Inverting the Pyramid Leaders as Servants
Leadership is often associated with power. Today, the term has acquired negative connotations, particularly in politics. One has come to question the relative importance of being recognised as a "leader" when what we sorely need are individuals who both lead by their service and example and follow the universally accepted principles of responsible living. We are beginning to see that traditional autocratic and hierarchical models of leadership are slowly yielding to a newer model. This model - of leaders as servants- will simultaneously enhance the personal growth of the led and improve the quality of our many institutions through a combination of individual and community teamwork in decisionmaking infused with ethical and caring behaviour. Servant-leadership is a practical philosophy concerned with the ethical use of power and authority. Servant-leaders believe that power and authority are for helping others grow, not for ruling. exploiting, or gaining advan tage by setting individuals or groups against one another. Robert Greenleaf, the "grandfather of the modern empowerment movement in business leadership" who coined the term, described servant-leadership as follows: "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead... The best test, and the most 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?" Servant-leadership challenges the notion of the traditional leader as a standalone hero. This model advocates a group-oriented approach to analysis and decision-making as a means of strengthening institutions, and of improving society. It also emphasises the power of persuasion and consensus over the old "top-down" form of leadership. Some liken this to turning the hierarchical pyramid upside down. so that in the mind of the servant-leader, the needs of his or her employees, customers, constituents and community become the most important reason for a company's existence. To considerable extent, the servant-leadership approach is one, which is best exemplified by the Japanese model of management and leadership. Followers of Greenleaf's philosophy have identified 10 characteristics of a servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualisation, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of ⚫ people, and building community. Some of these come more naturally to some people than others. By their nature. characteristics such as empathy, healing, and stewardship are more difficult to learn and develop than the others. But these are necessary for successful servant-leadership. Listening, awareness, persuasion, conceptu alisation, foresight, growth, and building community are all learnable skills and servant-leaders can continually develop these. John Wright, the Indian cricket team coach, has the attributes of a servantleader. He has worked to build a strongly interdependent team- one in which players listen to each other and introspect to find the resources to make a difference. In a team that glorified individualism, Wright's ability to convince superstars to put aside their egos for the common good contributed to the team's success. India's new prime minister, Manmohan Singh, looks to be enshrined in the philosophy of servantleadership. But only time will tell if the Indian polity is mature enough to appreciate the virtues of leadership inspired by humility.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Chirdeep S Bagga personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Chirdeep S Bagga and Speaking Tree Times of India
Inverting the Pyramid Leaders as Servants
Leadership is often associated with power. Today, the term has acquired negative connotations, particularly in politics. One has come to question the relative importance of being recognised as a "leader" when what we sorely need are individuals who both lead by their service and example and follow the universally accepted principles of responsible living. We are beginning to see that traditional autocratic and hierarchical models of leadership are slowly yielding to a newer model. This model - of leaders as servants- will simultaneously enhance the personal growth of the led and improve the quality of our many institutions through a combination of individual and community teamwork in decisionmaking infused with ethical and caring behaviour. Servant-leadership is a practical philosophy concerned with the ethical use of power and authority. Servant-leaders believe that power and authority are for helping others grow, not for ruling. exploiting, or gaining advan tage by setting individuals or groups against one another. Robert Greenleaf, the "grandfather of the modern empowerment movement in business leadership" who coined the term, described servant-leadership as follows: "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead... The best test, and the most 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?" Servant-leadership challenges the notion of the traditional leader as a standalone hero. This model advocates a group-oriented approach to analysis and decision-making as a means of strengthening institutions, and of improving society. It also emphasises the power of persuasion and consensus over the old "top-down" form of leadership. Some liken this to turning the hierarchical pyramid upside down. so that in the mind of the servant-leader, the needs of his or her employees, customers, constituents and community become the most important reason for a company's existence. To considerable extent, the servant-leadership approach is one, which is best exemplified by the Japanese model of management and leadership. Followers of Greenleaf's philosophy have identified 10 characteristics of a servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualisation, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of ⚫ people, and building community. Some of these come more naturally to some people than others. By their nature. characteristics such as empathy, healing, and stewardship are more difficult to learn and develop than the others. But these are necessary for successful servant-leadership. Listening, awareness, persuasion, conceptu alisation, foresight, growth, and building community are all learnable skills and servant-leaders can continually develop these. John Wright, the Indian cricket team coach, has the attributes of a servantleader. He has worked to build a strongly interdependent team- one in which players listen to each other and introspect to find the resources to make a difference. In a team that glorified individualism, Wright's ability to convince superstars to put aside their egos for the common good contributed to the team's success. India's new prime minister, Manmohan Singh, looks to be enshrined in the philosophy of servantleadership. But only time will tell if the Indian polity is mature enough to appreciate the virtues of leadership inspired by humility.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Chirdeep S Bagga personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Chirdeep S Bagga and Speaking Tree Times of India