Leadership

I recently came upon this translated quotation from Lao Tzu, in the 17th Chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists.
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
they will say: we did it ourselves.”

This flies in the face of cultures where individuals tend to be competitive and leaders tend to be coercive.

The best leadership takes place through guidance and empowerment — inviting people to play to their strengths. And when those strengths are working side by side, everyone is contributing meaningfully.

This kind of leadership is less about directing and more about creating conditions where people can thrive. It cultivates confidence, shared ownership, and a sense of collective possibility. When people feel trusted and capable, they often discover capacities they didn’t know they had — and that’s when real transformation becomes possible.

—Renee Roederer