servant leaders - praxis framework...servant leadership goes against the tradi tional grain, but...
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mTEAMWORK
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'Up-to-date Imowledgeis crucial in any modernorganisation.Withholdingknowledge is likewithholding funds. '
and dialogue begins. Some leaders feelthreatened by this. They stiffen and nod politely before rejecting an idea that isn'ttheirs. Servant leaders are more confidentand can open their minds wide. They ask asmany questions as they give answers. Theteam feels more valued, and expects andwants to contribute more.
Good dialogue requires good knowledge.These days, knowledge is a problem becausethere is just so much of it, criss-crossing theglobe in milliseconds. The best way to siftthrough it all is to interact with others onthe same mission.
Up-to-date knowl-edge is crucial in anymodern organisation.Withholding knowledgeis like withholdingfunds.
When there are mistakes, the temptation isto look for someone to
blame. With servant leadership, blame is notimportant. We learn a great deal from mistakes, as long as we don't hide them. Hierarchies tend to make people defensive, somistakes are covered up as much as possible. As a result, little is learned.
Post-it notes are an example of a mistakethat led to huge success. Somebody made aglue that just wouldn't stick. If the inventorhad been too frightened of authority toadmit it, the glue would have landed in thebin. Instead, we have a cheap and ubiquitous indispensable product. Servant leader-ship encourages just that sort of enter- .....prise from apparent failure. .....
ervant leadership, a concept developed by Robert Greenleaf1,utilises the collective brainpower of the entire team. The
term 'servant' in this case means helpingothers in the team in the pursuit of the goal.
It is a process that ignites motivation. Onaverage, people dislike being told what todo, but want to achieve. Give them a common goal, ask for their help, and that goalbecomes the motivator.
Servant leadership goes against the traditional grain, but it does work. The ContainerStore in Texas is listed as the top companyto work for in America<Fortune 2001), andfi rm Iy espouses servantleadership principles.There are th ree othersthat do this in the Fortune top ten, and all arehighly successful enterprises.
The move to servant leadership takes afundamental shift of attitude but if it can beachieved, it will bring a parallel shift of attitude in the employees.
The traditional leader wants the trappings of power and visible respect, of a typenot far removed from fear. This attitude engenders rebellion or submission. Rebellion isactively obstructive. Submission may be superficially fine, but a team that avoids initiative has a stultifying effect. Servant leaders seek to dismantle the barriers of hierarchy, to release ideas that have been lockedup by the wrong kind of respect.
As barriers fall, interactive attitudes grow
Author profileDr Mil<e Bagshaw is a specialist inthe development of "PeoplePotential" and runs a company,Trans4mation Training ltd., inEvesham, Worcestershire, UI<.Caroline Bagshaw is the company'swriter of articles and leadershipprogramme materials.
By Dr Mil<e Bagshaw &
Caroline Bagshaw
Servant leadersdon't just leadfrom the top
PROJECT MANAGEMENT REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2001
mTEAMWORI<
Servant leadersdon't go forauthority, or seeksuperior status
PROJECT MANAGEMENT REVIEW SEPTEM BER 2001
Autocratic leadership, on the other hand,sets a scene where mistakes can only bemade by underlings. One tragic example ofthis is the Challenger disaster, where sevenpeople fell to their deaths, 73 seconds afterlaunch off. 1Afterwards, it was in everynewspaper that the cause was simple - lowtemperature had an adverse effect on one ofthe components. The people in charge knewthis beforehand, and there was a move todelay the launching till the weather improved. However, the leadership was too determined to go ahead to give credence to thedissenters. The leaders saw themselves asleaders, and the workforce as servants. Ithappened despite the fact that some teamshad a history of collaboration and seekingfull agreement before making major decisions. It's frightening how quickly leaderswho demand that their authority be respected can defeat that.
Servant leaders don't go for authority, orseek superior status. They know it's important that all the team gain self-development. After all, who wants a team ofdullards getting nowhere? The better theybecome at their jobs, the more they contribute. It's true they also become more attractive to other employers, but then, theyare less likely to want to. Surveys find that
self-development and job satisfaction rankabove money in retaining key talent. If youmake it easier for people to go, they aremore likely to stay.
The atmosphere in an organisation of servant leadership is informal, exciting andfun. Laughter and enjoyment are lubricantsfor good relationships, self-confidence, andthe desire to work. Enterprise needs fun ascars need oil.
One of the top ten companies cited byFortune 2001 as being good to work for, isSouthwest Airlines. This organisationspecifically aims to create a culture whereemployees love coming to work. "Appreciation of nuttiness" is a job requirement, andnuts to eat are provided! They find this attitude more productive than one where theemployees do enough work to avoid gettingthe sack, then go home. This is one of thecompanies that specifically have a policy ofservant leadership. It is just one example ofa principle that might look like just altruism, but in fact has high commercial validity.
REFERENCESI On Becoming a Servant-Leader; thePrivate Writings of Robert I< Greenleaf(Jossey- Bass, 1996)
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