For those of you familiar with Robert Greenleaf’s model of the Servant-Leader, you will also understand that moving from Greenleaf’s SL model to SL practice is a formidable, though not insurmountable, challenge. In fact, when you read published resources that address why SLp (servant-leadership) is important and critical for organizations today, you will also most likely discover an “operational fuzziness” about how to implement and make operational SLp principals and practices. This the challenge with SL…moving from SL theory/philosophy to actionable and operational and measurable behaviors, practices and mindsets.
I recently had the privilege of working with an east-coast client and their SVP of HR on introducing and embedding the SL philosophy and practice into their very dynamic and people-centered corporate culture. Senior leaders as well as middle-management invested a full-day of training and learning about Greenleaf’s SL principals and specific leadership practices. It was critical that SLp as a “way of being” be translated into actions and outcomes. It was not enough to have the moniker, “Servant-Leader Organization” attached next to their corporate identity.
Part of this training was laying the groundwork in terms of expectations. Through a series of questions, the leaders were prepared for the SL training event (see below):
1. WHAT EXACTLY IS LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR YOUR LEADERS?
***Leadership training is the intentional effort to build, shape and fashion a particular type of leader who, by virtue of that training, is more authentic, effective and influential as a leader inside and outside the organization.
***Embedding a leadership training model within the framework of an organization expresses senior leadership’s desire to develop employees personally and professionally not only for the benefit of employee but also to impact the total performance of the organization.
***Trained leaders are those who are positioned strategically to influence an organizational culture. The quality of this leadership advances the mission and core values as well as positively impacts employees, customers, clients, organizational systems, processes and policies.
2. WHY DO YOU NEED LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN YOUR ORGANZATION?
***The presence of a leadership training model says “we take seriously our role as leaders and because leadership is important to us, we participate in opportunities to deepen our understanding and experience of leadership behaviors and practices. We feel a deep responsibility to lead others well and to position this organization to impact a wider audience of people and business institutions.”
***A Leadership training model is grounded in a particular philosophy or approach to the practice of leadership that, when successfully implemented, can distinguish and elevate business performance and reputation.
***Using a consistent and comprehensive leadership development training model creates a “same page” mentality with key organizational leaders and staff (this is how “WE” do leadership in our corporate culture).
3. WHAT IS SERVANT-LEADERSHIP?
***A particular approach to leadership developed by Robert Greenleaf (1904-1990; Greenleaf served as director of management research at AT&T for 40 years and for twenty-five years served as a consultant to a number of major institutions such as Ohio University, MIT, Ford Foundation, B.K. Mellon Foundation, the Mead Corporation, the American Foundation for Management Research, and the Lilly Endowment Inc.).
***Greenleaf’s definition of a servant-leader: “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests 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, not be further deprived?”
***Servant-leadership emphasizes service to others as the most important and critical theme of leadership. Great leaders are those who, as their highest priority, bring value to and elevate others. They seek to influence not through power, position, and coercion but by their deep desire to help others become more valued, whole, effective (professionally and personally), authentic and, as Greenleaf notes, more likely themselves to become servant-leaders.
***Servant-leadership believes that the first priority of a business is creating a positive impact on people in the organization AND beyond the organization in the community, rather than focusing on profits as the only source of motivation and benchmark for success.
4. WHY HAS THE SERVANT-LEADERSHIP MODEL BEEN SELECTED FOR YOUR LEADERS?
***Servant-leadership aligns very well with your organizational culture, your core values (collaboration, accountability, and passion) a well as your Mission (“To put people into the right-fit positions so they can maximize their potential and live more fulfilling lives”)…your core reason for existing.
***Servant-leadership is a values-based approach to leadership which means that who we are as people (our personal lives and what we hold near-and-dear) significantly impacts who we are as leaders (our professional lives). A servant-leader is someone who intentionally brings together the internal-personal (heart and passion) with the external-professional (competency and capability). This stands in contrast to organizations that value only operational and technical competency.
***Because of your growth and incredible opportunity coupled with your growing visibility and business successes, you are uniquely positioned (and perhaps have a larger responsibility) to impact people and society for the good. Servant-leadership actualizes all these themes and maximizes them to create a shared attitude of corporate stewardship.
5. WHAT WILL THE IMPACT OF SERVANT-LEADERSHIP BE UPON INTERNAL OPERATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS, AND OUR REPUTATION IN THE NATIONAL AND GLOBAL CORPORATE NETWORK?
Servant-leadership will….
***Foster empowerment, teamwork, excellence in performance, service, community (internal and external), and partnership.
***Emphasize ethical behavior and benevolence (authentic care for one another and for those we serve).
***Emphasize the personal growth and professional development of all employees throughout the organization’s structure.
***Enhance management philosophy, bring into sharper focus strategic and tactical employee development, act as a conduit for continuous quality initiatives, and elevate the importance of systems thinking for all employees.
***Attract like minded and talented executive- and mid-level leaders.
***Contribute to your regional reputation as being the employer of choice.
***Increase community impact, national visibility and place your organization in alignment with other Fortune 100 companies practicing servant-leadership.
6. WHY SHOULD I BUY-IN? WHAT’S IN THIS TRAINING FOR ME? WHAT’S THE TIME COMMIMTENT?
***The initial training will create an environment where leaders can experience new learning, engage in personal and professional reflection, explore personal and professional change, and share insights and key take-aways with others.
***Through involvement in this training event, participants will get in on the “ground floor” of what will prove to be a new standard of leadership performance.
***This training is NOT a one day “experience” nor is it “edutainment.” This leadership development training is intended to be the launch of a process that will build servant-leaders who will influence the culture, performance and reputation over the short- and long-term. Servant-leadership training is not a quick fix approach nor is it rapidly embedded in people or organizations. Servant-leadership is a long-term and transformational approach to how we bring our full and complete selves to the organization and beyond.