Out-of-date leadership is associated with authority, decision-making and control. However, the most effective and true leaders understand that their role is not to accumulate power for themselves but to channel it outward by empowering, inspiring and serving others. This principle is best captured in the metaphor, be a river – not a reservoir.
A river flows, nourishes and moves forward, while a reservoir holds back, stagnates and benefits only those within its immediate reach.
Stagnation of a reservoir
A reservoir collects and stores water, preventing it from flowing freely. Leaders who act as reservoirs hoard information, limit opportunities and focus solely on their personal success and career.
While they may achieve temporary gains, their leadership lacks long-term impact. This stagnant approach creates an environment where employees feel undervalued, growth is stifled and innovation is discouraged. Unfortunately, this exists in way too many organizations.
Leadership should not be about accumulation; it should be about distribution. History has shown us examples of both types of leaders. Those who hoard power and knowledge – whether in business, politics or other fields – often see their influence wane over time.
In contrast, leaders like Nelson Mandela, who shared wisdom and empowered others, created lasting change. As Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By teaching, mentoring and uplifting others, he ensured that his impact extended far beyond his lifetime.
Power of a river
A river, in contrast, constantly moves and enriches everything in its path. We get to see this firsthand living in the Rocky Mountains. Nearly everything the river comes in contact with becomes better, lives longer and has a great life.
Leaders who embody this mindset share knowledge, mentor others and create opportunities for growth. They do not fear losing power by empowering others; instead, they recognize that leadership is about influence, not control.
Rivers shape landscapes, carve paths and bring life wherever they go – just as great leaders shape cultures, develop people and drive meaningful change. John Maxwell calls it moving from success to significance.
Flowing leadership in action
To lead like a river, we must embrace continuous learning, adaptability and generosity. This means:
- Sharing knowledge freely – Educating and mentoring others fosters a culture of growth and innovation. I love seeing this unfold in many of my clients today who invest in their teams to ensure people can become the best versions of themselves.
- Empowering and trusting others – Delegating responsibility and providing opportunities for others to lead strengthens the organization.
- Embracing change and movement – Just as a river adapts to obstacles, strong leaders remain flexible and open to new ideas. This is one of the biggest challenges of experience – we must stay flexible and adapt to the changing world we are in and make sure we don’t think of all the reasons something won’t work. Trust the team and give it a try.
- Serving rather than controlling – A leader’s true success is measured by the success of those they lead. We need the mindset of being a parent – we’d never push one of our children out of the way and take the credit for something they did. In fact, quite the opposite would be natural. It should be the same with our teams.
One of my lifetime leadership lessons also uses the illustration of a river in another way: “A river doesn’t stop flowing just because it’s forced underground.”
This statement is one I heard years ago from our pastor as he was teaching about how faith sometimes has to go underground but stays strong and carries a deep lesson about resilience, persistence and adaptability. Here are a few key takeaways:
- Resilience in the face of obstacles – Just like a river keeps moving when it’s forced underground, we should persist despite challenges and setbacks. Obstacles might slow us down, but they never have to stop us.
- Adaptability and finding new paths – When faced with barriers, the river doesn’t stop; it finds a way forward. Similarly, in life and business, when one path is blocked, we must adapt, adjust and find another way. I think one of the best motivating statements is when we say, “There has to be a better way.”
- Hidden growth and strength – Even when a river goes underground, it still exists and flows with force. Likewise, personal or professional growth sometimes happens out of sight, but that doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made. We have to bet on ourselves and invest in ourselves to really become a force to be reckoned with.
- Patience and long-term vision – Just because successes aren’t immediately visible doesn’t mean they’re not happening. Like a river that eventually resurfaces, our efforts will eventually bear fruit if we stay the course.
My learning here is that we should never change who we are and what values we have that are non-negotiable. But we should be willing to change what will be beneficial for not only us but those whose lives we influence.
Going one layer deeper with this thought, I’ve said that all top leaders or owners of any company can be described by one of two “G” words.
*Greedy – These leaders/owners will never get it. In today’s world, we can spot someone that’s greedy from miles away. It likely will rear its ugly head during the interview process when they try to hire someone for the least amount of money possible, rather than considering what that person can bring to the company and paying what the role and responsibilities deserve. If given a range, they’ll go for the lower number – not the higher one. They also will create unrealistic budgets to ensure bonuses won’t have to be paid out.
On the PTO side of things, this is always a red flag if it’s the minimum and not fair for the industry. On the loyalty front, these leaders/owners live on a one-way street. They want us to be 100 percent loyal to them. But if we ever need them to be loyal to us, they are nowhere to be found. How quickly they are to discard people at the slightest mistake and literally throw them away. That’s pure greed.
*Generous – These leaders/owners understand their success will depend on the way they take care of each and every team member. They acknowledge everyone has goals to be successful and that means we need to be paid for what we bring to the organization.
When it comes to bonuses and other benefits, do the scales tip in our favor every time and in every conversation? Salaries are not the only critical factor to this equation. How freed up are we to bring new ideas to the forefront? Do they have the progressive attitude of trusting us to try new ideas?
Generous leaders will always get out of the way and put us front and center. Time off and work/life balance are top of mind with them. They know that if we’re happy at home, we’ll be happier at work. It’s hard to be happy at home if we’re always at work and work trumps family time.
When it comes to loyalty, they understand it’s a two-way street. And in almost all cases, they will be loyal to us to a fault. And that’s OK; they understand all the hard work we do and have done for years behind the scenes. Even though we don’t expect accolades for doing our jobs, we do deserve loyalty. In those situations, generous leaders gain followers for a lifetime.
My hope is that every leader reading this will be challenged to be guilty of being generous to a fault. The generous person is a river; the greedy person is a reservoir.
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Steve Black is CEO and founder of abrighterday.life, a business and leadership coaching organization devoted to helping people and companies with personal growth and implementing simple leadership principles. A 47-year-veteran of the retail grocery arena, Black is the author of “The 5 Rules” and offers an online Masterclass.