“The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” - Robert K. Greenleaf Fortune Magazine‘s annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For is out. Noteworthy is 5 of the top 10 "100 Best Companies to Work For" are also identified as companies practicing servant leadership – 50% of the very best companies to work for! What Is Servant-Leadership? Coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, often referred to as the father of servant leadership and founder of the Greenleaf Institute for Servant Leadership, the concept of servant leadership defines a leader who is, very literally, a servant first. “Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and ultimately creates a more just and caring world,” states the Institute. Core Competencies of Servant Leadership Greenleaf defined ten core competencies for servant leaders. These competencies form the basis from which all other research, writings, and books on servant leadership are founded.
YES! Servant leadership can be taught / influenced by understanding the “Servant Leadership Competency Model”. The reality is NO ONE is going to be proficient at ALL of the competencies and pillars outlined above. Yet, with an open mind, willingness to learn / understand what YOU bring to servant leadership, AND open to feedback / coaching / practice - we all can be a UNIQUE servant leader. So, creating or supporting a servant leadership program, an “academy” / curriculum to enable participants to become “consciously competent” @ Servant Leadership could be a real plus! Servant Leadership in Your Organization “Servant leaders know by helping to guide the people who work for [and with] them, they will help their employees learn vital skills that will both improve their performance, and improve them as people,” said Peter Economy in his book “7 Secrets of ‘Servant Leadership’ That Will Lead You to Success.” Employer Benefits of Practicing Servant Leadership
The following 20 organizations from Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list are also considered companies practicing servant leadership: SAS (#1 on the list of Best Companies to Work For) Wegmans Food Market (3) Zappos.com (6) Nugget Market (8) Recreational Equipment (REI) (9) Container Store (21) Whole Foods Market (24) QuikTrip (34) Balfour Beatty Construction (40) TD Industries (45) Aflac (57) Marriott International (71) Nordstrom (74) Men’s Wearhouse (87) CH2M Hill (90) Darden Restaurants (97) Starbucks (98) TD Industries (45) Aflac (57) Marriott International (71) Nordstrom (74) Men's Wearhouse (87) CH2M Hill (90) Darden Restaurants (97) Starbucks (98) Southwest Airlines Toro Publix Chick-fil-A For the complete list - go HERE. Of course, "making a list" should NOT be the ultimate goal. If you decide to implement servant leadership principles in your organization, you will recognize countless benefits. In fact, you may find achieving a top position on a "Best Companies to Work For" list is simply a side effect of following a servant leadership mentality. Servant Leader as Partner, Employee, Manager, Volunteer The competencies and 7 pillars are great attributes to aspire to and practice. If you can demonstrate any combination of these as a partner, employee, manager, volunteer you WILL set yourself apart from others and WILL not only be sought after but INDISPENSABLE! The ongoing opportunity will be self-regulating the competencies / attributes to the situation. Think of it as modulating the knobs on a stereo or a cook-top stove...you won't need ALL the controls turned on - or all on high...you modulate based on the recipe being prepared. To learn more about Servant Leadership:My best to your quest! Mark I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum performance. Interested to Learn About Yourself or Your Team? Mark is a Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, Facet5 and TotalSDI Facilitator and happy to discuss your situation. SEE Summary List of Other Blogs! Leave a Reply. |
About Mark MyetteI believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted Archives
August 2018
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