Page 25 - Harnessing the Strengths

8 ■ Servant-Leadership: In a Nutshell

In Jim Collins’s article “Level 5 Leadership,” he describes
the “level 5 leader” as someone with a special mix between
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professional willpower and personal modesty. This is also
another reference to servant-leadership.
Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly
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Effective People, is also in favor of servant-leadership.
He says: “At the core of our being there is the thing we
draw upon to rise above our current circumstances and our
nature. When you do this, you can tap into an entirely new
source of human motivation.” That is exactly why Robert
Greenleaf’s servant-leadership ideas are so stirring, encour-
aging, and inspirational.
There are important changes taking place in the world,
changes that stem from two forces. The fi rst is the dramatic
rate of globalization of both markets and technology. This
change strengthens the impact of the second: timeless, uni-
versal principles that are the foundation for every kind of
lasting success.
One of these fundamental, timeless principles is the idea
of servant-leadership. We are convinced that its importance
will grow even more. People are under continual pressures
to produce more for less money, and in less time than ever
before. The only way that this will be achieved is through
empowerment, giving people the necessary tools. And the
only way to achieve that is to create a culture of trust, where
bosses are transformed into servants and coaches. That is
precisely what servant-leadership stands for.
Leaders are starting to learn that this kind of empow-
erment is the most important. For organizations, it is this
principle that makes the difference between sustained suc-
cess and their possible downfall.