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Abstract

uch a relationship to be effective, it's vital for a leader to understand his or her followers, their motivation, and to engage with their motives in order to lead effectively.</p><h2 id="155d">Mastery</h2><p id="7fca">What Lao Tzu describes as ‘mastery’ translates into modern leadership.</p><p id="4b5e">Understanding followers in order to ‘master’ them may have involved a degree of intimidation and fear in the 6th century. Modern leaders, however, must invest in their follower's motivations in order to realize a shared goal.</p><p id="7230">The contract between followers and leaders has changed since Tzu’s time. Today it is based on consent. Ineffective leaders lose their best followers to competitors or other business functions by ignoring motives and consent.</p><p id="d04f">Leaders who fail to motivate followers or engender a spirit of resistance, tend to achieve mediocre results at best. This, in turn, leads to poor performance or worse, being stripped of their position.</p><h2 id="0d3f">Leader and self</h2><p id="fe49">Another element of Lao Tzu’s proposition describes a leader’s relationship with self.</p><p id="e738">Authentic leadership springs to mind. One that values establishing credibility with followers, deemed essential to gain buy-in for a shared vision.</p><p id="5842">Self-awareness is, therefore, a vital leadership skill. Embedded in emotional intelligence and considered vital for effective leadership (<a href="http://www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-intelligence/">Goldman</a>).</p><p id="1499">‘Mastering oneself’ enables leaders to lead in an authentic fashion, focusing on their positive behaviors for the benefit of others.</p><p id="abab">Those who have a positive impact on follower motivation, are experts in curbing their own behaviors. Those that can have a negative impact, simplified by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2014/05/23/sun-tzus-33-best-pieces-of-leadership-advice/#7e8c98da5e5e">Loa Tzu</a>:</p><p id="ffbc" type="7">“Mastering yourself is true power”</p

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            <h2>5 Life Lessons I Learned as a Competitive Swimmer</h2>
            <div><h3>How sport instills lifelong lessons</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <h2>Leadership and the Important People Factor</h2>
            <div><h3>A company’s most valuable asset is its people</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><figure id="359d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*OompKZh5g4CKwKNI_AFWtg.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bckfwd?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">bckfwd</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/lao-tzu?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><figure id="f245"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*2wNmaDbT3Z7CsDRr.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><h2 id="fb2a">This story is published in a Few Words, Medium’s publication that only accepts stories under 500 words.</h2><h2 id="0259">If you have a few meaningful words to say and want to be a writer in our publication, visit here.</h2></article></body>

Is Mastering Oneself Really True Power?

Lessons we can learn from thought leaders of the past

Ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, said:

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power”

In today’s business world, the significance of leadership and followership cannot be overestimated with respect to the success of an organization.

Tzu’s statement touches on three elements in the business world:

The significant role that effective leadership plays in developing and executing a company’s vision, mission, and values.
The significance of communication with respect to organizational success and the role that leadership plays in facilitating and driving effective organizational communication.
The complexity between followers, leaders, and self.

Lao Tzu’s Quote

This quote from Lao Tzu resonates with a key element in effective leadership such as self-awareness, awareness of oneself with respect to others and the dyadic nature of leadership.

What Lao Tzu described as power and mastery can be defined in modern terms as effective leadership — the impact and implications of a psychological contract between a leader and one or more followers.

For such a relationship to be effective, it's vital for a leader to understand his or her followers, their motivation, and to engage with their motives in order to lead effectively.

Mastery

What Lao Tzu describes as ‘mastery’ translates into modern leadership.

Understanding followers in order to ‘master’ them may have involved a degree of intimidation and fear in the 6th century. Modern leaders, however, must invest in their follower's motivations in order to realize a shared goal.

The contract between followers and leaders has changed since Tzu’s time. Today it is based on consent. Ineffective leaders lose their best followers to competitors or other business functions by ignoring motives and consent.

Leaders who fail to motivate followers or engender a spirit of resistance, tend to achieve mediocre results at best. This, in turn, leads to poor performance or worse, being stripped of their position.

Leader and self

Another element of Lao Tzu’s proposition describes a leader’s relationship with self.

Authentic leadership springs to mind. One that values establishing credibility with followers, deemed essential to gain buy-in for a shared vision.

Self-awareness is, therefore, a vital leadership skill. Embedded in emotional intelligence and considered vital for effective leadership (Goldman).

‘Mastering oneself’ enables leaders to lead in an authentic fashion, focusing on their positive behaviors for the benefit of others.

Those who have a positive impact on follower motivation, are experts in curbing their own behaviors. Those that can have a negative impact, simplified by Loa Tzu:

“Mastering yourself is true power”

5 Life Lessons I Learned as a Competitive Swimmer

How sport instills lifelong lessons

medium.com

Leadership and the Important People Factor

A company’s most valuable asset is its people

medium.com