Page 46 - Harnessing the Strengths

Core Qualities ■ 29

in a family, organization, department, or community is the
pinnacle of his or her own pyramid. It is within everyone’s
reach to fi nd out and fulfi ll the needs of others. This has
far-reaching consequences, and it is especially important in
situations where there is polarization, because the basis of
“us” versus “them” thinking thereby falls by the wayside.
In every company, people complain: department about
department, white collar about blue collar, production
about sales and vice versa. And all too often, the complaint
is that management has no idea as to what is actually going
on. Everyone is busy with personal ambitions, position,
power, and search for opportunity. Employees frequently
have the feeling that they are not involved in the decision-
making process. “They just do what they want,” is the oft-
heard criticism.
In companies where servant-leadership is practiced,
however, you cannot get away with this criticism; the reason
being that leadership comes with responsibility. If you are
dissatisfi ed with the way things are going, then you should
not just carry on without doing something about it. That
will not bring you any closer to your goal. A better alterna-
tive is to take responsibility and chart the problem in such
a way that you can see both sides. You need to take your
responsibilities and address them such that the dichotomy
can be resolved. In this manner, all people are responsible
for the world around them. This is equally true at work as
in private life.

Turning the Pyramid on Its Head

The traditional pyramid with the CEO at the top and an
extensive army of “the little people” at the base is not effec-
tive. In that kind of structure, people worry more about