Lessons From the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire (Part 4)

Jerry Manas, PMP - January 22, 2003

We have explored the causes for the rise of Rome , their goals and their tactics for achieving them. In this installment, we will examine how family, education and societal values played a role in shaping the Roman way of life and helping them achieve success. We will then examine how innovative engineering enabled the Romans to realize their full potential. Finally, we will discover how these values and skills can be applied to today's project management.

The Importance of Family and Education

In addition to obedience and a strong spiritual foundation through their belief in the gods, which we have discussed earlier, the Romans valued strength of the family and education. They recognized this as a core part of any civilized society and knew that it would be the backbone of their future. Certainly they weren't the first to recognize this, nor were they the last.

More recently, Stephen R. Covey touched on the importance of both family and education in his landmark book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The third habit, "Put First Things First," stresses the importance of focusing priorities and being sure to make room for the important--but not urgent--things. This includes balancing all of the key roles in your life, including family, work, public service, etc. The seventh habit, "Sharpen the Saw," refers to the importance of maintaining the physical, …

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Lessons From the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire (Part 4)

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