How ancient Chinese philosophy can make you a better comms leader
The Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu said the path to serenity is to “do your work, then step back.” While a state of serenity seems fairly elusive for most of the comms pros I know, this centuries-old guidance still hits home. With today’s business climate often translating “busyness” to mean “productivity” or “progress,” here’s how stepping back can help comms leaders get ahead:
- Team members get the opportunity to step in (and step up). When we consciously step back as leaders, the space we create offers opportunities for team members to assume more responsibility, think independently and surface ideas. (While we shouldn’t leave the car, sometimes handing over the wheel for a bit can showcase hidden skills and talents within your team.) This type of empowerment builds trust between employees and managers, and can extend to business partners and customers, too.
- We have a richer opportunity to recognize great work. A deliberate pause can offer us some head space to reflect on a team’s progress and evaluate what’s worked well… and what hasn’t. This allows us to sincerely recognize the team’s specific work and behavior (beyond a vague, “Well done!”). It also gives us an opportunity to communicate the particular behavior(s) we want to see (or not see!) in our team on the road ahead.
- We can think more creatively. With a laser focus on urgency and getting great communications out the door, there’s not much room to take risks, learn from outside sources or view work with fresh eyes. It’s no surprise that research studies found that authentic and empowering leadership styles lead to the most creative team performance. When we step back, we may notice and adopt more creative approaches… and generate more communications engagement as a result.
A key word in the phrase, “do your work” is “your.” As a leader, your team is still counting on you to remove roadblocks, prioritize work and provide critical guidance and perspective. Stepping back doesn’t mean checking out.
But stepping back doesn’t need to be a momentous thing. It can be as simple as taking the time to watch a relevant TED talk or share an inspiring industry article. It can be as brief as dedicating team meeting time to recognition or highlighting a best practice you’d like your team to explore. It can mean checking in on a team member’s development progress or looking up from your day-to-day work and reviewing your communication strategy to confirm your team is focusing on the right work and is cultivating the right relationships. Sometimes, stepping back just takes a reminder.
So, while I can’t promise comms folks anything close to serenity, I’m all about an empowered team that’s delivering great, creative work and getting meaningful feedback so they continue to grow. Building trust inside and outside your team? Getting better communications engagement and therefore better return on your comms investment? It all sounds like a win in my book.
Do your work and step back… and let me know what happens!
With more than two decades of communications experience spanning agencies, Fortune-100 organizations, non-profits and academia, Kristi Hinck Mills today brings her passion for communications to CommsLede Consulting, where she delivers smart, strategic communication solutions for her clients.
