In the Tao Te Ching, Laozi describes the most effective leaders as those who act through 'wu wei' — a kind of effortless, non-forcing action that works with the grain of a situation rather than against it. In sales and finance, there's a persistent temptation to push harder when a deal stalls: more calls, more pressure, more persuasion. But Laozi would recognize this as swimming against the current. The most enduring client relationships, the most trusted advisors in banking and insurance, tend to be those who learned to listen for what the situation actually requires rather than imposing what they want it to require. The deal that needs to breathe is not a deal being lost — it may be a deal being earned.

Where in your current work are you applying force where stillness — or simply listening — might actually move things forward faster?

Drawing from Taoism — Laozi (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8 & 17)