© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved. The media bombards us with examples of leadership constantly. Politicians are competing for face time on cameras, intent on informing us of their leadership abilities. In the arena of sports, teams are seeking that individual who will step forward with qualities that will propel them to the next level and a championship. In the business world we have seen, in the past few years, executives, men and women who achieved much success, led away in handcuffs to a new, shameful phase of their lives.
A Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu made some cogent observations about leadership that I would like to pass on. They may not sound like popular notions in our culture. He said, “A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.” Perhaps this is true in our day. Maybe those who are “up front” aren’t that influential after all.
He also said, “A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him. Fail to honor people, and they will fail to honor you. But, of a good leader, who talks little, “When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, ‘we did this ourselves.’”
© 2007, John C. Fitts, III. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 5 (2007).
A Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu made some cogent observations about leadership that I would like to pass on. They may not sound like popular notions in our culture. He said, “A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.” Perhaps this is true in our day. Maybe those who are “up front” aren’t that influential after all.
He also said, “A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him. Fail to honor people, and they will fail to honor you. But, of a good leader, who talks little, “When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, ‘we did this ourselves.’”
© 2007, John C. Fitts, III. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 5 (2007).
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