Without a set of operating values - that are clearly defined and enforced - you're at the mercy of people's good intentions.Once behavior norms are established and fulfilled, people's hearts will be softened and their individual innate characteristics will take the form of caring for and serving others.
Leadership Character - Heart
1. Effective leadership starts on the inside.
a. Real change in behavior eventually requires a trasformation of the heart. That is where the core of who I am resides.
2. True leadership starts on the inside with a servant heart, then moves outward to serve others.
a. As a servant first and a leader second, I will assume leadership only if I see it as a way in which I can serve. I’m “called” to leadership, rather than driven to it, because I naturally want to be helpful.
3. Leaders with servant hearts have certain characteristics and values in common
a. My paramount aiim is the best interst of those I lead
b. I gain personal satisfaction from watching the growth and development of those I lead.
c. I have a loving care for those I lead.
d. I want to be held accountable; I ask, “Has my performance met the needs of those I serve?”
e. I’m willing to listen. In fact, I love feedback and advice – any information that will help me serve better.
f. I have my ego under control. I don’t think less of myself, I just think about myself less. I don’t Edge God Out!
Leadership Methods – Head
1. Leadership begins with a clear vision
a. There are two aspects of leadership
i. A visionary role (doing the right thing) and
ii. An implementation role (doing things right)
b. A vision is a picture of the future that produces passion, and it’s this passion that I and other people want to follow. An organization without clear vision is like a river without banks – it stagnates and goes nowhere or runs everywhere and dries up
c. A clear vision has four aspects:
Purpose – telling me and others what business we’re in
Image – providing a picture of what things would be like if everything were running as planned
Values – determining how I and others should begave when working on the purpose
Goals – focusing my energy and the evergy of others right now
d. The traditional pyramidal hierarchy is effective for the visionary aspect of leadership. People look to me as their leader for vision and direction. While I should involve experienced people in shaping direction, I can’t and won’t delegate the responsibility for establishing vision and direction.
2. If I want people to be responsible, I must be responsive
a. The implementation role – living according to the vision and direction – is where most leaders and organizations get in trouble. The traditional pyramis is kept alive and well, leaving the customers uncared for ath the bottome of the hierarchy. All the energy in the organization moves up the hierarchy as people try to please and be responsive to their boss, leaving the customer contact people – those closest to the customer – to be “ducks,” quacking away: “It’s our policy,” “I just work here, “ or “do you want to talk to my boss?”
b. Effective implementation requires turning the traditional hierarchical pyramid upside-down so the customer contact people are at the top of the organization and can be responsible – able to respond and soar like eagles – while leaders like myself serve or are responsive to our peopl – helping them to accomplish goals and to live according to the vision and direction.
c. The essence of servant leadership as symbolized by by Jesus washing the fee of his disciples becomes operation only when the vision and direction are made clear to everyone.
d. Clear vision comes first from the traditional hierarchy; implementation then follows with servant leadership, in which the shephard is there for the benefit of the sheep.
3. The servant leader as a performance coach
a. There are three aspects of an effective performance managerment system:
i. Performance Planning – all good performance starts with clear goals
ii. Day-toDay Coaching – Observing a person’s performance, praising progress, and redirecting efforts that are off-base.
iii. Performance Evaluation – Final assessment of a person’s performance over a period of time
b. Most organizations emphasize performance evaluation, with some attention to performance planning. The area most often neglected is day-to-day coaching. This is the most important area for servant leaders. I focus my attention here.
c. The five key steps for me, as a servant leader, to help potential winners become winners are:
i. Tell them what to do
ii. Show them what to do
iii. Let them try
iv. Observe their performance, and then
v. Praise their progress, or redirect
d. The step that’s most often missed is observing performance. When I stop noticing performance, I have stopped being a performance coach. After Jesus gave his disciple the great commission, he told them he would be with them forever. He is always there ready to help. All servant leader should do the same.
e. My key to developing people is to catch them doing something right. In the beginning, when they’re learning something new, it can be approximately right. I praise progress I know it’s a moving target.
(note to self - this is unfinished)
