Leadership Aphorisms II

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word aphorism is defined as a concise statement of principle or a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment, often by a famous author from antiquity.  I have scraps of paper with various leadership aphorisms scattered throughout my office, both at home and work.  I would like to share some of my favorites again today (see my first list here):


1.  "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

I am not sure of the exact origin of this aphorism.  Some have said that it comes from the Bible, while others say it is from the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism.  I came across more than a few references that says that the English writer, Anne Isablla Thackeray Ritchie coined the phrase in 1885  ("He certainly doesn't practise his precepts, but I supposed the Patron meant that if you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour.  If you teach him to catch a fish you do him a good turn.").  Regardless of its origin, it is one of my favorite aphorisms because it suggests very plainly that while it may be easier for us, as leaders, to do a job or task in the short run, if we allow our direct reports or teams to complete the task themselves, we will all be better off in the long run.  They will certainly appreciate the opportunity to grow and develop, and they will have developed an expertise that will make our jobs as leaders easier and better.



2.  "Leaders eat last."

I first heard this aphorism when I was in the Navy, and I think it has a lot to do with Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  Basically, Maslow suggested that individuals are motivated by certain basic needs, some of which (especially physiological necessities like food, water, clothing, and shelter) must be attended to first before they can ever fulfill the higher level needs (psychological needs and self-actualization needs).   Leaders, if they are going to motivate their teams, must make sure that these basic needs are attended to - hence, military leaders in the field (during training or combat) should only eat after the rest of their troops have had a chance to do so, fulfilling Maslow's first level of needs.  Even if you are not a military leader, what this says very elegantly (in my opinion) is that the team comes first - a leader's success will depend upon the success of the team.  If the team fails, the leader fails.  So make sure that your team has everything that they need (from a physiological standpoint for sure, but more likely things like psychological safety, resources, and time) to complete the task at hand.

3.  "Relinquo mundum meliore loco" ("Leave the world a better place.").

I think I learned this aphorism, or at least a version of it (NOT the Latin version), when I was a Boy Scout.  We were always taught to "leave the campsite better than how we found it."  I have adopted this one as part of my personal mission, vision, and values.  Again, we should always be striving for continuous improvement - of ourselves, of our teams, of our organizations, and perhaps most importantly, of society in general.  Leave the world a better place.

4.  "The name on the front of the jersey matters more than the one on the back."

Again, I have no idea of the origin of this aphorism.  I know the legendary hockey coach, Herb Brooks, said it in the movie, Miracle (the scene when the team loses a pre-Olympic warm-up game and he makes them skate "suicides" on the rink afterwards, even after the arena staff turn off the lights).  It also sounds like something that former NFL coach, ESPN commentator, and now head football coach at Arizona State University, Herman Edwards said or would have said.  What the aphorism says is very powerful indeed - the team comes first and individuals come second.  In the current context, the aphorism says (at least to me) that the needs of the team (i.e., the individuals on the team) far outweigh the needs of the leader (in other words, "Leaders eat last!").

5.  "If you always do what you have always done, then you'll always have what you've already got."

I am not sure that Yogi Berra said this or not, but the quote is often attributed to him.  Albert Einstein reportedly said something very similar (in a quote that is perhaps more famous), "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  The underlying meaning of both aphorisms is rather poignant.  We, as leaders, should always be looking to improve - ourselves, our direct reports, our ways of doing things.  "Continuous improvement" should be the goal.  If you try to do things the way you have always done them, as Yogi says in his own unique way, you are going to achieve the same results that you have always achieved.  We should always be looking for ways to improve.  We should always be asking ourselves if there is a better way.