Over the weekend, I was reading a particular section of the Tao Te Ching, (an ancient book of wisdom), that deals with leadership. This section describes an enlightened leader as one who creates an environment where each person acts responsibly. An enlightened leader, as the material details, lets others choose and pursue their own path to success.

Think about individuals you are leading. Are you allowing them to share their own thoughts about the career path they see for themselves as opposed to trying to force them into a pre-determined mold? Instead of believing that you know what's best for them, trust that they know what's best for themselves. Share your wisdom and experience and then let them know you trust them to make the right choice for themselves.

Enlightened leadership is not about your team impressing you or living up to your expectations of what they "should" be doing. It's about creating the type of environment where your team says "We did it ourselves!" This doesn't mean you can't give them guidance. When an individual is stuck, be an astute observer of what's really happening. Ask yourself how you can create an environment that allows this person to grow and succeed without relying on you for all the answers. As appropriate, you might offer a quick story of how you handled a similar situation or share some tools that worked for you. While at the same time, asking what they need to move forward.

Truly enlightened leaders get results by setting the example. They create space for their team to be inspired and to achieve their own greatness. When the time comes for receiving recognition, the leader steps back wanting everyone to know that their accomplishments come from their own efforts.

Whether you are the leader of one or hundreds, value those you have been entrusted to lead. Share in the joy they exhibit over their accomplishments rather than see it as an acknowledgement of your skills. Be there to serve, to create the opportune environment, (without demanding performance), and the performance will take care of itself! As the Tao says: "With the greatest leader above them, people barely know one exists! "

To your enlightenment!