Commander vs. Servant

Increasingly we hear the term ‘servant leadership’ with respect to the evolution of leadership styles.  I think that it is important to understand how and why we have reached this point so that you can evaluate your style and what, if any, changes you need to implement.

Let’s start with a brief history lesson.

Throughout the first half of the 20^th century, the world was basically preparing for war, at war, or recovering from war. In between we threw in the Great Depression. That environment demanded a military style of leadership, the commander.

As we entered the baby boomer stage in the second half of the century, manufacturing was still very much a labour intensive activity.  Production lines of cars and virtually any other commodity were very structured.  Each person had a specific task and the commander structure worked pretty well.   Besides, most managers had little to no formal training in being a ‘boss’ so their default was to that which they knew.

In fact, we did not even begin to produce MBA calibre executives until the 1960’s and 70’s.  The study of leadership amounted to determining what a leader did that was different from that of a manager.  We did not really look at style so much as we determined duties.

The leadership model was still very much defined by results.  Managing by Objectives (MBO’S) and Key Performance Indicator’s (KPI’S) were commonly used to evaluate performance. 

As boomers moved into positions of responsibility in executive levels, many of them leaned heavily on the styles that they grew up with and the ‘top-down’ model persisted. 

But as the economy has changed, this style no longer suits the workplace.

Today we still have production lines but most of the work is done by robots.  AI increasingly takes over in the decision making processes that managers once were required to do.  The information age dictates a more collaborative approach in the workplace.  None of these truths are well suited to a commander style of leadership.  An evolution is necessary.

Fast forward to today’s workplace; compared to the baby boomer era it is characterized by the following;

·       A much better educated and prepared candidate

·       Individuals who are more socially minded

·       People looking for a role in which they can contribute

·       A willingness to change jobs frequently

·       A desire or a need for the individual to be recognized for their contribution on a regular basis

·       A workplace that is far more diversified in all aspects of colour, race, gender, religion, country of origin, and sexual orientation that demands accountability with respect to harassment or discrimination

Thus, servant leadership is one which both anticipates and responds to the needs of the employee.  It is one which creates a climate for people to deploy their skill sets in a creative manner in which they find personal fulfillment while concurrently achieving the goals and expectations of the employer.

The servant leader recognizes that morality, ethics and legality are critical to their performance.  Overall evaluation depends only in part on the achievement of objectives.  The manner in which those objectives are achieved is of equal or greater importance.

The servant leader understands that building and equipping a team and then defining the objectives of that team are more important than dictating how the results should be achieved.

The servant leader acknowledges that others likely know more about the ‘how’ than they do.  But the servant leader understands the ‘why’.

The servant leader does not keep their hands on the pulse of the business but on the pulse of the people.  The difference is subtle but critical…

With the perspective of time and place it is easier to see how this evolution came about and why.

We would like to think that a servant leader would always have been successful and in specific circumstances that may be true.  But the reality is that in 1950, the servant leader would have failed more often than not.  The times demanded a different leader.

Likewise, the commander may work today, in specific circumstances.  But more often than not, it is doomed to failure.

Where are you on this continuum?  We are all growing and evolving in our leadership styles.  But if you are still closer to the commander, it may be time to take a closer look at what success really looks like in the 21^st century.

What's in an Attitude?

The best leaders also have the best attitudes.  These aren’t ‘glass half full’ people; they are the ‘my cup runneth over’ types.

It’s not that they have a Pollyanna view of the world.  Rather they are firmly rooted in reality.

They don’t wear rose coloured glasses.  They see things for what they are.

What differentiates them from others though, is attitude.  I think that it is best understood in these two phrases.

The first is that for these people they live as if ‘there is no tomorrow’.  By this I mean that each day is lived in such a way that only their best is sufficient.  If they never reach tomorrow they will be content being judged on their last day’s efforts. 

They live without regret.  They aspire to be better than the day before. They make mistakes but are not defined by them.  Rather they learn and move on.

The second phrase is this.  They live in the expectation that ‘their best days lie ahead’.

For these people, improvement is continuous.  They believe that the status quo is simply a stepping stone to something better. They will not allow a lack of effort or a poor disposition to compromise their future achievements. 

Having learned from their successes and their failures, their optimism is routinely rewarded by better and better results.  This does not dismiss the possibility of disappointment but the graph will show an ever upward trend.

Both of these attitudes are contagious and combine to create a positive workplace.  Others see the efforts and the expectations leading to results.  

Their ‘buy in’ comes easily.

As a leader you have a responsibility to find the optimism in a challenge and to build a culture of accomplishment.  Hopefully this attitude is not foreign to you.

If, however, you cannot see the value in this type of ‘a better tomorrow’ approach to each day, it may time to step aside.  It’s preferable to have the train pass you by than to have it run over you.

The Best Offence

In the sporting world it is often said that the best offence is a great defence. The reasoning being that if you are not scored on, you cannot lose.

As a business leader, there is much merit in adopting a similar approach. 

When asked to list our strengths, most of us display a false humility and we try to downplay just how good we think we are.  When pushed, we reluctantly agree with another’s analysis and commend them for their honesty and insight.

But asked to list our faults or shortcomings, we struggle.  It is not that we don’t know them but rather we are unwilling to acknowledge them to others in the hope that they have not perceived them already.

My challenge to you is to look at your company through your competitor’s eyes.  Where do they see the flaws in your strategies that they intend to exploit in the workplace? 

We all have competitors and we are all trying to grow our businesses either by maintaining our piece of the pie in a growing market or by taking more from others in a lower growth environment.  Knowing our faults and vulnerabilities – playing good defence – is critical to your future success.

It is an old axiom, but nonetheless true.  It costs much more to find new business than to keep and cultivate current clients.  What firewalls have you installed to keep more of what is coming in the front door from escaping out the back?

This takes a strong leader.  It means having others criticise the hard work that you have done.  But it is constructive criticism that someone who is comfortable in their own skin is more than willing to accept.

In combat you do not press on without first ensuring that your gains have been solidified.  In the same manner I suggest that you must always be confirming the foundation upon which your success has been built.

Don’t shy away from it.  Learn from it and make even better decisions for the future. 

If you don’t, there may not be one…

Look to the Western Sky

Most leaders approach change in a planned and reasoned manner.  Progress is made in increments, step by step as it were.  They constantly build on the known as a foundation for what lies ahead.  

For many…perhaps most…this is an equation that provides a secure platform for growth and success.

But transformational leadership demands a different approach.  And we are living in a transformational age.

The best leaders are those who are constantly defying gravity.  They are not constrained by the processes of the past.  Their vision is much broader.

Hasn’t it always been thus?  We need to challenge the conventional to achieve the ‘impossible’.

For eons, we walked the face of this earth.  Then in 1783 the first hot air balloon loosed two French adventurers from the grip of the earth.  Nothing conventional would have achieved their flight.  They had to defy gravity.

For centuries horses were domesticated to be our ‘beasts of burden’.  That is until a new invention was popularized by Ford and motor cars allowed us the break beyond the horizons and travel to points unknown.

When the first airplanes became successful, we again achieved the unexpected.  Once more, we defied gravity and entered a new era.

Throughout history, it has taken leadership willing to risk.

Computers allowed us to travel into space.  AI will open another Pandora’s Box as this century unfolds.

In all of these endeavours, it has taken leadership that is willing to attempt to defy gravity.  Not all will be successful, but those that are will change the world.

What in your business requires you to defy gravity?  Will you accept the challenge?  Or will inertia prevent you from gaining the momentum to fly?   

Do it today!

What every leader MUST DO!

EVERY LEADER knows someone who has been harassed or abused.

Let that sink in for a moment and then allow me to repeat myself.

EVERY LEADER knows someone who has been harassed or abused.

It may be racial; it may be sexual; it may be something else.

In your defense, you may not be personally aware of the specifics.  But I can guarantee you that someone you know, probably someone who works with you or for you, has been the object of unwanted and unwarranted verbal, sexual or physical harassment and abuse. It is endemic in our culture.

Social media has made it even easier and more pervasive.  But social media only builds on a solid foundation of ignorance or tolerance of these kinds of activities that have existed for far too long.

IT MUST STOP NOW!

I am speaking to men especially, for two reasons.  The first is that most positions of leadership are still male dominated.  The second is that most offenses are committed by men. 

IT IS TIME FOR MEN TO OWN THIS ISSUE!

You must start in your sphere of influence.  Everyone must know that there is a new sheriff in town.  Zero tolerance is the only acceptable level of conduct and everyone is deputized to call out offenders.  I understand that there is a risk associated with believing all accusers.  But there is a greater risk of overlooking claims and thereby perpetuating unacceptable behaviour.

Obviously this should start at the top.  Many organizations have had long standing policies in place.  But it is clear that too often these policies have been in place but not in practice.  Witness the increasing number of men in executive positions who are now coming under public scrutiny. 

Their signatures are on the policy.  Their hands are on something else.

Where do you start?

1.    Acknowledge that this behaviour is unacceptable in both principle and practice regardless of who is accused or who the accuser is.  There are no levels at which situational ethics or morality changes the facts.

2.    Develop a policy that encourages full disclosure of any violations and that also removes ‘whistleblowers’ of any fear of retaliation.  This assumes that information brought forward is truthful and verifiable so as to prevent attempts to discredit or defame simply out of revenge or anger.

3.    Communicate this policy to every person in the company.  Make it clear that no one is exempt from the expectations that the policy defines.

Clearly this is an HR initiative.  But without the implicit validation from you as the leader, it may lack the gravitas that it requires to be believed.

In my opinion there is no greater or more urgent priority.  Simply put, companies that fail to adequately step up will be penalized by both the law and by societal response.  Protecting your most important assets seems like a ‘no brainer’ but actions speak louder than words.

May your actions rumble like thunder!

It's not enough!

It’s not enough!

Increasingly I see those in leadership – business, politics, academia – taking strong positions against those who are in control.  They shout; they protest; they complain.  They use the media, social media, feet on the street, or the courts to send a message.  The message is almost always a negative one.

We stand against you!

We stand against your values!

We stand against your policies!

In some cases they may have a valid argument.   But that is not enough.  You cannot simply be against something.  If you oppose another’s position, you must instead be ‘for’ something.  And you must be able to articulate it in such as manner so as to demonstrate that your message is not only contrary to the present order but that it is also viable and with merit.

Opposition is easy.

You can stop traffic by simply sitting in the middle of the road.   But if your intention is to change traffic patterns, that takes much more thought and preparation.  And therein lays the rub.

Too few leaders are willing and/or able to constructively oppose.  It takes too much work.  It takes too much thought.  And it takes too much risk.  These people are like water and find the path of least resistance.

Opposition is crucial to improving circumstances.  As iron sharpens iron, constructive opposition…constructive criticism…is imperative as we evolve in every aspect of our daily lives.  Business, politics or academia must always be seeking the ‘next’ in terms of best practices.  And that occurs at the junction of ‘position vs opposition’.

Are you leading in a manner that encourages thoughtful and respectful dialogue?  Are you willing to be challenged and to open your mind to options your once discarded or never considered.

Leadership does not imply that YOU have all the answers.  But it does expect that you are willing to search for them regardless of the ultimate source.

The Lion King

Alexander the Great is quoted as having said:

“…I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion…”

My first impression of this comment was that the lion would be fearless in its’ leadership style.  But on closer examination there are a number of qualities of the lion that translate into effective leadership.  And while I doubt that Alexander necessarily had them in mind, these are equally important to the lion’s effectiveness.

1.    Despite its individual strength, lions work best in the collective strength of the pride.  This allows them greater success in hunting and in protecting against threats.

2.    Lions are very effective communicators.  Their roar can communicate up to 5 miles and yet they can hunt successfully without any sound because of their ability to read each other almost telepathically.

3.    Lions are vicious competitors but are highly social and caring within the pride.

4.    A lion’s vision is 6 times better than a human’s.  As a night hunter this provides an obvious and important advantage that they use to their benefit.

5.    Lions carry themselves with distinction that has afforded them the name of “King of the Jungle”.  There is a dignity and a presence that is both palatable and real.

Take a moment to reflect on your personal leadership style. 

Are you able to use the strength of your team to accomplish goals?  Does your style maximize potential?  Or are you the ‘do as I say’ type that dictates both the goal and the procedure to attain same?

Have you developed and polished your communication style so that others fully understand and buy into the team/corporate strategies? How do you test your style to ensure that what you want others to hear is actually being heard and understood and implemented?  Failure to communicate properly leads to frustration and lost opportunity.

Do you give a damn about your staff or are they lucky to have a job?  Increasingly employees are attracted to and retained by those companies who put employee well-being as a priority.  If your true attitude does not reflect this as a core value, you attract less than the best.  Today’s ultra-competitive workplace will soon separate you from those employers who have established this rapport with their most important asset.

Night vision is a benefit to the lion. Indeed, it is crucial to its survival. Your strategic vision is its counterpart. If you don’t know where you are headed, and why, you only hasten your demise.  If this is not a core strength, get help…professional help…before it is too late.

It has been said that one should dance like no one is watching.  But as the leader you must conduct yourself morally, ethically and legally as if the whole world could see you simultaneously.  Lead with integrity and honour befitting of the privileged role that you occupy.  That alone inspires others to service.

Alexander may have seen the warrior in the lion.  Today that is not nearly enough.  Expand your understanding and expand your performance!