Transform vs Conform

In response to another's negative behaviour, ask yourself this question, would this response inspire and transform this individual or simply make them conform and comply?

Great Leaders

Great leaders exist to serve, not survive. This distinction is a critical element of great leadership. 

Lao Tzu's Best Leadership Types

"A leader is best when people barely know he/she exists. When his/her work is done, his/her aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves". - Lao Tzu

In this article I'd like to talk about one of my favourite leadership quotes, belonging to the great Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu.

According to Lao Tzu's philosophy, the highest two forms of leadership fall into two categories, the invisible leader, which Lao Tzu classifies as the highest level of leadership, if the change sticks and the source becomes unknown or at worst the praised leader, when people acknowledge the leader for their efforts (second best type of leadership as outlined by Lao Tzu). An ego-less leader will use the power of intrinsic motivation to lead people and create sustainable change. It relinquishes control, allows individuals to take ownership and control over the things that need to be done, and at the same time continues to provide support in the background. When credit is due, the leader allows the individuals to take credit over the achievements. At best the leader continues to be the "invisible leader" and at worst "the praised and honoured leader".

What is wonderful about Lao Tzu's top two leadership types "the Invisible Leader" and "The Praised Leader"

Instilling Positive Influence in Followers

The beauty of a leader without authority is that when people do listen to what they say, it is out of personal will, it is from personal commitment, not compliance, it is from the heart not an obligation.

The followers are positively influenced and exhibit commitment to the vision bestowed upon by the leader, and often completely in line with the followers. Synergy exists.

Freedom and Wellbeing Within the Leader

If the leader's primary objective is positive change and the end result is the primary goal, rather than recognition and praise, then the leader will find the most effective way to create sustained change. This could be planting ideas in the minds of people who then take ownership of those ideas. The leader aims to an epidemic of change where the source may be hard to pin-point, while the effect is vast. This leader may fall into two categories, the invisible leader, which Lao Tzu classifies as the highest level of leadership, if the change sticks and the source becomes unknown or at worst the praised leader, when people acknowledge the leader for their efforts (second best type of leadership as outlined by Lao Tzu). An ego-less leader will use the power of intrinsic motivation to lead people and create sustainable change. It relinquishes control, allows individuals to take ownership and control over the things that need to be done, and at the same time continues to support in the background. When credit is due, the leader allows the individuals to take credit over the achievements. At best the leader continues to be the "invisible leader" and at worst "the praised and honoured leader".

Influencing the Outcome of Your Experiences

If you do not believe that you have the ability to influence the outcome of your experiences, then how can you take full responsibility for your life?

Inspiration

When people are inspired, they see within themselves something they had not seen before in a way that they see at the moment they are inspired.

Commitment vs Compliance

Commitment comes from the heart - one can commit themselves to something (e.g. a cause, a relationship) - it is a "want to", and not an obligation - you cannot impose commitment onto others or want others commit, it is a personal choice and its basis is love. Compliance on the other hand, is primarily based on obligation - is is a "have to". You can impose compliance onto others by force or by other external means instance law, rules and regulations. The basis of compliance is fear and it enforced by some form of threat.

Commitment is ofcourse the strongest of the two. You can inspire commitment in others but you cannot force others to commit (you can force them to comply). It is by far more effective to inspire commitment in others rather than compliance by means of force and rules and regulations. Commitment results in higher quality motivation, well-being and productivity, compliance results in lower quality motivation, lower well-being and lower productivity.

Power Creates Movement

Anything with power creates movement. Ignorance and power creates destruction. Care with power creates betterment and wellbeing. It is important to utilise power, as without power, no change takes place. No matter how much you care, without power and without passion, movement and change does not take place.

Can and Will

It can be done.
It will be done.
It will be done.

"can" is potentiality - "will" is manifestation and realisation of that potentiality. Without "will" nothing changes, potentiality remains a potential indefinitely. We must first realise the "can" and then move on to action to manifest change.

Have We Progressed?

Can we really call ourselves a race that has progressed? What possible justification could we have for wanting the human race to survive well into the future when we neither treat our own race right nor the natural environment we live in? What destruction will we cause to other planets that we travel to after destroying our own?

Moving Forward

The only way we could now move forward from a grass-roots level (we now can really give up on our current politicians) is for whoever is a non-X to stand up for X where X is a minority or anyone oppressed, disadvantaged or deprived of equal rights or marginalized in any way without committing a crime of any sort, shape or form, by either ignorant people or ignorant governments.

Today is the time for men to stand up for women's rights
for the wealthy to stand up for the poor
for the dominant-races to stand up for the minority ethnic groups
for non-GLBTI to stand up for GLBTI
for those of religion X to stand up for those of religion Y
for those of color/race X to stand up for those of color/race Y

For equal rights to become a true reality there is no other way that is described here.

Standing up for people from your own group only generates further segregation and disparity persists.

There is no other way to move forward but for the people globally to take their future into their own hands and evolve as a species through the power of unity and love rather than wait for our current authoritarian governments to take us to the next stage. Our evolution and the next paradigm shift for humanity is in YOUR hands. Start making a difference TODAY by standing up for someone who is a NON-YOU.

It is time for us to move from standing up for "Us" to standing up for "Them". As radical as this may sound it will be the most beautiful shift and a sure way to make a real difference.