How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 503

The Quiet Leader
Assumptions
The actions of a leader speak louder than his or her words.
People are motivated when you give them credit rather than take it
yourself.
Ego and aggression are neither necessary nor constructive.
Style
The approach of quiet leaders is the antithesis of the classic charismatic
(and often transformational) leaders in that they base their success not
on ego and force of character but on their thoughts and actions.
Although they are strongly task-focused, they are neither bullies nor
unnecessarily unkind and may persuade people through rational
argument and a form of benevolent Transactional Leadership.

The 'Level 5' leader
In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins, identified five levels of
effectiveness people can take in organizations. At level four is the
merely effective leader, whilst at level five the leader who combines
professional will with personal humility. The 'professional will'
indicates how they are far from being timid wilting flowers and will
march against any advice if they believe it is the right thing to do. In
'personal humility' they put the well-being of others before their own
personal needs, for example giving others credit after successes but
taking personal responsibility for failures.
Taoist writings
The quiet leader is not a modern invention and Lao Tzu, who, in the
classic Taoist text Tao Te Ching, was discussing the same characteristic
around 500 BC:

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