When people are less concerned with who gets credit for a job well done, it’s amazing how much gets accomplished. We’ve all heard it said that great leaders are the biggest servants of all. Becoming a person of influence requires us to understand the key relationship between having others tend to our needs, and our commitment to serving those in our organization. When we place a greater value on what others can do for us, and not what we can do for others, we lose of ability to inspire others to lead by example.
For years I have been an outspoken advocate on leading by example and not by words. We all have areas in our life, which need to be changed. Servant leadership is reflection of our willingness to meet the needs of those in our organization. When we change our focus from “us” to “them”, we begin to understand other people from an entirely different point of view.
I recently added the phrase “Each One – Teach One” to our corporate philosophy. As we begin to understanding that we are all students who will in turn, help others become better, our perspective changes, and we become more sensitive to the needs of others. When we focus on other people, we learn compassion and empathy.
It’s not the mistakes we make in life that matters, it’s how quickly we overcome our own challenges, which empowers us to serve others in a highly effective way.
During his inaugural speech, John F. Kennedy said, “ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.”
Ask yourself this question several times a day: “How can I best use my unique talents and gifts to be of service to others?” Then, listen for the answer. Once you let your ego know that this isn’t just about me, the unconscious part of you that wants to contribute something of value starts to speak up. Chances are, within a few days (if not a few hours) you’ll get some clear indications about the best path for you.
Dick Richards, the author of the fabulous book, is your Genius at work, writes, “knowledge of purpose will arrive only after the demands of ego have been transcended enough to allow that knowledge to enter awareness”.
By “ego” I mean that set of personal underlying programs that concern themselves only with their own survival and gain… Those programs drive out what is needed to seize and run with a purpose: courage, willingness, surrender, open-mindedness, and other-centeredness.
Servant Leadership can best be summed up in the words of Vince Lombardi.
"A leader must identify himself with the group, must back up the group, even at the risk of displeasing superiors. He must believe that the group wants from him a sense of approval. If this feeling prevails, production, discipline, morale will be high, and in return, you can demand the cooperation to promote the goals of the company."
Remember that Leadership is character is motion, without a solid foundation, we are merely manipulating people for our own self-serving purposes. When we genuinely learn to serve others, we become earn the respect and loyalty of others.
