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Dilemma 3: Parts Versus the Whole ■ 91

and the focus of the product will be lost. On the other hand,
you don’t want to stop with your prototype too quickly just
to put an end to the discussion. Who knows: that one last
review to modify the existing model might improve it so
much more. The result you strive for is a “brilliant design,
beautifully rounded off” (10,10). In the end, what excites
the client is a relevant, fi nalized product, not the harmoni-
ous process of consensus behind its completion.
Many people consider the process of refi ning a product
or project as frivolous, but this is absolutely not the case.
The servant-leader makes sure that the novelty is recog-
nized by emphasizing all the more trusted aspects. He or
she is the impresario or magnifi cent host of a fantastic show
that convinces people to think that this is the new experi-
ence that they have been waiting for.

Conclusion

The Western economy operates on Adam Smith’s princi-
ple of the invisible hand. He argued that each individual,
1

maximizing profit for himself, maximizes the total profi t of
society as a whole. Is there truth hidden in this adage? Abso-

lutely. Does the society benefit when people, for selfi sh rea-
sons of personal gain, try to better the service to the client?
Certainly. Is this the only way to approach the dilemma?
Defi nitely not! When it comes to cultural values there is not
only one truth.
The reverse is also true. When teams and groups com-
mit themselves to the larger whole, the individual members
also profi t from the “invisible hand.” There are thus differ-
ent “roads to Rome,” and one is not better or more valid
than the other. In some situations one approach might be
better; in a different situation the other may be more effec-