Page 70 - Harnessing the Strengths

Dilemma 1: Leading Versus Serving ■ 53

delivers routine work for routine pay. Nothing new is cre-
ated and each party is working in its own favor.
In the upper right of the fi gure, you see the transfor-
mational leader, who “stands on the shoulders of giants”
and, because of the experience, is capable of so much more.
Transformational leadership—another name for servant-
leadership—is all about change. The leader changes the
consciousness of those being led by identifying desires that
were previously unconscious. In the same way, they change
the consciousness of the leader. Well-known transforma-
tional leaders include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gandhi, Mar-
tin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
Transformational leaders are also present in cor-
porations today. Such a man is Laurent Beaudoin, who
transformed Bombardier from a skimobile company to
a transportation and aeronautic company, a signifi cant
increase in complexity. Richard Branson imprinted his
personality on the portfolio of the Virgin Companies. Ger-
gei Kiriyenko, the youngest prime minister of Russia ever,
transformed NORSi Oil from an apathetic, bankrupted
organization that was paralyzed with fear into a living,
dynamic, and effective company.
In this variation, both elements, authoritarian and par-
ticipative, are present in their full glory in such a way that
they strengthen each other. This is a typical sort of servant-
leader solution. Transformational leadership is known for its
two-way direction, which is an important aspect of servant-
leadership. Servant-leaders and their followers anticipate each
other’s behavior and are dependent on one another in a healthy
manner. The fact that people have put their faith in their leader
and identify with him or her is as important for the leader as
for the led. The boundaries between the two fade as people
feel lifted up in a wave of connection and shared goals.