Page 112 - Harnessing the Strengths

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DILEMMA 4:

CONTROL VERSUS PASSION

Challenge
Peter Webber has barely made it through the feat of dealing
with the international reward system when he is confronted
with the next dilemma. During the internationalization of
the EMEA region the Germans and the Italians have come
into conflict. Giovanni, the Italian general manager, wants an

Italian colleague to fill a critical post, because he wants some-

one there with passion and vision. The Germans want to fi ll

the position because they find that it is high time that they
started making more profi t. They are arguing for a German
colleague who highly values control. Upon hearing this, Gio-
vanni storms into Peter Webber’s room and screams that this
is the last thing that they need: an ice queen with the emotions
of a robot. The German colleague retorts that he has seen too
many spaghetti westerns here at Cloverpill already. Being a
servant-leader, Peter Webber thinks, is not always easy.

The Dilemma

Is a servant-leader driven by passion or more by control?
Since passion is only effective in the context of control, and
control is only effective in a passionate context, the servant-

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