Who is a good leader? According to Lao-tse, a good leader is one whose presence is barely known or felt; he talks little.
I became aware of the difference in leadership styles when recently, I had to admit my mother to two different hospitals consecutively. I concluded that he who imposes himself has the small, manifest might; he who does not impose himself has the great, secret might.
In one hospital the style of leadership was so dominating and abrasive that it created a culture of abuse. When the ignorant throw their weight around, it brings about a loss of human dignity.
In the other hospital, there was teamwork, a respect for life, and a style of leadership that was empowering. It was not the kind of brazen leadership that disempowers and lowers the self-esteem of others.
Having experienced personally two leadership styles in quick succession, I realised how crucial the quality of leadership was to the shape of things to come and how it would affect our civilisation when there is no space for human growth, freedom, creativity and mutual respect.
Hierarchies are important and we cannot function in human society without them. But hierarchies are not meant to facilitate and further the abuse of power. When power is used rightly and justly, it empowers others. When it is abused, it ends up disempowering others.
Those who throw their weight around may sometimes do so for good reasons. But they achieve little by way of real effectiveness. They only succeed in alienating others and weakening themselves.
Though many may think that the lack of domination and interference will result in anarchy, there is another style of leadership more spiritually inspired that enables and facilitates real human growth and communication.
Carl Rogers advocated this correctional style of leadership echoing in his beliefs the profound wisdom of Lao-tse who said: "If I keep from meddling with people, they take care of themselves, if I keep from commanding people, they behave themselves, if I keep from preaching at people, they improve themselves, if I keep from imposing on people, they become themselves".
Today, our society, institutions, politics, economics, culture and even our religious institutions often work on a non-person centred approach. Right from the top of the scale to the lowest rungs, people think they have the right and the need to impose on others. Even the liftman in a building, the clerk in an office, the untrained nurse in a hospital think they have the right to impose and treat people as objects.
The unfavourable model of leadership has filtered down the ranks. Heads of organisations often think they know it all. Participative leadership is rare and few on top really have the ability to listen to others. They believe their experience is the only valid one and the experiences and opinions of others are invalid.
Real knowledge grows only when it recognises the validity of all human experience and does not discount the experiences and opinions of others.
What is the spiritual message hidden behind this style of non-impositional leadership? The living message is one that most people realise, because people cannot ultimately be deceived.
The real servants of God are those who have realised their poverty. Many others are too self-sufficient, opinionated and self-important, self-serving ego maniacs. The real truth is that only God is master, men are but servants. The real tragedy today is that many men behave as if they were gods.
I became aware of the difference in leadership styles when recently, I had to admit my mother to two different hospitals consecutively. I concluded that he who imposes himself has the small, manifest might; he who does not impose himself has the great, secret might.
In one hospital the style of leadership was so dominating and abrasive that it created a culture of abuse. When the ignorant throw their weight around, it brings about a loss of human dignity.
In the other hospital, there was teamwork, a respect for life, and a style of leadership that was empowering. It was not the kind of brazen leadership that disempowers and lowers the self-esteem of others.
Having experienced personally two leadership styles in quick succession, I realised how crucial the quality of leadership was to the shape of things to come and how it would affect our civilisation when there is no space for human growth, freedom, creativity and mutual respect.
Hierarchies are important and we cannot function in human society without them. But hierarchies are not meant to facilitate and further the abuse of power. When power is used rightly and justly, it empowers others. When it is abused, it ends up disempowering others.
Those who throw their weight around may sometimes do so for good reasons. But they achieve little by way of real effectiveness. They only succeed in alienating others and weakening themselves.
Though many may think that the lack of domination and interference will result in anarchy, there is another style of leadership more spiritually inspired that enables and facilitates real human growth and communication.
Carl Rogers advocated this correctional style of leadership echoing in his beliefs the profound wisdom of Lao-tse who said: "If I keep from meddling with people, they take care of themselves, if I keep from commanding people, they behave themselves, if I keep from preaching at people, they improve themselves, if I keep from imposing on people, they become themselves".
Today, our society, institutions, politics, economics, culture and even our religious institutions often work on a non-person centred approach. Right from the top of the scale to the lowest rungs, people think they have the right and the need to impose on others. Even the liftman in a building, the clerk in an office, the untrained nurse in a hospital think they have the right to impose and treat people as objects.
The unfavourable model of leadership has filtered down the ranks. Heads of organisations often think they know it all. Participative leadership is rare and few on top really have the ability to listen to others. They believe their experience is the only valid one and the experiences and opinions of others are invalid.
Real knowledge grows only when it recognises the validity of all human experience and does not discount the experiences and opinions of others.
What is the spiritual message hidden behind this style of non-impositional leadership? The living message is one that most people realise, because people cannot ultimately be deceived.
The real servants of God are those who have realised their poverty. Many others are too self-sufficient, opinionated and self-important, self-serving ego maniacs. The real truth is that only God is master, men are but servants. The real tragedy today is that many men behave as if they were gods.
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