Re: A Leadership Exercise LO2833

Ray, James A (rayjam@whqpos4b.daytonoh.attgis.com)
Fri Sep 15 14:14 EDT 1995

Replying to LO2691 --

Clyde Howell, The Howell Group writes (7-Sept) in the Learning
Organization mailing list:

>Those who rise to be made managers and higher executives are too often
>promoted because they got results of some kind. These results are not
>necessarily due to their leadership but their managership or their
>commandership. Remember, managers and commanders can FORCE you to do
>something. A leader INFLUENCES you to do it on your own.
{snip}

To this point, I'd like to share two of my favorite quotations regarding
leadership:

"You can buy a man's time; you can buy his physical presence at a given
place; you can even buy a measured number of his skilled muscular motions
per hour. But you can not buy enthusiasm...you can not buy loyalty...you
can not buy the devotion of hearts, minds or souls. You must earn these."
-- Clarence Francis

- and -

"A great teacher never strives to explain his (or her!) vision - he (or
she!) simply invites you to stand beside him (or her!) and see for
yourself."
-- Rev. R. Inman

>Timothy Smith (also) said it well:
>
>>Leadership arises from the ground of the individual's being,
>>regardless of place in the hierarchy.
{snip}
>Leadership is not dependent upon being a particular personality type
>or coming from a particular background.
>

An emergent model of leadership (though not new at all) is the concept of
"Stewardship" as articulated by Peter Block in the '94 book of that title.
This concept was advocated earlier by Robert Greenleaf as "Servant
Leadership" and is based on one or more ancient Asian proverbs. This
concept is consistent with the observations of messrs. Howell and Smith,
and may prove useful for elaboration on the concept. An excellent summary
of the concept was recently articulated by Bill Pollard, Chairman of
ServiceMaster Company.

THE LEADER WHO SERVES C. William Pollard, Chairman ServiceMaster Company

WHO IS THE SERVANT LEADER?
Not the president nor the person with the most distinguished title, but the
role model. Not the highest-paid person in the group, but the risk taker.
Not the person with the largest car or the biggest home, but the servant.
Not the person who promotes himself, but the promoter of others. Not the
administrator, but the initiator. Not the taker, but the giver. Not the
talker, but the listener.

THE SERVANT LEADER MUST BE TRUSTWORTHY.
No enterprise can function to its capacity unless its people can rely upon
the word of their leaders. This is more than something formalized into a
written agreement. It goes far beyond covenants contained in a legal
document. People rely upon the leader for their future, so as leaders we
must fulfill our campaign promises.

THE SERVANT LEADER MUST BE WILLING TO WALK A MILE IN THE OTHER PERSON+S
SHOES.
She listens to those she leads. She works at making herself available. Her
door is always open. She is out and about talking and listening to people
at all levels of the organization. As se listens, she learns. She becomes
a frantic learner and through close contact with the people she leads,
avoids the trap that many so-called successful leaders experience -- the
arrogance of ignorance.

LEADERS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
They are responsible for initiating change in order to maintain the
vitality of the organizations they lead. Too many organizations,
including governments, are crippled by the cancer of bureaucracy, with
people preserving a position, but not serving and creating value.

THE LEADER MUST BE GENEROUS IN THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY.
It is a grave wrong and injustice to steal from another the ability to
make a decision.

THE SERVANT LEADER LEARNS TO ACCEPT DIFFERENCES
and seeks to provide an environment where different people contribute as
part of the whole. The servant leader promotes diversity, recognizing that
differences of people can strengthen the group.

LEADERS RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL PRISONERS OF OUR HOPE.
Hope sustains us. It is our vision of what could be that inspires us and
those we lead. The results of a servant leader will be measured beyond
the workplace, and the story will be told in the changed lives of others.
There is no scarcity of feet to wash: the towels and the water are
available. The limitation, if there is one, is our ability to be on our
hands and knees and prepared to do what we ask others to do.

(ServiceMaster is a service company providing management services to over
2,000 health care institutions, colleges and public schools, and
industrial facilities. It also provides a variety of specialty services
to over 4.5 million homeowners. Bill Pollard has applied this style of
leadership to this remarkable organization, engendering pride and fierce
loyalty from a workforce best characterized as domestic service providers,
in an industry known for poor morale and very high turnover.)

Shared in the spirit of inquiry...

--
James.Ray@DaytonOH.attgis.com Geneva:   +41 22 929 9948
Worldwide Services       FAX:      +41 22 929 9992
Organization Development      Voice:    +1   513-445-1661

"Even if you think you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." -- Will Rogers, American Humorist

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