Leading With Social Currency
Sometimes I wonder if I really do read for pleasure or not. Even though I have developed a love for fiction, I still am looking for connections to my personal and professional life. So, I guess I really am reading for pleasure, just with a purpose. During my reading yesterday morning of Robert A. Heinlein’s great book The Cat Who Walks Through Walls the comment made by character Chou-Mu to Richard was, “You may think you won back in there. You did not. You lost. You made the Moderator lose face—you made both of them lose face” (p.216). This reminded of the work and great book Saving Face by Maya Hu-Chan. Saving face is not about winning or losing.
Choy-Mu went on to say, “So you’re a walking time bomb, an accident looking for the spot.” He frowned. “Not too healthy for me, either, being present when they lost face … after making the initial mistake of ‘bearing bad news to the king.’ Understand me?” “I’m afraid I do.” Xia asked, “Choy-Mu, truly did Number-One lose face?” “Truly he did, luv. It was Aunt Lilybet Washington who did it to him. But of course he can’t touch her. So it lands on Captain—On Richard. So I see it” (p. 216). “Face,” as Maya Hu-Chan said, is like social currency. The more you have, the easier and faster you can get things done. I had the opportunity to get to know Maya and do a workshop for teachers with her. You can read about that in FACE Is Social Currency.
Maya told us that, “Saving face requires deliberate thought, care and courage to address someone with clarity that is fueled by empathy.” Leaders who take genuine ownership of their work set high standards. What I have learned about saving face is to protect people, not image. It is about providing a psychologically safe place, not a safe place for our egos. Pride can take over both organizationally and from a human standpoint. Leadership fails when image takes priority over integrity.
Maya also told us, “Losing face describes conditions where people feel devalued, humiliated or unappreciated.” Saving face provides a psychologically safe environment and provides a positive work, organizational, or community environment.
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