Page 34 - Harnessing the Strengths

From a Power to a Service Model ■ 17

defi ned by reconciliation. The idea that opposites exist to
be combined, because that is the way in which you can best
serve people, is a novel thought. That is why servant-leaders
look not at what separates people, but rather at what brings
them together. According to servant-leaders, culture differ-
ences are not problems; they are chances—opportunities
to create something together that is stronger than the two
parts. Instead of watering down your own point of view,
you can enjoin the opposite to make it watertight, turning
your disadvantages into an advantage for both.

Unity

This entire process can only occur when there is an atmo-
sphere of mutual trust. This trust comes out of the under-
standing that, at the deepest level, there is a commonality
that all people share. Differences are a certainty, but it is
better not to increase them unnecessarily. It is an art to
bring out those things that unify, with an open mind and
respect for cultural differences. Beneath every difference,
there is a shared foundation: humanity. There is recogni-
tion at the deepest levels because, all over the planet, people
have the same big questions: What is the purpose of life?
How can I be happy? What is my purpose on this earth?
The answers that people come up with in different cultures
are determined historically and culturally. With this view,
we are suddenly no longer dealing with insurmountable
differences, but with different accents. This realization is
a productive basis for intercultural management, a solid
foundation that can be built upon. When people have this
frame of reference, reconciliation is within reach.
It was this kind of thinking that drove the merger of the
Dutch temp agencies Randstad and Vedior in 2008. During