Page 188 - Harnessing the Strengths

Can We Measure Integrity? ■ 171

“focal points”—to put 90 percent of their energy into 10 per-
cent of the possibilities. This also goes for choosing which
dilemmas have priority when the various dilemmas start to
surface. Some companies have more to gain by changing their
rewards system than by investing energy in a new advertis-
ing campaign. Other organizations are more responsive to
changes in the evaluation system than a change in organi-
zational structure. A servant-leader fi nds precisely what the
“sensitive spots” of an organization are, as well as those of
the employees, and will focus on them.

Justice

Finally, justice is also necessary. This characteristic plays
a role especially in teams where there are people who are
not completely “on board” with the principles of servant-
leadership. When you have, as a leader, done everything
worldly possible to convince people to cooperate, without
success, then it is sometimes necessary to part ways. That
goes not only for subordinates but also for those on every
level. As Jim Collins wrote in his book Good to Great,
“Show people the door.” And take good care of them as
they leave.
Justice also applies to openness in terms of communica-
tion during a change process. There is no place for political
agendas. People need to speak straight, rather than “beat
about the bush.” A servant-leader has an advantage if he
or she can succeed in creating a culture where people speak
openly and encourage each other to improve.
Therefore, in summary, the basic steps that someone
can take in starting the creation of a servant-leadership pro-
cess are: