To Lead People, Walk Beside Them
There's not much left to say when you have a saying that is so profound and valuable as this one. The saying listed below hung in every office I occupied starting in the mid-'80s lasting over two decades. I did so because of the results that we, as work groups, achieved along with their "can-do" attitudes.
Look at the sayings and imagine what needs to be in place for this to work. It might be easier to think of this working in a business setting; however, it also applies to homes and families.
Saying:
"As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise,
The next, the people fear; and the next, people hate.
When the best leader's work is done the people say, we did it ourselves!"
Lao Tzu
How in the world does something like this happen? Is it like rain; it just falls out of the sky? The obvious answer is no; because it's just the opposite.
The same principles apply in work or family: openness, trust, experience, and training, with the one hidden gem in this discussion being direction.
Openness: Can be defined in two ways. First, perhaps most importantly, "the lack of secrecy, concealment; being frank." Secondly, it is often referred to as the "quality of being receptive to new ideas, opinions or arguments; as long as they are active listeners that bring with them curiosity." Answering questions with "Why do you want to know?" or dancing around an answer would be great examples of "a lack of openness.
Trust: People will be trusted when they are reliable in what they say and do.
Experience and training: Training creates its own unique experience as long as individuals learn from that experience. Street smarts are a good example of this. Making mistakes provides the opportunity to learn and grow. The secret is one must learn from their mistakes.
Direction: This is not a geographic reference, but provides goals to achieve a particular objective. A great example would be the eighth grader who sits with his teachers to understand what classes and grades are needed in high school so that the student can work in a field of interest. The student establishes achievement goals while the teacher provides guidance and support. Management indicates they want to operate their business with less inventory in the work arena. The employees develop plans to make changes with management's input and support, just like a teacher.
The word teacher shows up a lot, as it should. In short, teachers walk alongside you in whatever you are doing. Good teachers leave a legacy that is with you forever. I know that each of us has favorite teachers we remember from school. And I am willing to bet that many of us can instantly recite who the best management people were or are.
I believe that most of us have these experiences and don't realize how often we use them.
I have found that using Lao Tzu's saying, as I think about the leadership capabilities of others, is very revealing.
Saying:
"As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise,
The next, the people fear; and the next, people hate.
When the best leader's work is done the people say, we did it ourselves!"
Lao Tzu
Helping others to find their compass." by Gene