Fabulous post, Tom. And thanks for the mention. I teach my students that servant leadership begins with leading oneself first. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it is very difficult to be loving towards oneself. But who would want to follow me if I myself wouldn't? Carolyn
I personally try to exemplify servant leadership. And I love to see the comments, regarding having an aim and pursuit. As I moved into my new position at West Point I was told "we are concerned you might be too nice", well using what Greenleaf stated as “the ability to see enough choices of aims, to choose the right aim, and to pursue that aim responsibly over a long period of time”. I went into the job and over the course of 2 years the cadet company went from 32 of 32 in academics to 13th and won the Superintendent's stream for oveall excellence. The change took longer to see outwardly, but I know it will last longer within each particpant, because of what was taught in the process of achieving.
Thanks Ammon
Well, if Bob Greenleaf gets to tell the story of the Wise Old Lady to make his point, I get to retell the famous servant leadership Aesop's fable.
The Sun and the Wind are having a contest to see who's stronger. They decide the strongest of the two is whoever can get the cloak off a man walking along the road. The Wind goes first. He blows harder and harder, but the man simply draws his cloak more tightly around himself because of the cold. The Sun goes next, and shines bright and warm. The man decides that he doesn't need the cloak anymore now that the Sun is warming his body, so he takes it off.
Same idea. The brute strength of the Wind fails compared with the strength of service (keeping the man's body warm, allowing him to discard the cloak) given to the man by the Sun.
The SL doubters that Carolyn Towns mentions maybe misunderstand strength as being tough and forceful versus the ability to get something done.
Thanks all for the comments. I always enjoy reading others thoughts on the topic and how they use it or not.
Commenting by HaloScan
