Page 133 - Harnessing the Strengths

116 ■ Servant-Leadership in the Intercultural Practice

to better results. The development of their employees is a
priority, even if it means that there is a lesser return for their
shareholders. The difference in their vision is also refl ected
in their role as client. While the Americans will, after one
bad quarter, pull back as client until things are looking posi-
tive again, the more diffuse Germans will remain loyal cus-
tomers, even in the downturns. These are two very different
approaches to the same dilemma.

Shareholders Versus Society
Many companies wrestle with the tension between share-
holder value and their social responsibilities. How do you
give authentic credence to social responsibility when you
have shareholders breathing down your neck? Because,
let’s be honest, without the fi nancial investors, there is less
money to give away. It is a “chicken-and-egg” situation.
Servant-leaders take both responsibilities seriously. They
appreciate that making money is “a must,” in both the short
and the long term. Thus, they will not become lazy, riding

on the cushion of a cumulative profit of seven “fat” years,
but will always be prepared to deal with the possible real-
ity of seven “lean” years. The servant-leader will not obsess

about the specific quarterly number. He or she knows all to

well that the sustainability of the profit is dependent on soci-
ety. At the same time, he or she also realizes that focusing
only on the employees and the surrounding community is not
enough. Ideals, nice as they are, do not in themselves generate
money. The shareholders need a reasonable return on their
investment if the company wants to be able to continue to ful-
fi ll its societal function. The thing about this is that if we take
each extreme seriously and are able to integrate them, the end
result is considerably better than either option alone.