Servant Leadership

AIM TMP 2004

Prof. Sonny Coloma

Prologue: The Lantern Swinger Spuyten Duyvil Bridge: over the Hudson

River, between the Bronx & Manhattan, New York

Friday morning, October 1904, 3 a.m.:

Train crash great tragedy, scores dead

Bridge closed for 18 months

Who was responsible?

Prologue: The Lantern Swinger Prime suspect: Lantern Swinger Duty: Swing lantern if bridge is up

& could not be crossedQ. What is your occupation?A. I am the Lantern Swinger.Q. Where were you early on the

Friday morning in question?A. At my post.

Prologue: The Lantern Swinger

Q. Did you see the oncoming train?

R. Yes, I did.

Q. Were you inebriated (drunk)?

R. No sir, I never drink.

Q. Then tell the court what happened when you saw the oncoming train. Did you or didn’t you swing your lantern?

A. Y-y-y…yes I d-d-d-did swing the lantern.

Prologue: The Lantern Swinger

After he was finally acquitted, the defense attorney asked him:

“Why the stutter of a guilty man? We nearly lost our case? Were you lying to me all these months?

“I never lied to you…you just always asked me the wrong question. You asked if I swung my lantern. You forgot to ask if the lantern was lit.”

Prologue: The Lantern Swinger

We live in an age of competence & skill.

We are well trained in our chosen fields.

We lead and manage our organizations…our companies.

We manage our time, we are even taught how to manage our relationships.

We are experts at swinging the lantern: just at what angle to swing it, how to hold it.

Prologue:The Lantern Swinger

We forget that for the lantern to illuminate our way at all --- the lantern must be lit.

Only the fire of your unique character can light up your life, transform your existence

from routine fulfillment of obligation to passionate unfolding of your distinct

contribution to humanityIs your lantern lit? Are you truly motivated

to lead?

Prologue to Greenleaf

HERMAN HESSE’s Journey to the East (1960s)

All is well with a journeying party, especially with Leo as the servant who sustains them with his caring spirit.

Then Leo disappears.The group falls into disarray. The journey is

abandoned.They discover they cannot make it without

the servant, Leo.

Prologue to Greenleaf

Leo is found after many years of searching. Leo is, in fact, the head of the religious order

that sponsored the original journey. GREENLEAF’S LESSON:The great leader is first experienced as a

servant to others. True leadership emerges from those whose

primary motivation is a deep desire to help others.

Servant Leadership:A Definition“The servant leader is a servant first.It begins with the natural feeling that one wants

to serve.Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to

lead.This is sharply different from the person who is

leader first.The difference manifests itself in the care taken

by the servant first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.”

- ROBERT K. GREENLEAF

Reflections on Doing What Matters:Leading by Serving “There are two ways to be rich: one is to

have more, the other is to want less. Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have.”

- CONFUCIUS “Success is getting what you want.

Happiness is wanting what you get.”

- WARREN BUFFETT

Reflections on Doing What Matters:Leading by Serving “There is joy in transcending self to

serve others.”

- MOTHER THERESA

“We make a living by what we get.

We make a life by what we give.”

- WINSTON CHURCHILL

Test of a Servant Leader

Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become

healthier, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

What is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit, or at least, not be deprived further?

No one will be hurt, knowingly or unknowingly

Ten Characteristics of a Servant-Leader Listening

Empathy

Healing

Awareness

Persuasion

Conceptualization

Foresight

Stewardship

Commitment to the Growth of People

Building Community

Management & Leadership:A ContrastMANAGEMENT “A way of doing”

(Drucker) External “Ends justify the

means” – do what works

Goals & Tasks Call to Duty

LEADERSHIP “A way of being”

(Greenleaf) Internal “Means determine

ends” – primacy of beliefs & intentions

Relationships & connections

Life Calling (Vocation)

A New Kind of Leadership

TRADITIONAL BOSS Motivated by personal

drive to succeed Highly competitive;

independent mindset; seeks to receive personal credit for achievement

Understands internal politics & solicits personal loyalty from followers

SERVANT AS LEADER Motivated by desire to

serve others Highly collaborative &

interdependent; shares & gives credit to others

Aware of what motivates others & empowers all to win with shared goals & vision

A New Kind of Leadership

TRADITIONAL BOSS Focuses on fast action;

impatient with others who are slower to comprehend

Relies on facts, logic, proof

Controls information to maintain power

SERVANT AS LEADER Focuses on gaining

understanding, input, buy-in from all parties

Uses intuition & foresight to balance facts, logic, proof

Shares big-picture information generously

A New Kind of Leadership

TRADITIONAL BOSS Spends more time

telling, giving orders; unwilling to devote time to listening or coaching

Feels that personal value comes from individual talents

Sees network of supporters as power base and highly conscious of titles & perks

SERVANT AS LEADER Listens deeply &

respectfully to others, especially to those who disagree

Feels that personal value comes from mentoring & working collaboratively with others

Develops trust across a network of constituencies; breaks down hierarchy

A New Kind of Leadership

TRADITIONAL BOSS Eager to speak first:

feels his ideas are more important; often dominates or intimidates others

Uses personal power & intimidation to leverage & obtain what one wants

Accountability: who is to blame?

Uses humor to control others

SERVANT AS LEADER Listens intently &

values inputs from others

Uses personal trust & respect to build bridges and do what’s best

Accountability: making it safe for people to make mistakes

Uses humor to lift others up & energize them

Worry

Apathy Boredom

Anxiety

Relaxation

Control

Arousal

Low High

High

Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.

James Kouzes & Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge

We need leaders of inspired idealism, leaders to whom are granted great visions, who dream greatly, who can kindle the people with the fire from their own burning souls. Theodore Roosevelt

In my regiment, nine-tenths of the men were better horsemen than I was, and probably two-thirds of them better shots than I was, while on the average they were certainly hardier and more enduring. Yet after I had them a very short while they all knew, and I knew too, that nobody else could lead them as well as I could.

Theodore Roosevelt

Tashi Deley

I honor the greatness in you.I honor the place in your heart where lies

your courage, honor, greatness, love, hopes and dreams.

I honor the place in your heart --- where if you are at that place in you…and I am at that place in me…there is only one of us.

May the God in me meet the God in you!Tashi Deley!