Why leaders need to let others share responsibility for coping with tough times
Drawing of Lao Tzu
The personal power of leaders only extends so far. But as the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu reminds us, great leaders empower their people.
Remember this today.
There are some great books on leadership and, increasingly, some great blogs; and there has certainly been a fascination with the subject of management and leadership over the last 20 years.
Indeed, most generations seek to redefine “leadership” according to their own times. Yet, while each new generation adds to the body of knowledge, sometimes it can pay to revisit the earliest leadership writings.
The limits of power
Lao Tzu was a contemporary of Confucius. He is credited as the author of ‘Tao Te Ching’—a book which is now widely quoted in management teachings.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Chapter 17:
Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, “We did this ourselves.”
Great leaders know that personal power extends only as far as one’s personal reach. This is power by control. However, as Jamie Notter points out, “leadership is effectively a capacity within the entire system,” When it works this way, ownership in the efforts of an organization rests with the entire team. By honoring the efforts and input of your village, leaders effectively transform their businesses with little resistance. After all, one does not need to “sell-in” a change when the change is self-initiated and driven by the individuals in your team.
As Positivity Blog points out on the ‘Positivity Blog’, Lao Tzu is about “getting things done”—which is another way of managing to outcomes. And as a leader, there can be no greater satisfaction than seeing your team celebrating their own leadership successes.
Applying this learning to today
In times like these, we must, more than ever, leverage the diversity of our people and avoid hitting the panic button. Our emotions affect how we respond to changing conditions as well as to one another—and they’re highly contagious.
When we experience negative emotions—especially fear and distress–-we tend to spiral into avoidance, paralysis or hysteria. These mindsets feed off one another, clearly inhibit productivity, and can swell to epidemic proportions if collectively embraced. As leaders, we have to be vigilant about infusing passion and positivity into everything we do if we want our teams to be focused and optimistic in turn. After all, we have large and difficult challenges to face individually and collectively—and we will need every ounce of innovation, creativity and collaborative teamwork to move forward.
How can you best reward risk taking while concurrently discouraging over-zealousness? Look for the leaders amongst your teams—those that demonstrate strong emotional intelligence. Look for those who are resilient, confident and highly communicative, infusing their teams with those same qualities and energy.
Nurture your team’s abilities to cope with stress and negativity, and you will be rewarded with people with enhanced confidence who can deliver stronger performance and success.
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