Servant Leadership – Page 6 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership Minute: Great Opportunities

Posted July 17, 2014
by admin

Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. – Rick Warren

Do you want to make a difference as a leader? Good. The path to greatness as a leader is sometimes found in the mundane. That’s right; no headline, no photo-op, no ‘Atta boy’, or pats on the back. Great opportunities and consequently great impacts are simply the by-products of ordinary people doing ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way. Expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. Expressions of servant leadership are important to you when you don’t care about being important. The more you serve others the more you discover this fundamental truth: it’s not about you. When you are big enough to be little, humble enough to serve and proud to do it, you can find your purpose and meaning in the small things. Great opportunities are before you if you are willing to be little.

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Leadership Minute: Do What You Can

Posted May 30, 2014
by admin

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt

One of the great joys of leadership is giving. It’s about adding value to those around you and making your world a better place. It’s true; one person can’t do it all. But, one person can make a difference if he or she gets involved. Look beyond your own circumstances and consider what you can do. Through your words and actions you can be the answer to someone else’s prayer. Do you know of a colleague who has struggled this month? Why not write her a note of encouragement? Your local food bank could use some donations. Why not organize a food drive? There will always be needs and opportunities and leaders with a servant’s heart will always come through. You can’t change the world but you can change your world one random act of kindness at a time.

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The Selfie Generation: A Call to the Renewal of Servant Leadership

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. – Lao Tzu

In 0.2 seconds after typing the word “selfies” into the Google search engine more than 17 million results turned up. To say that we live in a narcissist generation is obviously an understatement.

For those of you who have been visiting another planet and are not up to speed on what a selfie is let me introduce you to the phenomenon. Selfies, as defined by the Urban Dictionary are, “pictures taken of oneself while holding the camera at arm’s length.” In recent months it has become the trendy thing to do and mimic since the likes of Ellen and other celebrities have turned it more into a fun fad.

While on the surface there is nothing wrong with selfies (yes, I have taken one or two myself) there is a broader or deeper prevailing issue I’d like to explore as it relates to leadership styles. To be clear, in this writing my reference to selfies is a depiction of self-indulged leaders and not about the practice as defined in the Urban Dictionary. My concern is that with the rise of the selfie generation we are in danger of losing sight of the meaning and relevance of servant leadership.

A leadership pyramid I studied some years back by John Maxwell showed that the higher one climbs as a leader the more rights he or she surrenders. In its place is more responsibility. My concern is how less rights and more responsibility fits the narrative of a selfie culture. How do servant leaders emerge from this mindset? How do selfie leaders measure up against servant leaders? Here are but a few examples.

Selfie leaders choose style whereas servant leaders choose substance.

For the selfie type of leader it’s all about their image. Decisions are made and based upon not what’s best for the organization or team but how it makes him or her look. It’s a leadership trap to be sure. Everyone wants to be liked and to be popular, but servant leaders gave up that right a long time ago. Servant leaders will stand for and with those who choose substance over image. In the end it’s about honoring their principles over their popularity. The servant leader sets the example with his integrity.

Selfie leaders are more concerned about receiving while servant leaders care more about giving.

Nothing will more clearly define and set the two apart more readily than this. The selfie leader is all about what’s in it for him while the servant leader is about giving. It’s all in the math. The selfie subtracts (takes) while the servant leader adds (gives). It’s a reflection of the heart and priorities. The servant leader sets the example not by what he takes but by what he sacrifices and gives.

Chart is courtesy of: Developing the Leader Within You, by John Maxwell.

Selfie leaders care more about their position while servant leaders care more about their people.

There is no substitute for the human equation in leadership. Positions come and go, but at the end of the day the servant leader who cares less about his title and more about his people is the one who will survive. Selfie leaders can’t help themselves. Eventually it all comes back around to them. Selfie leaders will do whatever it takes to protect that which matters least (position or title) while using the people who matter the most. It’s a sad trap many aspiring leaders fail to see. The servant leader sets the example by modeling humility.

Max de Pree said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” I believe this leadership philosophy is needed today and is a blueprint for the future. Servant leadership is not about being a weak leader but rather a strong and convincing one. The ultimate measure of a leader’s power is not found in the authority that he or she is willing to grab hold of but in what they are willing to lay down. It’s not determined by demanding more rights but in assuming more responsibility.

I believe now more than ever in the power of servant leadership. What do you say?

I welcome your feedback:

1. What do you believe are the biggest barriers to servant leadership today?

2. Are the selfie leaders as described here more the norm or the exception in your opinion?

3. What tangible things can you do to help build a servant leadership mentality?

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Leadership Minute: Listen Up

Posted May 2, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Listen Up

When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. – Ernest Hemmingway

Listening is one of those ever-developing leadership skills. In our high tech world the art of undistracted listening is a waning skill. Listening is one of the highest compliments you can pay to another person. This means putting away your cell phone or tablet and actually making eye contact while acknowledging the other person. To the same degree we expect people to listen when we speak we should extend the same courtesy to others. People will feel respected when they are respected. Give the other person your undivided attention and hear what they have to say. You will be seen as a leader who cares and you will build your credibility as one who is engaged. Tune out distractions so that you can tune in to what’s really important. Listen up!

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Leadership Minute: Happy Trails to You

Some of the best views are found at the end of the most challenging trails. – Mark Sanborn

The trails for leaders are seldom easy. They can be hard and treacherous. Sometimes you will walk alone when others take the path of least resistance. After all, if being a leader was so easy everyone would be one. But if you will stay focused, committed, and disciplined you will reap the rewards others only dream about. Don’t worry when the trail seems too hard or too long. You are not where you are by accident. Have faith that you are the right person, in the right place, doing exactly what you were destined to do. At the end of the trail your view will be uniquely yours and all of the sacrifices made along the way will be worth it. Happy trails!

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Leadership Minute: Value Added Leaders

Few things will increase the credibility of leaders more than adding value to the people around them. – John Maxwell

Adding value to the people around you is one of the privileges of leadership. But value can only be added where respect is given. It’s easy to add value to those we like and are friends with. But what about that difficult person whom you had rather avoid? Until we begin to recognize and give value to everyone regardless of how difficult it may be we are marginalizing our credibility. There is good to be found in everyone and everyone needs to be lifted up. Look for tangible ways to add value to the people around you and watch your credibility rise. Don’t withhold that compliment, that affirmation, or that word of encouragement. Your one word of encouragement could be all it takes to turn things around for a struggling friend. Be a leader of added value.

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Leadership Minute: What Makes You Different?

What makes you different is not what you have in your head; it is what you have in your heart. – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

As a leader, head knowledge is important. Your rise as a leader is precipitated by you willingness and eagerness to learn and draw from a wide range of experiences. Some will be good while others not so good. Learning is essential to your growth as a leader. But make no mistake; what makes you different as a leader is not what you have in your head but what’s in your heart. The heart of a leader; the sum total of all that is good, decent, kind, caring and intuitive will serve you better and longer than any amount of head knowledge. But what a powerful leader you can be when you learn to blend the two in a positive way. What makes you different?

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Four Ways to Build a Culture of Courage

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot

Author Leo Buscaglia tells this story of his mother and their ‘misery dinner.” It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with the firm’s funds. His mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.” Her courageous act rallied the family.

Courage is an essential leadership skill. It inspires confidence and promotes a healthy work environment. The lack of courage in a leader can have devastating consequences. Forbes contributor Glen Llopes wrote a column entitled 7 Reasons Why Employees Don’t Trust Their Leaders (http://onforb.es/J72Xej). He cites the lack of courage as the number one reason. Llopes adds, “Leaders who don’t stand up for what they believe in are difficult to respect and trust.”

If you were to assess your courage quotient as leader how would you measure up? Are you instilling courage in your organization or by default are you promoting a culture of weakness? Here are four questions to reflect on as you consider how well you promote a culture of courage.

Do your words project courage?

How you speak to your organization is just as important as what you speak. If your words don’t inspire confidence then it will be hard for your team to believe your words. If you want to instill confidence then you must speak with confidence. To do anything less is sending the wrong signal. But make no mistake; what you believe and what you communicate to your team forms the basis of belief from which they will work, produce, and deliver. Courageous words will inspire tremendous results.

Do your actions reflect courage?

Your words and your actions are key indicators as to your own courage quotient and will be reflected throughout your organization. If you have low expectations in your team’s ability to reach their goals then it will be hard for them to overcome that negative perception. If on the other hand you speak courage and act with courage it will be the signal your team needs to go above and beyond and deliver. If you want your team to be courageous then you need to model courageous leadership.

Do your policies and procedures promote courageous behavior?

There can be times when your words and actions may bend toward courageous behavior but it’s being held up by obstructing policies. As a leader it’s your responsibility to make sure that your team’s courageous culture is not being choked out by restrictive procedures that kill creativity and their ability to get the job done. Review it. Change it. Streamline it. Do whatever is necessary to make sure that a courageous culture thrives.

Do you have courageous goals and dreams?

The question here is important because we tend to think we are courageous when we are pushing for goals and dreams from the confines of our comfort zones. Anyone can be courageous while promoting a small dreams or idea. But how courageous are you when it comes to goals and dreams that scare you to death because they seem too big, too costly, or beyond your ability to achieve?

I’d like to encourage you to speak new life into old dreams and dare to speak with the same authority and passion to those larger-than-life sized dreams as you do to the ones you know you can easily achieve. Don’t allow what scares you to keep you from what inspires you. Be courageous and inspire courage!

What do you say?

I invite your feedback!

1. How can you inspire or promote more courageous attitudes in your workplace?

2. What changes in your mindset do you need to overcome to be more courageous?

3. What wrong attitude or belief is holding you back and keeping you from achieving your goals and dreams?

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Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Posted March 27, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the most exhilarating and yet one of the most fearful steps for many leaders is those blind steps of faith. We tend to be careful, calculated, and want to know the whole game plan. But there are those unique and special times when you just have to go with your gut instincts and take a step of faith even if you don’t see the entire picture. Sometimes your goals and dreams await you on the other side of your faith. Dare to dream, set your sights high, and when the time comes, dare to step out and go for it. The big picture will become clearer with each step you take.

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Leadership Minute: Let It Go!

Posted March 14, 2014
by admin

Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff. – Richard Carlson

It’s no secret that life can get complicated and we all have our fair share of stress to contend with. Leaders are not exempt. Couple the many daily decisions you make along with your other responsibilities and you can see why it can take a toll. How do you handle the stress? Some of the most stressed people I’ve met over the years are that way because they don’t know how to let things go. Inventory the major stress points in your life right now- which ones are really not your battles? Why are you fighting them? There comes a point in time when you just have to let go of battles that are not yours and reclaim your peace of mind. Simply put: let it go!

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