Servant Leadership – Page 5 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Three Crutches That Will Sink Your Leadership

Posted November 6, 2015
by admin

I don’t know any other way to lead but by example – Don Shula

A turkey is chatting with a bull, “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, “but I haven’t got the energy.”

“Well,” replied the bull, “why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings? They’re packed with nutrients.”

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. But he was promptly spotted by a hunter, who shot him down out of the tree.

The moral of the story: BS might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

One of the worst mistakes aspiring leaders make is the quest to get to the “top” without the benefit of the wisdom and leadership skills necessary to sustain them once they do. So instead of relying on strong leadership and relational skills they fall back on crutches that do more harm than good. Here are three of the most common crutches that will sink your leadership.

The crutch of your position

This is perhaps one of the most common crutches aspiring leaders depend on. It’s much too easy to throw your weight around as a leader by playing the “positon” card rather than putting in the time to develop stronger leadership skills. It’s much easier to issue decrees from behind closed doors than it is to get out from behind the desk and build relationships and get to know your people.

Your position is not the end game of your leadership – it’s the beginning. Your position is not your destination. Positons come and go and at the end of the day what matters is that you have skill sets in place that render your position or title as secondary compared to the extra-ordinary influence you have that is born out of relationships.

Leadership Tip: The harder you work at developing your skill sets with people the less you will have to rely on your position.

The crutch of entitlement

The crutch of entitlement is the by-product of the crutch of your position. Once a leader has bought-in to the belief that he or she has arrived simply based upon a title is the day he or she begins to develop a sense of entitlement that they believe their title confers. This is a devastating view of leadership.

Here’s the truth- the higher you ascend in your organizational structure and the more your leadership influence will grow and the more responsibility you will have. It’s not a power grab for your personal entitlement, it is a call to servant leadership. It’s not about what’s in it for you, it’s about growing others around you.

Leadership Tip: The measure of your leadership is not about what you believe you are entitled to but in how you can serve others more effectively.

The crutch of the rule book

The crutch of the rule book is one of the most detrimental crutches that a leader can evoke in his or her organization. It is the crutch that stifles creativity, which builds walls instead of bridges, and puts the lid of growth. The crutch of the rule book lives by “the manual says…” instead of igniting creative and imaginative thinking.

Howard Behar, the former president of Starbucks International, espouses a “play book” instead of a rule book, and I agree. It’s when your people are empowered and trusted that they will shine the brightest. A play book is empowering and is based on trust. Beyond that, it gives you options. A rule book locks you in and is tightly controlled.

Leadership Tip: Develop a play book with your team. Foster a culture of innovation and creativity. Be a leader who unleashes the potential of your people.

Here’s one last take-away about leadership and crutches that I’ve learned over the years. Getting rid of the crutches is like taking the training wheels off a bike. At first, you may think you can’t ride the bike without them but in due time you will wonder why you held on to them for so long.

Whatever your leadership crutch may be- dare to identify it, and dare to let it go. You will be glad you did.

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What Will Your People Say When You Move On?

Posted November 14, 2014
by admin

After a real leader has moved on, the people who worked for him or her will always say, “I learned more and did more than I ever thought I could. – Alan M. Webber

A story is told that when Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius there were many persons buried in the ruins who were afterwards found in very different positions.

There were some found in deep vaults, as if they had gone there for security. There were some found in lofty chambers. But where did they find the Roman sentinel?

They found him standing at the city gate where he had been placed by the captain, with his hands still grasping the weapon. There, while the earth shook beneath him, there, while the floods of ashes and cinders overwhelmed him, he had stood at his post, and there, after a thousand years, he was found.

The legacy of that soldier standing guard is a testament to his loyalty and sense of duty. In the face of death he did not abandon his post and was a true soldier to the end.

There comes a time when every leader moves on. It may be after many years of faithful and dedicated service to an organization, or it may be after just a short period of time. But the question under consideration is what will be said about you by those who remain. Just like the soldier standing guard at Pompeii, you too will leave a legacy. What do you think the conversation will sound like after you walk out the door? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that this is what they were saying?

“He taught me how to serve”

How nice it would be to know that the people you leave behind will reflect on this attribute of your leadership. Real leaders get this principle and drive home the importance of it routinely – it’s not about you. Your title or position does not make you a leader. It is however, a responsibility given and an opportunity to seize in being a part of something larger than yourself. It’s a leadership principle you have lived by and one that others got to see up close and personal. It stuck. Now you are gone- but not forgotten. A few former colleagues gather around after you are gone and the conversation starts off like this: “Remember the first time he came to us and told us that we were adopting a family during the holidays and…”

“She led with integrity”

At the end of the day your integrity is the most important thing you carry with you out the door. Are the accolades nice? Yes. But you built your legacy as a leader on the premise of integrity. You can walk out the door with your head held high and with no regrets. It was when you modeled integrity on a daily basis that your people knew that they could follow and trust you. When you easily could have cut corners on quality and turned a larger profit, you made the right choice. Whether times were good or times were bad, you always dealt openly, honestly, and fairly with your people. Guess what? They were paying attention. You built your integrity not on promises given but on promises kept. Your word was good. You delivered. And your people will always remember you for it.

“He inspired me to be my best”

There may have been times along the way when your people were mistaken about your high expectations and the way in which you pushed them to become better. They may have considered you to be unreasonable or too tough at the time. But you inspired them to be their best and to reach their full potential because you saw something in them that they didn’t see in themselves – like a diamond in the rough. But you didn’t let up and they rose to the occasion. At some point they bought in to your inspiration and they are the better for it. Wouldn’t you like to hear that conversation? Now, your legacy will live on through them.

“She left too soon”

How fitting it would be to know that when you left it was considered too soon by those who served with you. There’s no shortage of stories with bad endings when the leader leaves and there is a sigh of relief- but not so with you. Why? It’s because you were a real leader who walked among your people, built relationships, served with humility, led by example, insisted on excellence, and gave it your all.

When you leave it can be a cause for celebration or it can be a time of passing the torch to the leaders you have raised up. What your people will say about you is being decided by how you lead them today. What will they say when you leave?

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Three Things to Know…About Servant Leadership

Posted November 10, 2014
by admin

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” – Max de Pree

Over the years there has been a lot of talk and misconceptions about servant leadership. Here’s my take…

Leaders who serve do not vacate their positions of power or authority they validate it. Servant leaders have those positions not because they are power-hungry, manipulative, or selfish, but because they are not. Make no mistake, servant leaders have power and authority, but they’ve learned the secret of how and when to exercise it.
Leaders who serve are invested in the success of their team. They will empower their people with every tool possible in order to ensure their success. Servant leaders understand that when they help others become successful they are successful.
Leaders who serve are relational. Servant leaders are intentional about building relationships in order to gain the trust and confidence of his or her people. When you take the time to be among your people and get to know them, they will see up close what type of person and leader you are. At the end of the day, your people want a leader they can relate to not one they fear.

A few final takeaways…

Don’t throw your weight around – it’s unbecoming of a leader. Serve them.
Be invested in your people and they will not disappoint you.
Know your people and be vulnerable. People like it when you are real.

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Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

Posted October 24, 2014
by admin

Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing. – Tom Peters

The Great Wall of China was built over hundreds of years to keep China’s northern enemies from invading. The Great Wall is so wide that chariots could ride across the top. It is one of the few manmade objects that astronauts can see from space as they look back on the earth.

But the Great Wall did not keep the enemy out. Do you know why? All the enemy had to do was bribe a gatekeeper. Despite the massive wall, there was an enemy on the inside that let the enemy on the outside in.

One of your most important responsibilities you have as a leader is to grow your corporate culture in a way that benefits everyone. But what happens when office gossip, professional jealousy, and turf wars build walls that place your company at risk? What is the fallout when walls go up and camaraderie is a faint memory of the past? Here are four critical areas that are impacted in your organization if walls are built or allowed to remain.

Loss of trust

The first line of defense for you as a leader as it relates to your corporate culture is the establishment of trust. When walls go up among your people trust is one of the first casualties along with it. Trust among your team is essential to your operation. If it doesn’t exist internally it’s going to be hard to nurture and develop it externally.

Trust is the foundation of your corporate culture. If there is no trust among the members of your team then your team is simply going through the motions. Trust is built when the walls come down and your people learn to work in harmony with one another. When they see each other as allies and advocates rather than adversaries then you trust can be established.

Lack of communication

When there is no trust then communication is going to suffer. If information is being withheld and secrets are kept, then good corporate culture is lacking. Walls keep people apart and when this occurs then the life blood of your company is missing. Everything rises and falls on trust and communication.

Consider for a moment how different things in your organization would be if there were not impediments to communication. Good communication can be a challenge in the best of times when there are no walls much less when they do exist. Communication in your organization will exist and thrive when you bring people together and make it a priority.

Lack of collaboration

Whatever the cause for the walls that exist – clicks, territorial disputes, petty office politics, etc. one thing is certain – relationships suffer. A strong work environment and the collaborative process are dependent upon good relationships – the very thing the walls have destroyed.

A healthy collaborative process can be very beneficial. When team members come together and check their baggage and their egos at the door, it can make a huge difference in the productivity of the organization. But this can’t happen within the confines of walls that are far too often supported by pride. When team members see their differences as strengths and their diversity as an advantage then collaboration can thrive.

Lack of credibility

Walls can be detrimental to any organization and every leader faces the challenge of how to deal with the underlying issues that lend itself to their creation. It’s a frustrating process and I understand the challenge it presents.

But the credibility of your organizational structure is on the line when walls of division that lead to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration are allowed to linger. Chances are it’s only one or two disgruntled people who are the chief antagonists giving you this headache. But nonetheless, walls are being built because well-meaning team members may know of no other way to deal with it.

As a leader you must be proactive in the implementation and development of your corporate culture. It’s not an auto-pilot feature that you can turn on and then ignore as you move on to other issues. As a leader the best things you can do is learn how to build more bridges and tear down a lot of more walls.

What do you say?

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Leadership Minute: Serve Your Purpose

Posted October 20, 2014
by admin

Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye. – HAL computer, 2001: A Space Odyssey

What is your purpose as a leader? You’d be hard pressed to find anything more important to you as a leader than serving your purpose. It’s what gives your leadership meaning. Unfortunately for many, the purpose of leadership gets lost to secondary matters. For some it’s about attaining an element of power. Others might think it’s about a title or position. When these things become the focal point or belief as to what leadership is about then the purpose of leadership has been lost. The higher you climb as a leader and the more responsibilities you take on as a leader the greater this knowledge becomes. In short; it’s not about you. It is however about taking and using the influence you have to serve causes greater than yourself. Once you understand that this is your purpose as a leader you can then see it really has little to do with you. It’s about what happens through you.

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Leadership Minute: Seek to Serve

Posted September 24, 2014
by admin

We lead best when we seek the welfare of those we lead, when we seek to serve rather than being served. – Alan McGinnis

As a leader you will put many skills into practice. You will learn the ropes of good people skills, time management, vision casting, teamwork, conflict resolution, and much more. But chief among those skills and what will set you apart from your counterparts is a genuine heart for those you lead. When you seek the welfare of those you lead above your own it will be the defining mark of your leadership. When you seek to serve your people they will see up close and personal what real leadership is all about. This leadership philosophy runs contrary to what many people experience and what too few leaders practice. But think of how different things would be if it were. Your leadership is a privilege and it’s a gift. The joy of leadership is found in that discovery. Seek first to serve and everything else will take care of itself.

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Leadership Minute: Lead With Purpose

Posted September 15, 2014
by admin

The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants. – Rick Warren

One of the most important things you can do as a leader is to run your own race. Doing so requires knowing your purpose and examining your motives. Many would like to have the title of “leader” but for what purpose? Is it for the sake of what that title can afford you? Is it for personal gain? How about your motives? Be sure of this truth in leadership – your motives will be revealed. But the servant leader is just as easily identifiable but for a very different reason. A leader with a servants heart places others first, looks for ways to lift others up, and is not too proud to serve. Servant leaders have a different mindset and create a different organizational culture. When serving others becomes your mission it’s a game changer. When “what can I do for you?’ replaces “what can you do for me?” it changes everything. The road of servant leadership is less crowded and for good reason. Give it a try!

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Leadership Minute: Courage to Lead

Posted September 10, 2014
by admin

You will never do anything is this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. – Aristotle

When it comes to the naming of essential leadership traits, courage ranks high on the list. Courage is what it takes to stand by your values and convictions even if it means standing alone. Courage is what inspires you to act when all other indicators say it’s not a good idea. Courage is telling people what they need to hear and not just what they want to hear. Being courageous may not always be popular but it is essential. The confidence that springs from being courageous is the product of being careful. Courageous leadership comes about by being confident, considerate, and is never about being arrogant. The fuel that drives courageous leaders is not ego but humility. You need courage to lead. Courage is your secret weapon and with it you can go far. Let it be your silent partner and give you strength. The world needs courageous leaders like you.

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Leadership Minute: Serve Well

Posted August 4, 2014
by admin

I have always believed that the best leader is the best server. – Herb Kellleherm

As a leader you wear many hats and juggle many responsibilities. Your leadership journey is one filled with up’s and down’s and everything in between. But what are the defining characteristics of your leadership? Could it be your charismatic personality? After all, people are drawn to vibrant and energetic leaders. Perhaps it’s your track history of great successes that draws people to you. While there could be any number of things to point to that defines you as a leader there is really only one that truly matters. Serving is the ultimate and highest expression of your leadership. When you make serving your priority you set the tone for how customers are going to be treated, how employees will perform, how clients will be represented, how business will be conducted, and how growth will be achieved. Serving is the ‘secret formula” for success and life. When you stop looking inward and start looking outward you can start going forward.

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Leadership Minute: Opportunity Awaits

Posted July 25, 2014
by admin

At times leadership boils down to this simple challenge: Will we rise to the opportunity placed before us? – Hans Finzel

Leadership is about seeing and seizing opportunities. The catch is being able to recognize it when you see it. Your opportunities won’t always look like what you might expect. It could come disguised to as opportunities to serve. It could look a lot like more work; and usually will be. Your opportunity could be found in mentoring a young person or coaching Little League. Don’t make the mistake in believing that the opportunity that awaits you is about you. Seize opportunities to empower others, meet needs, and let the expressions of your leadership be those that will outlast you. There will never shortages of opportunities to make a difference with your leadership. When you take the focus off yourself and place it on others you will see more opportunities than you will know what to do with. Will you rise to your opportunity?

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