July
2002
Innovation Tips
Éfor
thriving on collaborative innovation
=========================================
The Tao of Dialogue
Lao Tse, the sixth century
B.C. sage whose religion of Taoism has thrived for over two millennia, spoke of
the ÒTao.Ó The Tao, roughly translated, refers to
a divine way, an order implicit in all life. But the Tao is not easily grasped.
Of the Tao, Lao Tse is reported to have said, ÒHe who knows, does not say; and
he who says, does not know.Ó
Just as Lao Tse noted the
presence of an implicit order or ÒwayÓ in life, so too, there is an implicit
order in dialogue.
Leadership, in highly
collaborative and creative dialogue, does not come from the leader. It emerges
from within the group, from the underlying Tao. Truly generative dialogue
permits what Carl Jung used to call the Òthird way not spokenÓ to emerge amid
conflicting viewsÑa way that both rises above and resolves conflict. It is a
way that no one may control or dictate; it may only be observed. The leader who
says he leads the group in this dialogue simply Òdoes not know.Ó
The most important
contribution a leader can make to such dialogue is to avoid controlling the
group. The leader must not impose his will or order on the flow of dialogue,
for the flow of dialogue has its own order, its own destination, its own
resolution. The leaderÕs primary role is to ensure that everyoneÕs views are
equitably heard. EveryoneÕs views must be listened to with the same level of
respect and attention. No one may have a Òmore equalÓ voice than anyone
elseÑnot even the leaderÑor the expression of the Tao will be suppressed.
Few groups ever experience
the Tao of dialogue; people attending to their persona, their political
position, or their self-interest will keep the group boxed in. Only when each
member of a group is authentically committed to the welfare of the groupÕs
purpose above his own may the Tao of dialogue emerge to guide the group on its
collective path.
Leaders who are skilled at
cultivating collaborative genius know that the Tao offers greater leadership
than they could ever hope to attain. They have only to arrange the stage for
this implicit order to arriveÑand arrive it does. But as to how or why, those
who have known the TaoÉÒcanÕt say.Ó
(This is the seventh in a series of
articles on leadership and collaborative genius.)
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