Back to the Basics
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - Joe Kiedinger
You know, there’s real power to getting back to the basics of Servant Leadership. It gives meaning to all of our interactions and reminds us why we’ve chosen to lead the way we do. Whether it is leading a group of people at work, leading through volunteering or leading your family, these interactions are all important.
Do you recall the definition of a Servant Leader? Jim Hunter, author of The Servant, defines a Servant Leader as, “One who has the skill of influencing people to enthusiastically work toward goals for the common good, with character that inspires confidence.”
Does this sound like you? Do you influence people to work enthusiastically? To do so, you need to lead with authority rather than with power. Are your goals for the common good or your own good? A true Servant Leader sets aside their own wants and needs in order to seek the greatest good for others. Do you have character and inspire others? The character of a Servant Leader includes: patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, honesty and commitment.
As Servant Leaders we must live this everyday and be the example for our associates. But on a more basic level, we serve because it’s the right thing to do. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It’s always the right time to do the right thing.”
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: I will be speaking on dignity TOMORROW (November 19th) from 3-5 at The Marq in De Pere. It’s a free event and I hope you can make it!