scaffolding.
Do: Pair rallies with checklists and sprints.
Following — adaptive alignment
Theme: Follow the right trend or leader.
Meaning: Influence arises by serving what's timely.
Guidance: Choose whom/what to follow; keep integrity.
Pitfalls: Fad‑chasing.
Do: Define selection criteria; review quarterly.
Work on the Decayed — repair
Theme: Fix inherited problems.
Meaning: Name the rot, assign owners, and reform.
Guidance: Root‑cause before rebuild.
Pitfalls: Blame games.
Do: Time‑box a remediation program with audits.
Approach — benevolent oversight
Theme: Leaders meet people where they are.
Meaning: Early, open engagement prevents discontent.
Guidance: Tour the front line; remove friction.
Pitfalls: Grandstanding.
Do: Publish a 90‑day plan; invite feedback.
Contemplation — seeing clearly
Theme: Observation before action.
Meaning: Step back to understand patterns and ethics.
Guidance: Use dashboards, user research, and reviews.
Pitfalls: Analysis paralysis.
Do: Translate insight into a few decisive moves.
Biting Through — decisive resolution
Theme: Chew through obstacles.
Meaning: Enforce rules, clarify contracts, remove blockers.
Guidance: Use due process; accept some pain.
Pitfalls: Over‑punitive stance.
Do: Publish policy, apply consistently, move on.
Grace — form that serves function
Theme: Aesthetics and clarity.
Meaning: Presentation matters when it clarifies value.
Guidance: Polish surfaces that reduce friction.
Pitfalls: Vanity metrics.
Do: UX clean‑ups, naming, and visual systems.
Splitting Apart — controlled decline
Theme: Shedding what no longer holds.
Meaning: Structures are failing; peel back to essentials.
Guidance: Sunset with dignity; protect people.
Pitfalls: Denial, patching the unfixable.
Do: Communicate end‑of‑life plans; archive learning.
Return — cyclical renewal
Theme: Comeback from the nadir.
Meaning: Small signs of life; begin again correctly.
Guidance: Reboot scope, reconnect with mission.
Pitfalls: Repeating old errors.
Do: Write "rules of return"; track leading signals.
Innocence — natural correctness
Theme: Act without guile.
Meaning: Align with truth; avoid contrived tactics.
Guidance: Keep compliance and ethics clean.
Pitfalls: Naïveté about risk.
Do: Simple contracts, plain pricing, clear consent.
Taming Power of the Great — stored strength
Theme: Contain power; build mastery.
Meaning: Restrain for now; accumulate capability.
Guidance: Train, document, build tooling.
Pitfalls: Hoarding power, never shipping.
Do: Create a capability roadmap; release deliberately.
Nourishment — feeding systems
Theme: Inputs shape outputs.
Meaning: Care for bodies, minds, and pipelines.
Guidance: Improve diet of data, ideas, and culture.
Pitfalls: Junk information, burnout.
Do: Set quality bars for content and routines.
Preponderance of the Great — overload
Theme: Weight beyond design.
Meaning: The beam bends; redistribute or brace.
Guidance: Re‑architecture or split the load.
Pitfalls: Heroics over structure.
Do: Decompose monoliths; add supports and successors.
The Abysmal (Water) — persistent risk
Theme: Navigating repeated dangers.
Meaning: Survive through discipline and redundancies.
Guidance: Standardize safety; rehearse contingencies.
Pitfalls: Panic, corner‑cutting.
Do: Checklists, backups, drills.
The Clinging (Fire) — clarity and dependence
Theme: Illumination that requires fuel.
Meaning: Brighten signal; feed what keeps it burning.
Guidance: Maintain knowledge bases and energy sources.
Pitfalls: Flash without substance.
Do: Curate docs, maintain power/attention sources.
Influence (Attraction) — gentle persuasion
Theme: Win hearts first.
Meaning: Soft power: empathy, timing, aesthetics.
Guidance: Shape environments that invite "yes."
Pitfalls: Manipulation.
Do: Social proof, prototyping, invitation language.
Duration — endurance
Theme: Make it last.
Meaning: Commit to consistent standards over time.
Guidance: Stabilize cadence, contracts, and culture.
Pitfalls: Rigidity.
Do: SLA/OKR rhythms; succession planning.
Retreat — strategic withdrawal
Theme: Live to fight another day.
Meaning: Exit a losing field gracefully.
Guidance: Preserve core assets; close cleanly.
Pitfalls: Stigma or denial.
Do: Sunset plans, knowledge capture, reallocation.
Great Power — force under ethics
Theme: Strong capability, careful use.
Meaning: Assert decisively, but not recklessly.
Guidance: Choose worthy targets; avoid collateral damage.
Pitfalls: Intimidation, overreach.
Do: Boundaries, PR readiness, legal review.
Progress — rising into light
Theme: Rapid advancement.
Meaning: Visibility grows; keep allies.
Guidance: Communicate wins upward and outward.
Pitfalls: Skipping foundations.
Do: Build case studies; mentor next layer.
Darkening of the Light — concealment
Theme: Protect the flame in hostile winds.
Meaning: Keep values but lower profile.
Guidance: Camouflage, consolidate, bide time.
Pitfalls: Cynicism.
Do: Private progress, trusted circles, risk maps.
The Family — culture and roles
Theme: Home principles at work.
Meaning: Clear roles, warmth, and accountability.
Guidance: Leaders model norms; shared chores.
Pitfalls: Nepotism, fuzziness.
Do: Team charters, conflict protocols, care systems.
Opposition — creative friction
Theme: Difference can productively polarize.
Meaning: Define the useful tension; find a bridging goal.
Guidance: Debate rules; dual‑track exploration.
Pitfalls: Tribal conflict.
Do: Write "We agree/We differ" docs; test both paths.
Obstruction — impeded path
Theme: Accept the block, find detours.
Meaning: Slow down; cultivate allies and alternatives.
Guidance: Re‑route or regroup; build capacity.
Pitfalls: Force as default.
Do: Ask for help; redesign plan around the rock.
Deliverance — release
Theme: After tension, relief.
Meaning: Remove knots; restart flow.
Guidance: Forgive debts, simplify, and reset.
Pitfalls: Keeping grudges.
Do: Close tickets; communicate fresh start.
Decrease — intentional reduction
Theme: Less, but better.
Meaning: Cut costs or features to strengthen core.
Guidance: Share sacrifice fairly; protect essentials.
Pitfalls: Random austerity.
Do: Value‑based pruning; invest saved energy.
Increase — windfall or earned growth
Theme: Add fuel wisely.
Meaning: Expand capacity, reward contributors.
Guidance: Reinvest in leverage points.
Pitfalls: Bloat.
Do: Double down on unit economics and learning.
Breakthrough — decisive announcement
Theme: Say it plainly, act firmly.
Meaning: Declare a new standard; remove tolerated wrongs.
Guidance: Communicate once, follow with action.
Pitfalls: Grandstanding without enforcement.
Do: Publish zero‑tolerance items; back with resources.
Coming to Meet — sudden encounter
Theme: Charismatic but risky arrival.
Meaning: Tempting opportunities carry hidden costs.
Guidance: Vet thoroughly; keep boundaries.
Pitfalls: Enchantment, mission drift.
Do: Trial periods; caps; escrow.
Gathering Together — massing
Theme: Convergence around a cause.
Meaning: Convene, fund, and coordinate many.
Guidance: Strong facilitation and clear ask.
Pitfalls: Crowd confusion.
Do: Agenda, roles, decision rules, follow‑ups.
Pushing Upward — steady ascent
Theme: Climb step by step.
Meaning: Earn trust; compound progress.
Guidance: Seek mentors, collect proof points.
Pitfalls: Skipping steps.
Do: Ladder of goals; public progress logs.
Oppression — exhaustion
Theme: Pressure with little relief.
Meaning: Constraints sap energy; meaning sustains.
Guidance: Conserve, simplify, ask for aid.
Pitfalls: Isolation.
Do: Narrow focus to essentials; schedule recovery.
The Well — source infrastructure
Theme: Shared, perennial resource.
Meaning: Systems that nourish all must be kept clean.
Guidance: Maintain wells—data, water, trust.
Pitfalls: Neglect.
Do: Governance, maintenance SLAs, stewardship.
Revolution — molting
Theme: Legitimate, timed change.
Meaning: Old skin must be shed publicly and lawfully.
Guidance: Prepare coalition and evidence; flip quickly.
Pitfalls: Premature rebellion.
Do: Transition plan, legal cover, day‑one wins.
The Cauldron — culture & excellence
Theme: Vessel that transforms ingredients.
Meaning: Elevate through ritual, taste, and craft.
Guidance: Curate talent and symbols that refine.
Pitfalls: Elitism.
Do: Apprenticeship, style guides, ceremonies.
The Arousing (Thunder) — shock
Theme: Sudden disruption.
Meaning: First fear, then clarity; respond, don't freeze.
Guidance: Train for shocks; turn wake‑up into redesign.
Pitfalls: Overreaction.
Do: Incident playbooks; post‑mortems to action.
Keeping Still (Mountain) — stillness
Theme: Stop and hold.
Meaning: Freeze motion to regain control.
Guidance: Bound the pause; reflect and re‑center.
Pitfalls: Stagnation.
Do: Quiet hours, moratoriums, meditation practices.
Development (Gradual) — maturation
Theme: Slow growth like a tree.
Meaning: Reputation accrues via steady reliability.
Guidance: Long horizons, patient capital.
Pitfalls: Impatience.
Do: Multi‑year roadmaps; compounding habits.
The Marrying Maiden — secondary role
Theme: Joining under constraints.
Meaning: Entering a situation with limited authority.
Guidance: Serve skillfully; avoid overreach; earn trust.
Pitfalls: Compromising core values.
Do: Clarify boundaries; build influence via delivery.
Abundance — peak brightness
Theme: Visibility and resource plenty.
Meaning: Harvest fully; prepare for twilight.
Guidance: Document, distribute, diversify.
Pitfalls: Waste, hubris.
Do: Bank gains; invest in resilience.
The Wanderer — traveler mode
Theme: Temporary presence, light footprint.
Meaning: Respect local rules; deliver value quickly.
Guidance: Protect reputation; avoid entanglements.
Pitfalls: Rootlessness.
Do: Portable processes; references; exits.
The Gentle (Wind) — permeation
Theme: Subtle penetration.
Meaning: Influence through repeated, light touches.
Guidance: Policies, defaults, and incentives do the work.
Pitfalls: Indecision.
Do: Nudge architecture; recurring communications.
The Joyous (Lake) — shared delight
Theme: Positive feedback and openness.
Meaning: Honest joy fosters collaboration and spread.
Guidance: Create safe spaces; celebrate learning.
Pitfalls: Flattery.
Do: Demos, show‑and‑tell, peer recognition.
Dispersion — dissolving barriers
Theme: Break up clots and silos.
Meaning: Release stuck energy by sharing and mixing.
Guidance: Facilitate cross‑flows; mediate conflicts.
Pitfalls: Loss of structure.
Do: Rotations, open APIs, joint retros.
Limitation — right sizing
Theme: Good fences.
Meaning: Constraints enable focus and fairness.
Guidance: Define scope, budgets, and timeboxes.
Pitfalls: Over‑restriction.
Do: Clear rules with compassionate exceptions.
Inner Truth — sincerity
Theme: Trust from the inside out.
Meaning: Quiet integrity persuades more than force.
Guidance: Align words, data, and deeds.
Pitfalls: Self‑deception.
Do: Honest metrics; open books; listening tours.
Preponderance of the Small — careful detail
Theme: Smallness suits the time.
Meaning: Attend to details; avoid grand moves.
Guidance: Ship minor fixes; keep risk low.
Pitfalls: Missing the moment to scale.
Do: QA rigor; micro‑optimizations; watch for scale signal.
After Completion — done, now maintain
Theme: Project finished, system live.
Meaning: Success holds if discipline continues.
Guidance: Transition to operations; guard against decay.
Pitfalls: Complacency.
Do: Runbooks, monitoring, continuous improvement.
Before Completion — nearly there
Theme: Final crossing.
Meaning: The last step is most precarious.
Guidance: Keep attention; don't celebrate early.
Pitfalls: Rushing, cutting corners.
Do: Final checks, contingency plan, clear "go/no‑go."