Lessons from Machiavelli and Lao Tzu

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Author: Cynthia Wagner Weick
Author: Cynthia Wagner Weick

In this session, you will gain insight into leadership styles by extracting valuable lessons regarding power and empowerment from Eastern and Western classical literature. Two extreme models—autocratic, top down leadership and a more participatory, empowering leadership style—are vividly illustrated by, respectively, the political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli and the ancient Chinese thinker, Lao Tzu.

The objectives for today's session are to:

  • Contrast leadership styles derived from Machiavelli and Lao Tzu
  • Discuss how these leadership styles are or are not relevant to modern business
  • Identify examples of each style in modern business
  • Reflect on how Machiavelli and Lao Tzu can inform your own leadership style

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CoachingOurselves is informal and social learning for managers. Each CoachingOurselves topic unravels a novel perspective, idea or theory on one aspect of management with carefully crafted content, questions and exercises that motivate ninety minutes of discussion, reflection and knowledge sharing. Senior managers use CoachingOurselves to align, engage and stimulate the team. Organizations integrate CoachingOurselves with formal initiatives to create a comprehensive enterprise learning architecture. Contact us online or by phone at 1-866-669-0838 to learn more.