Diane Korzeniewski writes (6-Feb):
>I thought this might be an interesting thread. In the last few weeks I
>have wondered what words might describe the characteristics of a "boss"
>and a "leader". I have a few thoughts and would like to know what others
>think.
{snip}
>I am more interested in hearing words and phrases from others that
>describe the differences in these styles of "leadership".
An emergent model of leadership (though not new at all) is the concept of
"Stewardship" as articulated by Peter Block in the '94 book of that title.
(See also '95 STIA presentations) For me, this concept distinguishes
"leaders" from "bosses".
The concept was advocated much earlier by Robert Greenleaf as "Servant
Leadership" and is based on one or more ancient Asian proverbs. An
excellent summary of the concept (provided below for your reference) was
recently articulated by Bill Pollard, Chairman of ServiceMaster Company.
Shared in the spirit of inquiry...
James Ray
AT&T Solutions Voice: 202-414-3905
Organizational Learning Fax: 202-414-3855
Washington, D.C. jamesr@attsolhq.attmail.com
"Change is certain. Progress is not." -- E.H. Carr
THE LEADER WHO SERVES
C. William Pollard, Chairman
ServiceMaster Company
WHO IS THE SERVANT LEADER?
Not the president nor the person with the most distinguished title, but
the role model. Not the highest-paid person in the group, but the risk
taker. Not the person with the largest car or the biggest home, but the
servant. Not the person who promotes himself, but the promoter of others.
Not the administrator, but the initiator. Not the taker, but the giver.
Not the talker, but the listener.
THE SERVANT LEADER MUST BE TRUSTWORTHY.
No enterprise can function to its capacity unless its people can rely upon
the word of their leaders. This is more than something formalized into a
written agreement. It goes far beyond covenants contained in a legal
document. People rely upon the leader for their future, so as leaders we
must fulfill our campaign promises.
THE SERVANT LEADER MUST BE WILLING TO WALK A MILE IN THE OTHER PERSON'S
SHOES.
She listens to those she leads. She works at making herself available.
Her door is always open. She is out and about talking and listening to
people at all levels of the organization. As she listens, she learns.
She becomes a frantic learner and through close contact with the people
she leads, avoids the trap that many so-called successful leaders
experience -- the arrogance of ignorance.
LEADERS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
They are responsible for initiating change in order to maintain the
vitality of the organizations they lead. Too many organizations,
including governments, are crippled by the cancer of bureaucracy, with
people preserving a position, but not serving and creating value.
THE LEADER MUST BE GENEROUS IN THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY.
It is a grave wrong and injustice to steal from another the ability to
make a decision.
THE SERVANT LEADER LEARNS TO ACCEPT DIFFERENCES
and seeks to provide an environment where different people contribute as
part of the whole. The servant leader promotes diversity, recognizing
that differences of people can strengthen the group.
LEADERS RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL PRISONERS OF OUR HOPE.
Hope sustains us. It is our vision of what could be that inspires us and
those we lead. The results of a servant leader will be measured beyond
the workplace, and the story will be told in the changed lives of others.
There is no scarcity of feet to wash: the towels and the water are
available. The limitation, if there is one, is our ability to be on our
hands and knees and prepared to do what we ask others to do.
(ServiceMaster is a service company providing management services to over
2,000 health care institutions, colleges and public schools, and
industrial facilities. It also provides a variety of specialty services
to over 4.5 million homeowners. Bill Pollard has applied this style of
leadership to this remarkable organization, engendering pride and fierce
loyalty from a workforce best characterized as domestic service providers,
in an industry known for poor morale and very high turnover.)
-- AMS!SOLUTIONS3!jamesr@attsolhq.attmail.com (Ray, James)Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>