Here Comes Trouble

The Tao tells us: When people lack respect, Trouble follows (Tao, 72)

The Tao reminds us of the subtle energies that make up all existence. Consciously or unconsciously, people sense these energies and know when respect is missing, when they are being devalued. Morale and productivity suffer. A company that does not respect its clients will not keep them. And an atmosphere that lacks internal harmony invariably drives people away.

While finishing graduate school. I worked in a new Creole restaurant in Santa Monica, California. With its spicy food and upbeat atmosphere, the restaurant made a promising start. Many employees were aspiring actors, who would spontaneously burst into song and exchange lines from popular shows. My job as cashier was a pleasant diversion from my studies. But then the two owners had an argument, refused to speak to one another, and things fell apart. First, we didnt get our paychecks on time, and shortly thereafter the customers stopped coming. How did they know? I wondered. The place looked the same, the staff was the same, and the food seemed just as good, but something was wrong with the energies. In three months,. the little restaurant sadly closed its doors. The lack of respect between the owners had destroyed it.

Theory X

Many companies still treat clients like commodities and employees like replaceable parts. This is what management expert Douglas McGregor called Theory X, an outmoded hierarchical approach to management that considers the institution more important than its employees. In a corporate version of the caste system, managers look down on workers, expecting them to subordinate and sacrifice themselves for the common good. Corporate propaganda reinforces this unhealthy behaviour, disguising disrespect and denigration of individuals as dedication to the institution.

For leaders who follow the Tao, such a concept is ridiculous. The Taoist vision is holistic: We cannot separate the parts from the whole. For Tao leaders, the individual members are the institution. Supporting their continuous personal and professional growth also ensures the growth of the corporation. Reducing employees to mere functionaries not only stunts their growth as human beings but makes the institution stagnate as well. Just as a lake is the sum of many drops of water, an institution is only as healthy as the individuals within it.

It pains me when people believe Theory Xs unhealthy propaganda, considering themselves less important than the work they do. There are many examples of this belief. Betty, an administrative assistant in a New York publishing firm, decided to retire because her arthritis was getting progressively worse. The pain in her right hip was slowing her down, making it increasingly difficult for her to walk. She told her boss, I wont be much use if I cant get around any more.

Her supervisor responded that he valued her not merely for what she did but for who she was, that a disability did not make her less valuable as a person. Furthermore, he said, Bettys logic made no sense. If she retired, she would still have to get around in her own life (Betty lives alone with her cat in a modest apartment). She would also lose her health benefits when she needed them most. He suggested that she take time off for surgery and then consider her options. Betty has since returned to work with a hip replacement and a healthier outlook on life.

Wise leaders know that if an individual doesnt count, the institution doesnt count for much either. Put mathematically, if the individual is zero, together a lot of zeros add up to a whole lot of nothing.

Some leaders in Silicon Valley and in other regions or industries that are part of the emerging knowledge-based economy refer to their employees as assets and human capital. One CEO of a leading software firm remarked recently that my most valuable assets walk in and out of the front door every day. The monetary metaphors may seem awkward and reductive, but the more we value the people around us, the more value we create in our world. As we know from the Tao, that value - emotional, spiritual, environmental includes but far exceeds the economic level.

The ripple effect can work in a positive direction. When our actions are guided by a deep core of respect for ourselves and others, the energies of healing, joy, and empowerment radiate out to the world around us.

The Tao of Self-respect

Like everything in the Tao, the lesson of respect is holistic. We can give only what weve got. We must find respect ourselves before we can respect others. The Tao reminds us that leadership involves a lifelong commitment to self-mastery:

Analysing others is knowledge. Knowing yourself is wisdom. Managing others requires skill.

Mastering yourself takes inner strength. (Tao, 33)

An often-quoted maxim tells us: As it is within, so it is without. To develop our leadership abilities, we must first look within. And what do we see? Writer and educational consultant Sunny Merik admitted, Sometimes we treat ourselves like things. We should strive not to be that way. Work, work, work... trying to be perfect....never giving yourself a rest. Does this sound familiar? Conscientious people too often fall victim to compulsive work habits, treating themselves like machines. This unhealthy paradigm is out of harmony with nature. It is not the wisdom of Tao.

The Tao upholds the lesson of balance. We cannot sleep all the time, eat all the time, or work all the time. We must harmonise our different needs. Rev Richard Green of Orlando, Florida. used to tell people that four qualities are necessary to human life: work, play, love and worship.

Sometimes when were living creatively, all four qualities come together as one. Ive seen this combination in my friend Richard Burdick, an Oregon-based composer and pianist. Richard loves his work, blending words and music into new compositions with a spirit of playful discovery. When he performs, he radiates a joy that inspires his audiences.

Music is an important part of his life, but no matter how satisfying, our vocation alone cannot become our whole life. To maintain his balance, Richard makes time for his family, their shared community service, and his own spiritual growth.

Extracted from The Tao of

Personal Leadership: The Ancient Way to Success, published

by Harper Collins, distributed by Rupa & Co, 3.95, 288 pages