History accustoms us to leaders being charismatic and aristocratic providing inspired guidance and making all of the decisions for their countries or businesses whatever the outcome. They are individuals like Winston Churchill or Jack Welch who are set up on pedestals that the rest of us humbler folk can barely aspire to. That may not be how these people actually behaved but it is often how they are portrayed.
My experience of professional teams and businesses is that the best leaders are often very different. They do provide direction and inspiration, but they do so from within the team, not as some detached god like figure. They are what is increasingly recognised as servant leaders.
The phrase “servant leadership” was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay published in 1970. His concept as explained inthis articlewas that:
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
It is not actually a new subject. It is a concept recognised in ancient philosophy, with advocates such as Lao Tzu (philosopher of ancient China, author of Tao Te Ching) and Chanakya (great philosopher, teacher, and economist of ancient India, adviser to Emperor Chandragupta). However, servant leadership seems to have gained a new lease of life in recent decades.
It is the subject of a book The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance by James A. Autry which is summarised on Amazon as Practiced by one-third of the companies on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, servant leadership is a thriving philosophy. Ultimately, Autry explores how it can be a valuable, refreshing, and rewarding approach to leading others in business life.
There is even a Center for Servant Leadership whose objectives include supporting a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of community and the wider sharing of power in decision-making in the workplace.
The philosophy behind servant leadership is well articulated by Stephen R. Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People where he says in the context of the 8th Habit: from Effectiveness to Greatness:
"The only way to lead when you don’t have control is you lead through the power of your relationships. You can deal with the unknown only if you have enormous levels of trust, and if you’re working together and bringing out the best in people. I don’t know of any other model that can truly work in the world right now except servant-leadership."
I also like this article 'Servant Leadership' and How Its 6 Main Principles Can Boost the Success of Your Startupwhich says So what's the best model for leadership in a startup environment? The old one -- of the authoritarian boss -- is rapidly being replaced with leading by example.
The best teams I have worked with negotiating contracts or running professional firms have been led by individuals displaying at least some of the characteristics of servant leaders. They have not sat in ivory towers but been members of the team, ready to listen and sometimes let others take a leadership role, but somehow without giving up the reins and still being in charge.
As U.S. Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr said "A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service."
And returning to Stephen R Covey for the last word It has generally been my experience that the very top people of truly great organizations are servant-leaders.
My experience of professional teams and businesses is that the best leaders are often very different. They do provide direction and inspiration, but they do so from within the team, not as some detached god like figure. They are what is increasingly recognised as servant leaders.
The phrase “servant leadership” was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay published in 1970. His concept as explained inthis articlewas that:
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
It is not actually a new subject. It is a concept recognised in ancient philosophy, with advocates such as Lao Tzu (philosopher of ancient China, author of Tao Te Ching) and Chanakya (great philosopher, teacher, and economist of ancient India, adviser to Emperor Chandragupta). However, servant leadership seems to have gained a new lease of life in recent decades.
It is the subject of a book The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance by James A. Autry which is summarised on Amazon as Practiced by one-third of the companies on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, servant leadership is a thriving philosophy. Ultimately, Autry explores how it can be a valuable, refreshing, and rewarding approach to leading others in business life.
There is even a Center for Servant Leadership whose objectives include supporting a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of community and the wider sharing of power in decision-making in the workplace.
The philosophy behind servant leadership is well articulated by Stephen R. Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People where he says in the context of the 8th Habit: from Effectiveness to Greatness:
"The only way to lead when you don’t have control is you lead through the power of your relationships. You can deal with the unknown only if you have enormous levels of trust, and if you’re working together and bringing out the best in people. I don’t know of any other model that can truly work in the world right now except servant-leadership."
I also like this article 'Servant Leadership' and How Its 6 Main Principles Can Boost the Success of Your Startupwhich says So what's the best model for leadership in a startup environment? The old one -- of the authoritarian boss -- is rapidly being replaced with leading by example.
The best teams I have worked with negotiating contracts or running professional firms have been led by individuals displaying at least some of the characteristics of servant leaders. They have not sat in ivory towers but been members of the team, ready to listen and sometimes let others take a leadership role, but somehow without giving up the reins and still being in charge.
As U.S. Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr said "A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service."
And returning to Stephen R Covey for the last word It has generally been my experience that the very top people of truly great organizations are servant-leaders.
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