GL e-Newsletter - December 2004

GL MONTHLY e-NEWSLETTER - December 2004

Brought to you by Jeff Thoren, DVM

It wouldn't be the Christmas season without enjoying one of the various stage or screen adaptations of Dicken's classic, "A Christmas Carol!" In it, we see the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, transformed from a bitter, self-serving miser into the consummate servant leader. Why is it that this story always warms our hearts? Could it be that in our daily lives we so often experience the antithesis of servant leadership?

We only need to look to the recent corporate scandals (e.g. Enron), egotistical behavior by professional athletes, or any number of reality TV shows to see that selfish, insolent behavior is prevalent and maybe even pervasive in our culture. It's pretty easy to spot the "Scrooges" in our personal lives too, like the driver who cut you off in traffic this morning or the co-worker who's only "looking out for number one." Accordingly, examples of caring, servant behavior are a refreshing breath of fresh air and a gentle reminder of the way things should be ... and the way we should be.

Like Ebenezer Scrooge, maybe this Christmas season is a good time for a little self-evaluation and possibly some character transformation of our own?

Here’s this month’s feature …

On Character and Servant-Leadership - by Larry Spears

From the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership web site.

Highlights from the article:

Servant-leadership is a way of being in relationship with others. The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.

The concept of servant-leadership is increasingly viewed as an ideal leadership form to which untold numbers of people and organizations aspire. Servant-leadership seeks to involve others in decision making, is strongly based in ethical and caring behavior, and it enhances the personal growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of organizational life.

Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader:

Listening: a deep commitment to listening intently to others.
Empathy: accepting people and recognizing them for their special and unique spirits.
Healing: the healing of relationships is a powerful force for transformation and integration.
Awareness: general awareness, and especially self-awareness.
Persuasion: a reliance on persuasion, not positional authority, in making decisions within an organization.
Conceptualization: the ability to look beyond short-term operational goals and dream great dreams.
Foresight: understanding the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely future consequences of decisions.
Stewardship: a commitment to serving the needs of others and considering the greater good of society.
Building community: seeking to identify some means for building community among those who work within the organization.
Commitment to the growth of people: a belief that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers and a commitment to the growth of each and every individual within the organization.

The best test for servant leadership is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

For the full text article, go to . . .
http://207.56.80.56/attachments/Character%20and%20Servant%20Leadership.pdf

Principles of Servant-Leadership in Practice

Is servant-leadership nothing more than some "pie in the sky" notion that makes for a good screen play but is too idealistic to work in real life? Not at all! Servant-leadership has proven itself successful in a growing number of businesses and organizations. Companies such as TDIndustries, Southwest Airlines, The Container Store, Synovus Financial and others that have appeared on Fortune magazine's annual listing of "The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America" are living proof of the positive impact of servant-leadership.

The companies on Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies have about 50% higher returns to shareholders than do their direct competitors who didn't make the list. These organizations perform better than their rivals on employee retention, morale, worker safety, and other measures as well.

"Servant-leadership is far more than simply being pleasant. The first measure is, do you grow the people you lead?" - a senior leader at TDIndustries

Servant-leadership challenges the notion of the traditional leader as a stand-alone hero. Instead, it focuses on a holistic understanding, building a shared vision, effective self-management, encouraging interdependence, learning from mistakes, encouraging creativity from all, questioning assumptions, promoting shared trust, and embracing humility. The involvement of employees in decision making creates increased job satisfaction and commitment to a collective vision.

"For servant-leaders, it's about lifting others to new levels of possibility and accomplishing as a team much more than what one person might accomplish alone," say business consultants Ann McGee-Cooper and Gary Looper. "These individuals find that the magical synergy that results when they put aside their egos, share visions, and nurture true organizational learning brings collective joy, deep satisfaction, and amazing results!"

"I have always believed that the best leader is the best server. And if you're a servant, by definition, you're not controlling. We try to value each person individually and to be cognizant of them as human beings - not just people who work for our company." - Herb Kelleher, former CEO of Southwest Airlines

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