Page 28 - Harnessing the Strengths

A Universal Given ■ 11

Herein lies the key to resolving dilemmas, no matter
what kind they are. The paradoxical commandments are
custom-made for servant-leaders because they focus on
personal meaning. Instead of letting themselves be led by
their circumstances, servant-leaders are internally driven,
starting from within themselves and guided by their own
morals. As a result, they are not thrown off by problems and
they are not dependent on recognition. Whereas the classic
power model gets stuck in problems, a servant-leader’s inter-
nal compass provides the possibility of lasting solutions.

Notes

1 Robert K. Greenleaf, The Servant as Leader, fi rst distributed as
pamphlet in 1970 [revised edition] (Indianapolis, IN: Robert K.
Greenleaf Center, 1991).
2 Kent M. Keith, The Case for Servant Leadership (Westfi eld, IN:
Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, 2008).
3 Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the
Learning Organization (London: Random House Business Books;
2nd revised edition, 2006).
4 Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader (New York City: Basic
Books; revised edition, 2003).
5 Ken Blanchard, “Foreword: The Heart of Servant Leadership,” in
Larry C. Spears and Michele Lawrence, eds., Focus on Leadership
(New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001), xi.
6 Jim Collins, “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and
Fierce Resolve,” in Best of Harvard Business Review, HBR, July–
August, 2005.
7 Stephen Covey, “Foreword: Servant Leadership from the Inside
out,” in Larry C. Spears, ed., Insights on Leadership (New York:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998), xi–xii.
8 Kent M. Keith, The Case for Servant Leadership (Westfi eld, IN:
Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, 2008).
9 Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in
the Student Council (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Student Agencies,
1968). The author’s explanation of the paradoxical command-
ments can be found in Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments
(New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002).