Page 33 - Harnessing the Strengths

16 ■ Servant-Leadership: In a Nutshell

the shareholders, and themselves. A path that one can also
take in the opposite direction, and where there are different
starting points.

Alternatives

There are many different ways to deal with culture dif-
ferences. Within the power model, the leader usually fol-
lows his or her own path without looking back. The other
extreme is also possible: When in Rome, do as the Romans
do. The latter is good in terms of being accepted by others
in unfamiliar situations, but your own authenticity is lost
in the process. In addition to that, the “Romans” would see
your behavior as that of a second-rate actor.
There is also the more “adult” alternative: the compro-
mise. This seems to be the best solution by far. When you
both want something else, you cannot both get what you
want, so you both sacrifi ce something to a certain extent. In
this way, you get a bit of what you wanted in the fi rst place,
and so does the other. Therefore, you will both be happy,
right?
Well, in any case, neither of you will be completely sat-
isfi ed because the sign of a compromise is that you meet
each other halfway. This means that both parties have to
give something up. The result is often presented as the best
possible solution considering the options and, therefore, a
win-win situation. In reality, however, it is a disguised loss.

Connecting

The service model, on the other hand, answers the problems
by overcoming the opposites. While the power model fol-
lows the principle of divide and rule, the service model is