Ancient Wisdom for Sustainable Management:
Building Better Projects
When we think about sustainability in projects, we often focus on materials, certifications, or carbon footprints. These are critical. But sustainability is more than checklists.
It’s about how we make decisions.
It’s about why we build.
It’s about the impact we leave behind.
As project managers, we don’t just deliver buildings or roads—we shape the world people will live in for decades. That’s a responsibility we shoulder every time we undertake projects. So where do we look for guidance on managing that responsibility? Surprisingly, some of the clearest wisdom comes from ancient philosophy.
There are three timeless concepts from ancient philosophy that can reshape how we think about sustainable project management:
- Undertaking Righteous Duty
- Linking Action and Consequences
- Viewing Work as an Offering
Taken together, they form a framework on which sustainable project management rests. Let’s explore these concepts to understand how they contribute to better projects.
Undertaking Righteous Duty
Such duty is undertaken for the benefit of humanity. It means doing what is necessary to uphold that which sustains society, nature, and individual life in balance.
The typical focus in projects is completing them on time and on budget. That may be a short-term gain. But being righteous goes beyond that. It seeks long-term benefit for everyone associated with the project—both now and in the future.
Instead of choosing cheaper materials with harmful chemicals, non-toxic and durable options are specified—even if it takes negotiation and budget work.
For a project manager, this means asking questions that probe deeper:
- Is this design safe and healthy for users?
- Does it respect local communities?
- Will it still serve well 30 years from now?
Linking Action and Consequences
In ancient philosophical thought, every action has consequences. Every decision on a project sends ripples outward. As managers, we often focus on immediate outcomes: deliverables, approvals, payments. But sustainable management asks:
What will this choice cause—next month, next year, decades from now?
For example, when planning road construction, it is necessary to reflect deeply on its long-term consequences: does it improve access for rural communities, or does it divide neighbourhoods and destroy habitats?
Thinking along these lines means owning those outcomes—good and bad. It shifts the underlying concern from “Did I deliver?” to “What did I set in motion?”
Viewing Work as an Offering
This is the spirit of selfless service—doing things not just for ourselves, but for a greater good. It means seeing projects not as transactions but as contributions: to society, to the environment, and to economic prosperity.
Project deliverables must be considered in terms of:
- Who does this serve?
- How can it give back?
For example, a commercial developer plans retail space. Instead of maximizing sellable area alone, they include public green spaces and community meeting rooms. These choices may not appear immediately on the balance sheet, but they create goodwill, social value, and a sense of shared ownership. This worldview transforms a project from something we extract value from into something we offer back.
Integrating These Principles
Sustainable project management is the practice of holding multiple truths at once and aligning our actions with our purpose.
- Being reminded to engage in righteous duty guides us toward what is right.
- Being mindful of action and consequence reminds us that our choices have impacts.
- Viewing work as an offering invites us to see our work as service.
Taking these together helps us approach projects with balance and purpose.
In the end, sustainable project management isn’t just about certifications or checklists. It’s about building wisely, responsibly, and for the long-term good of all.
