John Heider's book
The Tao of Leadership takes each chapter of the original
Tao te Ching and brilliantly adapts it to a context of becoming a truly great leader. Here is his version of
#48:
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# 48 Unclutter Your Mind
Beginners acquire new theories and techniques until their minds are cluttered with options.
Advanced students forget their many options.
They allow the theories and techniques that they have learned to recede into the background.
Learn to unclutter your mind.
Learn to
simplify your work.
As you rely less and less on knowing just what to do, your work will become more direct and more powerful.
You will discover that the quality of your consciousness is more potent than any technique or theory or interpretation.
Learn how fruitful the blocked group or individual suddenly becomes when you give up trying to do just the right
thing.
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Training programs, completion certificates, or professional credentials are important only to the extent that they contribute to real quality on the ground, as experienced by your customers on a sustained basis.
My increasing passion for improvement comes from the realization that I am seeing my past 25 years of hard work evolving to and manifesting
the philosophy above: (1) My advice is simpler, (2) I use far fewer tools, and (3) I've never been more effective...or understood by my clients.
So,
as I encouraged you a year ago, resolve to stop confusing activity with impact -- i.e., less "doing,"
more "standing there!" Simply “plot some dots” to change some conversations and then enjoy the reactions to your eye-popping results...and increased respect.
Until next time...
Kind regards,
Davis
