The Leader as a Servant

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” – Max Depree

I’d like to talk about leadership in a way we perhaps don’t always think of it. In order to lead, we must know how to follow.

Those born for a leadership role do not just seize the reigns of power and gallop on without an understanding of those they are leading. It doesn’t really work well that way.

As is said in the Tao Te Ching, “The river carves out the valley by flowing beneath it.
 Thereby the river is the master of the valley.”

This and many other examples are used in Taoist philosophy to demonstrate the power of the low. This power is the power of the servant of the people, the person who follows in order to lead. This is a powerful notion, and has real world application.

How can we lead people without being their servant? Is that not what a leader is? A facilitator, a communicator, a voice for a group of people – these are examples of services we provide for our team when we lead them. We act as the focal point for problems and we serve as enablers for our team members. We move obstacles so that they may do their work and shine for the entire group.

If we recognise our roles as a servants and followers of our teams and strive to make it clear to them that we exist in a leadership capacity only to make things easier for them, chances are that they will never feel threatened by that leadership.  There will be no sense of competition or oppression.

In this style of leadership you may not come to the finish line in front, gleaming with pride to take all of the glory, but your team will definitely make it there together and you’ll have more respect than if you had seized the reigns.

P.S. I will be taking on 4 new clients for a one year intensive coaching programme starting April 1, 2010 - more details to follow. Please email me: Donald@zonedinperformance.com

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