“I Can See Clearly Now, the Vain is Gone”
Servant Leaders See People First, the Organization Second
The headlines of newspapers across the globe reveal no shortage of transformational-type leaders who in reality are self-seeking and self-serving. A servant-leader views leadership not as a position or status, but as an opportunity to serve others, to develop them to their full potential. I can see clearly now, the rain is gone I can see all obstacles in my way Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun shiny day
Rumor has it that Johnny Nash composed the words to “I can see clearly now” after successfully emerging from the throes of drug addiction. The song rose to the top of the charts in 1972 and has since become familiar background music for many movies and television commercials. It is, however, notable that this song was Johnny’s only #1 hit. As his “15 minutes of fame” waned, he faded into the background of the music industry. By the late 70s, Nash was spending his time as a backup singer and songwriter for the likes of Bob Marley and The Four Tops. The man who had made it to the top and forecasted clear sailing ahead sunk deeper into the dark clouds of obscurity. This relegated him to the fate of countless other leaders, whether they are at the top of the chart in the music industry, the CEO of a prestigious organization, or a globe-trotting philanthropist. A rise to the top and after “15 minutes of fame” the likelihood of “bright sun shiny days” dissipates into darkening clouds. The bright sun shiny days associated with leadership are more complex than stringing together a series of hit songs. True sustainable leadership is more like composing a symphony. There are high and low notes, measures of pure resonance and deliberate dissonance, and accompaniments marked by dramatic instrumental solos and complex configurations of orchestral pieces. Frequently, the masterpiece and its composer’s renown endure for centuries. It is this distinction that lies at the crux of authentic leadership. What qualities put someone at the top of the world (even if it is their own) and is still labeled a leader long after they’re gone? The variation in lyrics of Johnny’s song, as reflected in the title, forms a theory of crucial leadership qualities. Authentic leaders possess two distinct characteristics: (1) They can see clearly; and (2) They embrace humility forsaking vanity. Individuals having these qualities fall most closely into what contemporary management lingo labels “servant leadership.” Servant Leadership The concept of servant leadership can be traced back to religious and humanistic writings. Matthew 20:28 reads, “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Prior to that, Plato penned these words: “He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.” At its core, servant-leadership is a long-term, transformational approach to life and work - in essence, a way of being – that has the potential for creating positive change throughout society. Holding this to be the truth, the servant-leader mindset pervades every aspect of our lives whether at home or at work. All too often, students of organizational leadership theory look to academic journals for support and encouragement: We ought to be able to be ourselves in the workplace, rather than considering our work life as something totally separate from the other parts of our life. There is a strand in servant leadership that encourages us to take a more holistic view of who we are as individuals, which helps to stop this compartmentalization that considers work as one part of our life and the rest of our life as something completely different. In other words, leadership is passionately living a life that’s more about being and less about doing. The life of Robert Greenleaf was marked by a profound passion for the theory of servant leadership. After spending a career in corporate management, at the age of 66 he penned an essay entitled, The Servant as Leader. Published in 1970, Greenleaf’s essay described servant-leadership in this way: “The servant-leader is a servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is a leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such it will be a later choice to serve --- after leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature. “The difference manifest[s] itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not be further deprived?” According to the website of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, "Greenleaf described some of the characteristics and activities of servant-leaders, providing examples to show that individual efforts, inspired by vision and a servant ethic, can make substantial difference in the quality of society." The profundity of servant-leadership is its simplicity: See and Serve Seeing Clearly: 20/20 Vision Volumes of books line the shelves touting visionary leadership as a crucial component of transforming organizational leadership success. Understandably, the value or merit of visionary leadership cannot be discounted or denied. However, sometimes its popularity and usefulness can be overrated, overstated and overemphasized. While a servant-leader is as visionary as a transformational leader, the transformational leader sees the organization; the servant-leader sees the people. That’s right, it’s nothing more than having 20/20 vision – being near sighted and far sighted. It’s literally seeing the people in front of you and the person in the mirror. Servant leaders see people first, the organization second. Relationships take precedence over “task and product” and the servant-leader’s first responsibilities are “relationships and people.” For leaders, building relationships is accomplished by open, caring relations with co-workers, marked by face-to-face communication and caring. Additionally, it is brought about by openness and personal discussion of their own trials and tribulations and those of others. By being transparent and vulnerable, servant-leaders share their humanity with followers. Their frank and open disclosure is a way to awaken the human spirit of those around them. By fostering collaboration, cooperation, and camaraderie, “Servant leadership will lead to a ‘spiritual generative culture.’ A spiritually generative culture is one in which members are focused on the personal growth of themselves and others and the organizational systems that facilitate that growth.” (Smith, et al. 2005) This new culture then, realizes that success is measured by the positive effects on the least privileged in society and growth in the people served.” (Whetstone 2002). Leadership, then, becomes the agent for world benefit. In addition to fostering and nurturing growth in others, the servant leader attends to his own growth. Greenleaf’s essays identified several key attributes of servant leaders. The ability to withdraw, intuition, awareness and perception are among them. These inclinations can facilitate a leader’s self-revelation. They help enforce a process of self-awareness whereby, “managers are able to get in touch with why they say the things they say, do the things they do, and value the things they value. Additionally, it forces leaders to reflect on their actions and the assumptions that underlie them, literally placing the leader in a position of power – over himself.” American psychologist, Karl Menninger writes, “To ‘know thyself’ must mean to know the malignancy of one’s own instincts and to know, as well, one’s power to deflect it.” Simply put, in order for a person to increase in wisdom and stature, he must seek a right understanding of his own preconceptions and then be the last one to express them. By relinquishing power and subjugating one’s will to the will of others as Jesus did, the servant leader genuinely puts other people first. He sees himself called first as a servant seeking not only to treat each follower with dignity as a person, but also to serve each beneficially while building a community of participation and solidarity. Consequently, the success of the communal organization is a by-product of sacrificial, servant-leadership that is more holistic, benefiting humanity and not just the bottom line. There is a contention that the servant leader’s primary objectives are the followers and their growth. Some suggest that other types of leaders, specifically transformational leaders, might promote their own interests and offer questionable empowerment as a form of manipulation. The headlines of newspapers across the globe reveal no shortage of transformational-type leaders who in reality are self-seeking and self-serving. A servant-leader views leadership not as a position or status, but as an opportunity to serve others, to develop them to their full potential. Self-interest should not motivate servant leadership; rather it should ascend to a higher plane of motivation. Therefore, a servant-leader puts vanity aside and refuses to gain the world by losing his soul. A Servant Ethic: Humility - It’s as easy as pie A servant leader’s life is permeated by a spirit of humility manifested in behavior that is selfless and altruistic. Simply put, servant leaders contribute to a better way of life for others, display a passionate commitment to a cause, trouble themselves for others, and ensure others’ success. Contributes to a better way of life for others: Greenleaf wanted to see leadership positions filled by people who genuinely had the interests of others at the forefront of their whole thought and action, a true “people vision.” He posited that a servant leader’s primary responsibility is in serving others, enriching his own life and leveraging the possibilities for other people and organizations. The great leader, according to Greenleaf, is first experienced as a servant to others and that simple fact is central to the leader’s greatness. Displays a passionate commitment to a cause: Forming a deep emotional connection to a cause can be fostered by building acceptable pride in people. This amounts to an intrinsic (institution-building) pride as opposed to hubris – excessive pride, self-confidence or arrogance. Intrinsic pride is a lasting and powerful motivating force that can become an institutional capability. Practiced at all levels and developed by attitudes, approaches, and disciplines, intrinsic pride can build organizational responsiveness, provide strategic advantage, and deliver higher levels of performance.” One researcher says, “Build a culture of pride and not a prideful culture.” Troubles themselves for others: “For a true chief no self has.” These are the final words of a speech uttered by Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce Indians, to his council. Cited by several studies as an example of a servant-leader, Chief Joseph was more focused on the welfare of others than his own. Sources report that, “on more than one occasion he made the decision not to deliver a crushing blow to his tormentors so that he might go protect his followers.” His life exemplified an assertion that, “Real servanthood is a leadership style that relies upon the influence of self-giving without self-glory.” Finally, what were the Chief’s words that led up to the defining moment’s quote? He declared: “…he would stand, fight, and die…but the chiefs in the council said no…And I heeded their wisdom. What right had I to die – to leave sick, old, young, women – merely to flatter my heart’s pride.” Ensures others’ success: This is accomplished when a leader creates an abundance for others by motivating desirable behavior and facilitating needed resources. Borrowing from Fulghum’s book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a servant-leader helps followers play fair and share. It might seem elementary; however, a kindergarten teacher most likely thinks about her students in the same way a servant-leader can regard his followers. A servant leader is deeply committed to the growth of each and every individual within the institution. The servant-leader recognizes the tremendous responsibility to do everything possible to nurture the growth of employees. When one equates achieving a solid educational background with organizational success, the similarity becomes even more apparent. It is ascribing to the belief that organizational goals (life-long learning) will be achieved on a long-term basis only by first facilitating the growth, development, and general well-being of the individuals who comprise the organization (educational institutions). Consequently, there are two performers that should be stepping onto the stage to combine voices and hearts by incorporating servant leadership into their acts: organizations and educational institutions. Organizations Decisions as to which organizations to join and our willingness to stay are determined by our values. This suggests that if the values an organization espouses have a significant and favorable effect on those within the organization, then the alignment of those values has the potential to increase employee retention rates, boost productivity, and foster intrinsic motivation. In other words, can valuing values be valuable to organizations? Similar to religion and politics, the mere mention of values can conjure up feelings of defensiveness and distress. Let’s face it, conflicting values can devastate and divide nations, oppress and suppress citizens, and make it virtually impossible for employees to leave home each morning buoyed by joy, pride and hopeful anticipation at what lies ahead of them at the workplace. At the heart of the issue then is to uncover and appreciate the prevailing values that divide us AND unearth and embrace the common thread that unites us. Like it or not, the burden rests squarely on the shoulders of organizational leaders to define and articulate three overarching values for its affiliates and associates: (1) What we do; (2) How we do it; and (3) Who we are going to be while we do it. Are organizations responsible to communicate and educate the difference between being vs. doing? Or is it tasks vs. relationships? How about internal vs. external focus? Or is it intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. The answer: Yes! Sound too much like the impossible dream? The good news is corporations are not in this alone. Their solo act becomes a duet when educators share the limelight. Educational Institutions So, how should educational institutions be developing leaders? It boils down to another three-pronged approach: Inform. Educate. Nurture. Inform: Organizations need to show how they are operating successfully with servant leadership to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Success should be measured in terms of their bottom line AND the enhanced quality of the relationships that occur in the workplace. Leadership gurus must acknowledge the wisdom in the prophetic words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a changin’.” Over the next century, new ideas will dominate our organizational and leadership thinking. And, when it comes to servant-leadership, it is likely that everything old will be new again. Educate: Probably nothing plays a more crucial role in developing leaders than education. The classroom, whether it be pre-school or university, is the field in which the seeds of leadership are sown. If higher education leaders hope to advance their effectiveness, they are urged to embrace the vision of leader as servant/exemplar and to discover the constructive power of empathy and integrity. I believe the same holds true for high school, middle school, elementary school and pre-school educators. University research on servant-leadership is scant and in its early stages. It is focused mostly on the comparison of the servant leadership concept to other leadership methods and identification of special characteristics of servant leadership. The connection that servant leaders find the source of their values in a spiritual base is worth exploring. This connection to ‘spiritual’ is not necessarily religious. Nurture: By encouraging students and employees to view their lives holistically, servant-leadership can promote personal and spiritual growth. Unleashing the human spirit on multiple levels and dimensions, sets up the potential for raising the quality of life throughout society. Use the servant leadership model as a framework for systems thinking, building community and connectedness within organizations. When looking to build community and connectedness between people in organizations, I subscribe to the theory: “Technology can be the Enemy of Nurturing”. Why? How many emails have you read and written that have taken the place of one-on-one conversations and face-to-face encounters? The same holds true for nurturing your mind. If you can sit in your living room with your notebook computer and complete your degree, what happens to connection and relationship, to encouragement and affirmation, to self-discovery and soul searching, to minds and hearts interacting in the testing of ideas and values? The job description for a servant leader: Build community and connectedness by serving others – employees, customers, and community. Much in alignment with the concept of servant leadership, leaders in the coming years will need vision and humility. They will see clearly, possessing the ability to see the person standing in front and the person in the mirror. They will treat others with dignity and respect with the goal of making them healthier, wiser, freer and more autonomous. The reflection in the mirror will be formed by a deep desire to help others creating a positive change throughout society. Vanity will vanish. Leaders will contribute to a better way of life for others, display a passionate commitment to a cause, and ensure others’ success. To develop people with these capabilities requires a three-pronged approach: inform, educate and nurture. Inform others about successful servant leadership situations, educate teachers and students about the constructive power of empathy and integrity while continuing research into the values of servant leaders, and nurture the personal and spiritual growth by unleashing the power of the human self through an appreciative mindset. It might seem that servant leadership is not tenable in certain contexts. Servant leadership has been associated with the negative connotation of the term servant (or slave) and that servant leadership does seem out-of-place in some situations, such as that faced by a prison guard where followers will try to take advantage of what they deem as weakness. However, the context changes when the purpose of the prison guard changes, to wit: the guard becomes involved in rehabilitating and restoring the prisoner to society. Greenleaf recognized that there might be some difficulty with the term “servant.” Apparently, Greenleaf did consider alternatives and could have easily chosen a different word to make it more readily accessible to people. However, he deliberately decided not to use alternatives because the word gave an added emphasis to the whole approach he was taking. It made people stop and think what the word servant-leadership really means. He deliberately entitled his classical essay “The servant as leader”, not “The leader as servant.” He wanted to focus on people who were first and foremost servants and leaders second. The genesis of this theory of leadership does not seem to be exciting, glamorous, philosophical or earth-shattering. It all started one day with the seemingly benign words to a 1972 hit song that brought to life and light a simple leadership ideology: “I can see clearly now, the vain is gone.” At that point, it was for me a bright, bright, sun shiny day.
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