Interview with Laurie Weiss PH.D.

What does it mean to be a great leader?

To me, a great leader is someone who empowers other people. 

One of my favorite leadership quotes is from the Tao Te Ching. 

“When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.

Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!”

Do you feel you're a leader? Why or why not?

I’m absolutely a leader and I lead from behind more often than in front of the crowd. I am a thought leader and I help people think about new things. I lead by empowering other leaders. I help them get where they want to go. 

I don’t like being “president” of things, but I enjoy being a board member and facilitating what’s most important. I changed the direction of an international organization once, but hardly anyone knows I did it. The organization is much stronger because of it. 

Tell a story of a time you took the lead -- what was your motivation?

I was on the board of Trustees for the International Transactional Analysis Association and it was using a very powerful tool in a clinical setting. I knew that that tool was powerful in schools and in organizations because I had used it in both places, but the organization only certified people in the clinical area. 

I came up with a plan to encourage people to request certification to utilize the tool in education and the business world. After that, this powerful tool became commonly used in all types of organizations. It’s called Transactional Analysis.

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