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Taoist Leadership Ethics

April 30, 2001

"In contemporary leadership studies one of the newest trends is based on one of the world's oldest schools of thought.  The ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism has attracted a significant following among managers, writers, trainers and teachers in the United States. 

 Taoism is one of the '100 Schools of Thought' or philosophy that emerged during the Warring States period in ancient Chinese history (600-300 BC) Taoist ethics are rooted in an understanding of the Way or Tao.  The Tao is the nameless, shapeless force or Non-Being which brings all things into existence or Being and then nurtures them (Ku-Ying, (1977).  Once the Tao takes form, it manifests itself through natural principles.  One such principle is the notion of complimentary opposites (the yin and the yang) (Garrett, 1993).  There is no mountain without the valley, no light without darkness, no prosperity without calamity, no life without death.  The universe operates, as it should when these forces are in equilibrium.  A second principle is circular movement or reversion, which means that plants, animals, rocks and other forms of matter ultimately return to their natural state. 

 The principles of the Tao apply equally to all individuals regardless of their place in society.  The Taoist sages advocate a minimalist approach to leadership because government reflects a distrust of the working of the Tao and human nature (Johnson, 1997).  When left alone, followers obey natural laws and society as a whole benefits.  Therefore, she/he who governs best governs least. 

 The ideal Taoist leader maintains a low profile, leading mostly by example and allowing followers to take ownership.

Ethical decision making in Taoism is based on conformity to principles manifested in the natural or phenomenological world rather than on the consequences of the choices (teleological ethics) or on cultural standards or values (denological ethics).

 To follow the Tao is to recognize that the universe is fluid.  The season change, plants and animal follow the cycle of reversion and so on.  The constancy of change means that what is right in one context may be wrong in another.  Even judging the consequences of ethical choices is difficult because actors don't know how events will unfold.

 Taoism addresses many of the major shortcomings of dominant Western culture: violence and coercion, materialism, greed, frenetic activity, government and corporate intrusion into the private lives of citizens, status seeking, legalism, separation from the natural world, spiritual bankruptcy.  Yet, the cost of following the Tao is high.  True disciples, it would seem, need to put aside:

 ·        distinctions between right and wrong

·        exclusive reliance on reason

·        faith in a divine being and any hope of an afterlife

·        all formal guides to ethical conduct, ranging from organizational and professional codes to the Ten Commandments

·        the belief that leaders should actively influence groups and organizations

·        technological sophistication

·        the desire to punish evildoers

·        condemnation of other points of view

·        moral absolutes

·        separation of the spiritual and material worlds; any distinction between secular and spiritual leadership

 Many Western leaders will likely try to integrate elements of Taoism into their existing ethical frameworks.  Leaders may decide to adopt only certain Taoist practices.  However, they should first wrestle with the fact that Taoism is a complex, comprehensive, integrated system of thought, not a set of unrelated concepts.  Utilizing Taoist principles may well produce better results and more personal fulfillment as its advocates claim.  Nevertheless, leaders seeking to follow the Tao must carefully consider the ways in which the philosophy's assumptions about the origins and workings of the universe, human nature, knowledge, and spirituality impact ethical choices (2000, Johnson, pp. 82-91)."

Reference: Johnson, C. (2000). Taoist leadership ethics.  The Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(1), 82-91.

 The Journal of Leadership Studies is available on loan from the OSU Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2007-11-09, Updated: 2009-02-18