SOS Leadership Blog: March 2012

To Lead is to Serve...Characteristics of a Servant Leader - Part 4

Welcome to the fifth blog in our Servant Leadership blog series, To Lead is To Serve! The first four blogs in this series are listed below:

In our previous posts, we've explored five skills that set servant leaders apart: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, and persuasion. As a refresher, we are reviewing the ten characteristics of servant leaders developed by Larry Spears based on the writings of Robert Greenleaf. Today we will explore three more characteristics that servant leaders possess: conceptualization, foresight, stewardship.

6. Conceptualization

As a servant leader, you recognize the importance of dreaming, of envisioning what's possible. You can think "outside the box," without letting reality get in the way of your creative thinking. This makes me think of one of the mantras of my alma mater, St. Edward's University, where I also teach in the School of Management and Business: "Learn to think." We strive to ensure that our students learn to think critically and creatively and dare to act, all characteristics of servant leadership as outlined by Larry Spears and Robert Greenleaf.

Further, as a servant leader you understand the delicate balance between conceptual thinking and practical application, which I often refer to as the struggle between knowing and doing.

7. Foresight

Larry Spears defined foresight as the ability to "understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision for the future." As a servant leader, you carefully think about decisions with a focus on identifying the results of your actions on others. Foresight is deeply connected with intuition.

8. Stewardship

You understand your responsibility to serve others. You don't serve out of duty; your service is a conscious choice that arises from empathy and an awareness of the needs of others. I see stewardship as a recognition of the tremendous blessing of giving generously of my time and talent and sharing my treasure joyfully with organizations that make a difference in areas that align with my life's purpose.

Reflection Questions:

What are your dreams? What do your future hold?
As a manager, are you able to think beyond the day-to-day realities?
What have you learned from the past and how do you apply that knowledge in your daily decision making?
When have you utilized foresight in your life? What was the result?
Am I good steward of the gifts I've been given?
In what ways am I sharing my time, talent, and treasure with others? How does this align with my life's purpose?

Stay tuned for the remaining blogs in our "To Lead is To Serve" series, where we will explore the remaining two characteristics of servant leaders.

To Lead is to Serve...Characteristics of a Servant Leader - Part 3

Welcome to the fourth blog in our Servant Leadership blog series, To Lead is To Serve! The first three blogs in this series can be found here, here, and here.

In our last post we explored two skills that set servant leaders apart: listening and empathy. As a reminder, Larry Spears developed a list of ten characteristics of servant leaders based on the writings of Robert Greenleaf: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community. Today we will explore three more characteristics that servant leaders possess: healing, awareness, and persuasion.

3. Healing

Servant leaders recognize and acknowledge the brokenness that exists in the world. You feel called to "help make whole" those with whom you come in contact.

4. Awareness

As a servant leader, you have a deep self-awareness and are committed to coming to a better understanding of yourself. You know that this process is often difficult and can lead to intense discoveries that will challenge you, yet you embrace these opportunities to deepen your knowledge of who you are and how you can lead most effectively. Robert Greenleaf shares, "Awareness is not a giver of solace - it is just the opposite. It is a disturber and an awakener."

Further, you are aware of what's going on around you. You pay attention and remain attuned to what is happening in the lives of those who follow you. When someone is struggling, you don't have to be told; you already know.

5. Persuasion

Servant leaders possess a keen ability to persuade. You seek to build consensus rather than asserting your power to get your way. While positional leaders at times use coercion, servant leaders are deeply committed to a more inclusive decision-making process where each member of the group is heard and valued.

Reflection Questions:

Where is healing needed in your own life?
When have you encountered someone in need of healing and taken the time to be present?
What actions are you taking to develop a deeper understanding of yourself?
When have you exhibited a lack of awareness about what is happening in the lives of those who follow you?
In what ways do you seek to build consensus?
How often do you use coercion instead of persuasion?

Stay tuned for the remaining blogs in our "To Lead is To Serve" series, where we will explore the remaining five characteristics of servant leaders.

A Helping Hand

It seems like so long ago that I was looking for my first internship. My passion to learn something new and exciting was the driving force to the start of my career. SOS Leadership has been fortunate to have some of the best interns and volunteers out there. Each and every one of them has become a valuable part of the SOS team.

We can all learn a thing or two from interns, such as: asking for help, embracing new things, experimenting, finding our drive, challenging ourselves, learning, training, and finding significance in our lives. It’s interesting that for most of us when we get settled into our careers we feel that there is no longer a need to continue to get better.

When the economy took a dive things got rough for the entire nation. For most companies, cuts had to be made. What I found most interesting was that typically the first budget to go was for training. Without training how can the company thrive and continue to grow? What kind of message is being sent out to employees? Are companies not willing to invest in their people and make them the best employees they can be?

When we become settled into our careers, once that comfort zone is found it is hard to break away from. We have to continue to invest in ourselves. SOS coaches have years of experience being that helping hand that guides people to reaching your full potential.

Do you remember what it was like when you were just starting out? Maybe you remember being that intern like I do. That passion and fire you had to succeed was key. A coach can help you regain that passion, which will in turn allow you to pass it on to others!

I want to personally thank all of the SOS interns and volunteers for the terrific job they have done, and that they will continue to do! As I have ended most of my blogs, make 2012 your best year ever!

I Want to Change, But...

We talk a lot about change. Mostly, we talk about the fact that other people need to change.

When I talk with people about the work that we do at SOS Leadership, I often hear the following response:

"______________ really needs you."

Sometimes the blank is the person's boss, a coworker, a significant other, a friend, or an enemy. It doesn't really matter. The fact is that the vast majority of people think that someone else needs to change more than they do.

Here are the most common excuses we use to avoid change:

I want to change, but someone else needs to change more than I do.
I want to change, but the time isn't right.
I want to change, but I am the way I am.
I want to change, but I'm not sure I can do it.
I want to change, but I've gotten this far being the way I am. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I want to change, but I'm not willing to put the time and energy into making the change.
I want to change, but I'm not sure I need to change.

Let's be honest. Change is hard. Extremely hard. We're full of excuses. You make excuses. I make excuses. Ultimately, all of the excuses we make are about fear. We often fear the unknown. Embracing change means embracing the unknown. It means taking personal responsibility for ourselves. It means being aware of the need to change and being motivated to make it happen.

As we've said on this blog before, "Life is growth. Change is optional. Choose wisely."

To Lead is to Serve...Characteristics of a Servant Leader - Part 2

Welcome to the third blog in our Servant Leadership blog series, To Lead is To Serve! The first two blogs in this series can be found here and here.

What do servant leaders do differently? What makes servant leaders unique? Based on the profound writings of Robert Greenleaf, Larry Spears developed a list of ten characteristics of servant leaders: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.

Today we will explore the first two characteristics: listening and empathy, which go hand in hand.

1. Listening

As a servant leader, you are a good listener. All leaders are called to be effective communicators with strong decision-making skills. However, not all leaders listen well. In fact, many create the illusion of listening without hearing a word that is said. What sets you apart as a servant leader is a deep commitment to listening with an open mind and heart to what is being said. As a servant leader, you also have a keen ability to “hear” what is not being said because you become deeply engaged in conversation and pay careful attention to body language and other nonverbal cues.

Servant leaders are not only skilled at listening to others; you also listen to yourself. You make time for personal reflection often in order to facilitate growth and lifelong learning.

2. Empathy

You strive to understand and empathize with others. Empathy is defined as the ability to identify with the feelings of others. As a servant leader, you consider it important to “walk a mile in another person’s shoes” so that you can fully appreciate what they are experiencing. According to Steve Hein (EQI.org), “the ability to empathize is directly dependent on your ability to feel your own feelings and identify them.” Again, this showcases the need for self-reflection so that you can acknowledge, identify, and accept your own feelings.

You know all too well that people do not always articulate their feelings well. Thus, servant leaders must ask the right questions, observe behavior, and sometimes read between the lines in order to come to an understanding of another’s feelings. Your empathy comes alive when you are aware of the person’s feelings, you acknowledge them, and you actively listen to what is spoken and unspoken.

Haim Ginott once said, “It takes time and wisdom to realize that the personal parallels the universal and what pains one man pains mankind.” Ultimately, servant leaders know that we are all connected; you take that human connection seriously and seek to show empathy rather than cynicism.

Reflection Questions:

In what circumstances do you struggle to be an effective listener?
How do you minimize distractions so that you can listen and hear all that is being said (and not said) by those with whom you interact on a daily basis?
How often do you spend time in quiet reflection to listen to yourself?
In what ways do you show empathy for others?
When have you struggled to understand and empathize with someone?

Stay tuned for the remaining blogs in our "To Lead is To Serve" series, where we will explore the remaining eight characteristics of servant leaders. Have a great weekend!