This is cross-posted from an internal Food and Agriculure Organization of the United Nations (FAO) blog. The post is created by Elena Di Paola. Elena is my colleague and Knowledge and Information Management Specialist in FAO’s Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension.

”In Kabuki theatre, there is a gesture which indicates ‘looking at the moon’, where the actor points into the sky with his index finger. One actor, who was very talented, performed this gesture with grace and elegance. The audience thought, ‘Oh his movement is so beautiful!’ They enjoyed the beauty of his performance, and the technical mastery he displayed. Another actor made the same gesture, pointing at the moon. The audience didn’t notice whether or not he moved elegantly; they simply saw the moon.”

This passage is taken from the book “The Invisible Actor” by the Japanese Master Performer Yoshi Oida. In his work the author expresses preference for the actor who shows the moon to the audience; the one who is able to become invisible. According to him, an actor’s role is not to display how well he performs but, through his performance, to enable the stage to come alive. In this way the audience is carried along and becomes part of the story.

Management experts drew inspiration from Yoshi Oida’s lines to describe the features of an effective leadership style, typical of some Asian countries: Invisible Leadership.

As Professor Tojo Thatchenkery, Director of  M.S. in Organization Development & Knowledge Management School of Public Policy at George Mason University says, in most Western countries …: 

“Leadership is closely connected to charisma and visibility. If you are not visible, you are not a leader. In many other parts of the world, especially in Asian cultures, leadership is not about being visible. It is the opposite: quietly doing your work and assuming that rewards will come. [...] they practice a form of quiet or invisible leadership because of an unconscious, deep rooted cultural assumption that leadership is about enabling and empowering, not about bringing attention to oneself and shining”.

The behavior of invisible leaders exercises a relevant influence on knowledge sharing dynamics. Research by Fritjof Capra concluded that:

“The most powerful organizational learning and collective knowledge sharing grows through informal relationships and personal networks via working conversations in communities of practice.” 

The invisible leaders are those who belong to and promote networks of conversation within the organization that go from bottom to top and top to bottom and, back again, in a continuous flow of feedback exchange. The use of these networks provides them a more complete overview on the organization’s resources and needs, and helps them make informed decisions.

Invisible leaders’ core values, privileging the collective over the individual, are beneficial to a knowledge-sharing culture.

If you are interested in more practical details, here is my personal vade-mecum for those who want to practice invisible leadership.

The invisible leader promotes:

  • Open door policy
  • Team work
  • Facilitation versus direction
  • Informal relationships through networks of conversation.

The invisible leader involves the team in:

  • Setting goals and visions
  • Decision making
  • Consensus reaching.

The invisible leader increases sense of inclusiveness, responsibility and gratification by:

  • Confidently delegating
  • Sharing successes with team mates
  • Giving voice to all (even to the silent that tend to hold back valuable input when overcome by predominant personalities)
  • Making feel everyone equally important.  

To go to heart of the matter, the key to invisible leadership is mainly about doing the best things in the best way for a common objective. This attitude leads to quicker and more successful results than when power is exercised as dictated by hierarchical differences.

On that note, find the invisible leader within you and let them express what you want to see happening in your team, in a way that is subtle, delicate and yet determined. This is what will make you effective in leading your team.