Page 169 - Harnessing the Strengths

152 ■ Servant-Leadership in the Intercultural Practice

... excessive risk and recklessness,
which make us so scared that
we search for . . .

... absolute securities,
which ultimately drive us
to the search for . . .
Figure 11.3 Vicious circle

destroyed. The system swings from reckless risk taking to
panicky protectionism, back to recklessness, and so on,
because the two opposite values exacerbate each other when
positioned as enemies. In this negative spiral, the system
will ultimately destroy itself.
The values are both absolute in one sense and related in
another sense. The servant-leaders are healthier, richer, and
wiser if they can combine both meanings. Risk taking and
caution are both absolutely necessary for achieving well-
being and prosperity. Unfortunately, there is no standard
formula for combining the two elements. Servant-leaders
take up the challenge to fi nd, in ever-changing environ-
ments, the optimal synthesis.