According to an old story, a lord of ancient China once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art.
The physician, whose reputation was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied;
"My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house.
My elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his name does not get out of the neighbourhood.
As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords.”
Source: The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Translated by Thomas Cleary
Within the specific context of the book, the author uses the story above to illustrate that skilled tacticians can achieve victory before conflict becomes a necessity. However, in doing so, their name may not appear amongst the greats generals of the time. When I read this, my context provided an alternative application, one which allowed me to reflect on a recent conversation.
(Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash)
I read this short story as a nod to all the great work done by coaches and leaders (and others), that can seem at the surface level like nothing is happening. No fireworks, no grandstanding, no heated hallway discussions, that’s not to say tough conversations don’t happen, just not in the middle of an office. The changes they make may feel small, but their impact may carry far and wide.
I've been fortunate to have worked alongside such coaches and leaders. So from me, this is a small thank you to them and to all the practitioners out there working amongst the many teams around the world.
They work with people, listening and coaching, supporting and helping create great environments where people can explore different opportunities, where they can express themselves, be vulnerable if they want, grow as they want and shape their own paths of success.
They gently but courageously guide, reflect, teach, encourage exploration and experiments. Yes, there must be space for learning from mistakes and so they ask the difficult questions, getting teams to operate in a brave space and challenge the status quo.
The focus is on the team, not the coach or the leader. Their aim is to support the team’s growth. Their service is to the team, not to the self. The success belongs to the team.
There are different styles of support for different types of people. Each person will find their own style and each team will have their own needs. So this isn’t necessarily about introverts and extroverts and how you find your energy. This isn’t about being proactive or reactive. I believe there can be space and a need for all types.
For me this is about recognising the voices we don’t hear loudly on social media or see at awards ceremonies, it’s about recognising that many people are great at what they do and give so much to others.
So in celebrating all the amazing work being done by the people that share their ideas in front of large groups, those that take the heat for voicing their opinions, the people that educate, inspire and role model, let’s not forget the quieter ones who are just as amazing, just as inspirational - but just in a different way.
Thank you to you all
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