Servant Leadership Test

Years ago, I read Servant Leadership, by Robert K. Greenleaf.   I seek to serve and lead.   Greenleaf said that the best test of a servant leader is: “Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”

He also said the test is tough to administer.  I have been a teacher of youth in church settings for over 30 years, and regularly teach/train adults in business settings and classes.   Since we have moved several times, it is not possible to keep in contact with all the “youth” who are now adults.  A consultant does not often have opportunities to see how well people apply what I recommend and teach.   I have to do my best every day, and trust that I have been helpful.

Perhaps I need a self-test, based on a servant leader philosophy.

• Am I a servant first with my spouse, family, friends, business associates, and strangers?
• Am I willing to recognize that I am still, and always will be, learning and evolving?
• Am I able to learn from experiences, both the good and the bad?
• Do I understand and accept that any power I have is a gift from others?
• Do I use any power as a way to create good opportunities for others?
• Am I flexible, patient, and adaptable because I know that everything changes?
• Do I recognize that we are flawed human beings with strengths and weaknesses?
• Am I more gracious with others and myself than in the past?

Posted June 27th, 2009 in Leadership

Men in White Clothes May Not Be Painters

Jack Brooks of Pipeline Controls and Services told me a funny story.  A contractor needed some painters to paint the outside of a large building.   Men who wanted day work congregated in an area of town.  The contractor saw four or five Hispanic men dressed in white pants and shirts, and they wanted to work.  The contractor did not speak Spanish, and the men in white did not speak English.

But they were dressed in white; painters dress in white; the contractor was looking for painters.  They agreed on pay by sign language, and the men got in the contractor’s truck.  When they got to the building, he got all the paint and equipment out of the truck and pointed to the front of the building and said, “Paint the building!”    The contractor left for a few hours.  He was surprised and upset when he returned.  The painters had only painted a small portion of the building, and they were working in the same area where he left them.

When the contractor found an interpreter, the interpreter informed him that the men were cooks, not painters.   Both cooks and painters may dress in white, but the skills and abilities are different. What lessons could be learned from this story?

Posted June 27th, 2009 in Leadership, Observations

Prepared for Emergencies

The youth in my class were discussing what they wore to church.  Most of the girls were wearing dresses; most of the boys had on shorts and polo shirts.  But Toby had on a suit, looking dapper.  The girls complimented him, and said, “Boys wear basketball shorts all the time.”  Toby replied, “I have basketball shorts under my suit.”  When I asked why, he said, “You never know when an emergency opportunity to play basketball will happen.”

I loved that answer!  It occurred to me that most people and most businesses do not consistently prepare for emergencies.  When I worked for a company that had some petroleum spills, we regularly trained and drilled for emergency responses.  And we kept our equipment maintained and prepared for emergencies.  We were good!  But we eventually took actions to prevent spills, instead of regularly responding to emergencies.

Did we remain prepared for emergencies?  Not really.  Why?  Some believed it was not necessary, since we were not having emergencies.  As a result, we were no longer good at emergency response.  We should have been like Toby.  You never know when an emergency is going to occur, so you should always be prepared.

Posted June 23rd, 2009 in Leadership, Observations