The Power of Talk

         In The Power of Talk (HBR), Deborah Tannen correctly characterizes a looming hypocrisy that comes in the world of business; oftentimes, presentation and appearance matter more to success than real concrete results and competence. The way we carry ourselves has very little to do with our experience and ability to carry out projects and manage. 

        This approach that is inherent in our culture and the workplace too often rewards actors and not those who act with resolve, knowledge, and competence. How are we then to escape this reductive, restricting framework? Are we certain that subtle leaders with humility are less effective than the ones with braggadocio, pomp and arrogance? 

        One alternative to this is the vision of the leader is one expressed in verse 17 of the Tao Te Ching: "When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised. If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. The Master doesn't talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, 'Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!'"