4 Principles of Tao to Master Leadership

Stepping back to allow the natural flow

Three books stared at me every time I visited my favorite coffee shop. Two were shopping magazines, but one drew me in like a magnet. The cover reminded me of an old manuscript or something Indiana Jones would carry in his scuffed-up leather bag.

I decided one day to spend a little extra time and read it. I’m glad I did, because, now I’m ready to share a treasure-house of these tips with you.

Here are four principles of Tao that are sure to enrich and hone those leadership skills.

Be Like Water

You know what a lot of folks love? Holidays that involve rivers and oceans! Imagine living in a cottage somewhere in the Smoky Mountains with a river running through your backyard. I rent out a similar chalet in Pigeon Forge, and folks often tell me how calm they feel on “river time.”

Water is soothing, because it does not fight. It allows the process to unfold. You put a boat in water, it carries it down the stream. According to Tao, water moves free and fearless. Just like this, a leader must work in any scenario without dominating. Like water, a leader yields, and does not force, because aggression creates resentment. Intervention is not the first step but last — used only when necessary and without uncalled force.

In one study, professors made a simulation of teams climbing Mt. Everest. The teams consisted of professionals such as doctors, photographers and seasoned climbers, each of whom scored points on how they met their goals.

Leaders were assigned to each group. The study found that in the teams where the leaders focused on themselves and their own sense of power, the team performed poorly. Such teams were dominated by their leader and missed important information that their team members wanted to share. With the result that this team didn’t know that its oxygen would be running low or that they could’ve stayed longer at the base camp for an opportunity that the photographer wanted to share. The team did not score well in the study compare to the team where the leader let the team members talk and share their concerns and ideas. The failed team averaged a 59 percent success rate compare to the 76 percent of the successful team.

Such leaders embody a soothing presence instead of being overbearing, and once a problem is resolved, he or she doesn’t feel the need to take all the credit but let’s others have the floor.

Don’t Pick Favorites

The wise leader is unbiased. In nature we learn that sap travels to all parts of the tree. If it were not so, one branch would die and ultimately the whole tree. It is the same for any organization, so it’s vital that a leader nourishes each person without picking favorites.

Tao Te Ching, Verse 16, says:

“Knowing the constant, we accept things as they are. By accepting things as they are, we are impartial. By being impartial, we are part of the Nature. By being a part of the Nature, we are one with Tao…”

We know that nature is impartial — an apple tree will blossom whether it in the yard of a rich man or a poor man. No matter what country you’re from, the rain will pour, and the sun will shine. Similarly, it shouldn’t matter to a leader where you’re from or your religion, ethnicity, caste or creed.

True leadership is all-encompassing like Mother Nature.

Selfless Leadership

Good leadership means service to others as opposed to self-service. It is said that the heaven and earth exist not for themselves but on behalf of creation.

This means a leader must place others well-being above his or her own. This keeps a leader’s ego in check too.

Take the case of Abraham Lincoln. When he was President, he appointed many rivals to his cabinet, because he knew the country needed them. There were people like Chase, who despised Lincoln and spread rumors about him in the press. Yet, Lincoln did not use his power to dismiss him, instead he nominated him for the post of Chief Justice.

Lincoln’s words were:

“‘My friends all over the country are trying to put up the bars between me and Governor Chase. I have a vast number of messages and letters, from men who think they are my friends, imploring and warning me not to appoint him…

‘Now, I know meaner things about Governor Chase than any of those men can tell me; but I am going to nominate him.’”

Little did anyone know that this fiercest rival of Lincoln would one day become his closest ally.

And that’s the power of selfless leadership. The ability to do for others rather than only take care of one’s needs, and that makes an organization and the world a better place to live.

Know and Act

Leaders will often confront challenges — a disgruntled employee, an issue to resolve or a host of other problems.

What should he or she do? Tao says instead of jumping headlong into the problem, a wise leader will step back, watch and then resolve.

This gives the leader time and space to listen to his or her instincts and not get carried away by the situation. Listening to one’s inner wisdom requires silence.

Many companies especially in the food and drug industry require documentation to comply with FDA requirements. A manager from one such company faced a serious problem. The food inspector did not approve the documentation because of some errors. The entire department that worked on the document panicked.

Employees blamed one another and complained to the manager. Who’s fault was it? The manager knew this was not the time to take sides. He listened to everyone but knew what he needed to do. After enquiring with each team member, taking notes and doing his own investigation, he got to the bottom of the issue. The problem was with the training procedure. The company needed to update its training manual for this particular documentation to avoid future problems.

If the manager had taken sides, he would’ve easily blamed a member of his team, and perhaps got the person fired. Who would that benefit? The problem would still repeat, and the company would eventually be red-flagged.

Thus, a wise leader knows not to be emotionally swayed in the heat of the moment — that’s when true knowledge emerges.

The ability to really know and understand the whole truth requires a certain amount of detachment.

The Tao is based on fluidity rather than a rigid structure of rules. Mastering leadership or oneself requires a certain understanding of this fluid undercurrent in everyday life. By avoiding extremes in temperament, one becomes balanced and humble. Balanced leadership paves the path to success and growth.