The coaching leader / the wise leader by Lao Tsu

The wise leader does not intervene unnecessarily. The leader’s presence is felt, but often the group runs itself

Lesser leaders do a lot, say a lot, have followers, and form cults.
Even worse ones use fear to energize the group and force to overcome resistance.
Only the most dreadful leaders have bad reputations.

Remember that your are facilitating another person’s process. It is not your process. Do not intrude. Do not control. Do not force your own needs and insights into the foreground.
If you do not trust a person’s process, that person will not trust you.

When people get it right, they will rightly say: “we did it ourselves!" What do you think?

The "Tao of Leadership" by Lao Tsu

In your company, can you ask for help? is it allowed to fail?

In our societies we value people for their maturity and ability to drive and manage their lives by themselves, freely and independently.

In the corporate world it's the same. People have objectives and guidelines. It's up to them to be motivated, organized and competent to deliver what is asked of them and get the results.

Few companies and individuals have a culture of collaboration and support.
If you often don't know, doubt and ask questions, your professionalism may quickly be at risk.
In the competitive business world you don't tend to show potential weaknesses or deficiencies to others by asking too many questions of running around for help. It may quickly put your credibility at risk.

Another crucial aspect: the right to fail.
In Latin cultures making mistakes is taboo and is considered as disastrous.
And it's a shame because mistakes can be fantastic opportunities for learning and improvement for all.
Accepting the possibility of failure brings fluidity and audacity to companies and avoids falling into paralysis.

Corporate cultures where it is acceptable to ask for help and to make mistakes create learning environments and increase efficiency because:
- Questions and doubts always bring understanding and clarity to all
- Sharing information and processes allows to identify best practices
- The right to fail opens up to flexibility, challenge and creativity.

But of course these cultural rules need to be applied with limits, within a framework, in a professional way.

Since I began working in change consulting and coaching, I use simple and very effective guidelines that for me combine the crucial human and business dimensions:

"You have the right not to know. It happens to all of us not to know.
If you need help, ask for it.
The error is allowed. It is acceptable to fail.
But it is forbidden to fail for not having asked for help. "

Simple, don't you think? What do you think?

How important is the judgment of others?

We are born and throughout our childhood we fight to get attention and love from our parents.

We strive as teenagers to try and be somebody
As adults, we continue our learning and growth by deepening our self-knowledge

Do you let others define you?
Are you influenced by their judgment, their praise, their criticism?
Have they directed your path in the past? Are they guiding your present lives?

Deep down, are you OK and clear?
What is your present truth? Is it theirs, or is it yours?

Judgment, praise and criticism of others say more about them than about you.
Don’t believe anyone but yourself.
Only you can access and know your truth.

Take time to discover it.