Servant Leadership
Presented by:
Susan Parente
PMP, PMI‐ACP, PMI‐RMP, CISSP, ITIL, MS Eng. Mgmt.
S3 Technologies, LLC
Parente@s3‐tec.com
20 March 2015
Servant Leadership
Objectives:
• What is Servant Leadership?
• How does Servant Leadership work?
• When is Servant Leadership most effective?
• Examples of Servant Leadership
• Model for Project Management Leadership
2
Servant Leadership
What is Servant Leadership?
• Focus
• Growth
• Well Being
• Servant First
3
Inspiration Modern Day Servant Leadership
Robert K. Greenleaf
•
Career:
o
o
o
o
•
38 Years at AT&T, largely in management training and development
25 Years consulting on Servant Leadership thereafter
Coined the term Servant‐Leader in 1970’s
Founded Center for Applied Ethics (now Greenleaf Center for Servant‐
Leadership)
Inspiration:
o Hermann Hesse’s short novel Journey to the East in 1960’s
o Account of a mythical journey by a group of people on a spiritual quest
o True leadership stems first from a desire to serve
•
Essays:
o The Servant as Leader (1970)* o The Institution as Servant (1972)*
o Trustees‐ as Servants (1972)*
* See References
4
Definitions – Servant and Service
Definitions of Servant:
• One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command…
• One who expresses submission, recognizance, or debt to another:
 a person working in the service of another…
 in a subordinate position…
 a person who is hired to work for another…
Definitions of Service:
•
•
•
•
•
An act of assistance or benefit; a favor
An act of helpful activity; help; aid.
Work done by one person or group that benefits another
The performance of work or duties for a superior or as a servant
Be of service, to be helpful or useful
© 2008 Benjamin Lichtenwalner Modern Servant Leadership
5
Leadership Definition
Definitions of Leader:
•
•
a person or thing that leads.
a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group.
One that leads or guides.
One who is in charge or in command of others.
One who heads a political party or organization.
One who has influence or power, especially of a political nature.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
a person who is in front or goes first
a person who is the head of, organizes or is in charge (of something)
The head …of any body… as of a tribe, clan, or family; a person in authority who directs the work of others…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
© 2008 Benjamin Lichtenwalner Modern Servant Leadership
†
ServantLeadership
How Servant Leadership works:
• Sharing
• Others First
• Encourage
• Growth
• Development
7
Servant Leader Characteristics ‐ Spears Model
Servant
Listening
Leader
Awareness
Stewardship
Empathy
Commitment to People
Healing
Building Community
Persuasion
Conceptualization
Foresight
Practicing Servant Leadership = Spears & Lawrence
8
Contrasting Leadership Styles
Type
Description
Key Features
Authentic
Leadership
Centersonknowingandactingonwhatistrueand
realinsidetheleadersself,team,andorganization,
alongwithknowingandactingonwhatistrueand
realintheworld.
Leaderswhoareconfident,hopeful,
optimistic,andresilientindividuals
deeplyawareofhowtheythinkand
behave.
Transformational
Leadership
Leaderworksasamodelandamotivator,encouraging
thefollowerstoworknotbecauseofanexchangeof
valuebutfortheloveoftheirwork.
Leaderswhoinspireandknowshis
followersbystrengthsand
weaknesstoassignthemtotheright
job;andchallengesthemtoworkat
theirbestintheirfieldofexpertise.
Transactional
Leadership
Definedastheinfluenceofaleadertowardhis
subordinatesusingrewardandpunishmentasaform
ofmotivationalmedium.
Leadermayoffersomething
valuablelikeincreasedsalary,
incentives,andpromotiontohis
subordinate.
Situational
Leadership
IntroducedbyKennethBlanchardandPaulHerseyin
the‘60s.Themodelstatesthatleadersshouldutilize
differentleadershipstylesaccordingtothesituation
theyarein.
Differencesinindividual
competenceandattituderequire
leadertovaryleadershipstyle.
Servant
Leadership
Describesservantleadersasindividualswithanatural
inclinationtoserve.Suchpeoplemakeaconscious
choicetoleadtoserveratherthanleadtogainpower
oracquirematerialpossessions.
Leadersexhibitinglistening,
empathy,healingrelationships,
awareness,persuasion,
conceptualization,foresight,
stewardship,humanresource
development,andbuilding
9
communitycharacteristics
Servant Leadership ‐ Insights & Quotes
Ken Blanchard: Servant Leadership works. “Servant Leadership is about getting people to a higher level by leading people at a higher level.”
Robert Greenleaf : Leadership ought to be based on serving the needs of others and helping those who are served to become “healthier, wiser, truer, autonomous and likely to become “servants”.
Lao‐Tzu wrote about servant leadership in the fifth‐century BC: “The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware…. “A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.”…Herb Kelleher founder of Southwest Airlines
10
Servant Leadership – Volunteer Org. Example
Board of Directors
▪ Stewardship
▪ Listening
▪ Commitment
▪ Commitment
▪ Build ▪ Support
▪ Awareness Community
▪ Persuasion
▪ Conceptualization
▪ Foresight
Sustainability & Transition Plans
Volunteers and Members
▪ Development
▪ Freedom & ▪ Healthier Thinking Open
▪ Autonomy
▪ Encouragement
▪ Awareness ▪ Value
▪
▪
• Organization Focus
• Humble
• Opportunities for Improvement
• Best for Chapter
• Voice of Members
• No job too big/small
Mentoring
Acceptance
11
Servant Leadership – Business Example
Commander
Traditional
CEO
Management
CIO
Labor
“Primus Inter Pares”
(First Among Equals)
Flipped Pyramid
•
•
•
Operations
CxO
CEO
CFO
Development
Accounting
Finance
CxO
Shareholders
Staff
Management
Management
Staff
Shareholders
Job Description: Transformed to mutual understanding, dynamic, annual review, drafted by employee.
Objective: Mutual understanding, reviewed annually, and initial draft by employee.
Performance : Standards are intrinsically owned by employee
Introduction > Background > Characteristics
> Paradoxes > Practice > Examples > More
© 2008 Benjamin Lichtenwalner Modern Servant Leadership
†
Servant Leadership – Forbes Top 100
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SAS (#1 on the list of Best Companies to Work For)
Wegmans Food Market (3)
Zappos.com (6)
Nugget Market (8)
Recreational Equipment (REI) (9)
Container Store (21)
Whole Foods Market (24)
QuikTrip (34)
Balfour Beatty Construction (40)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
TD Industries (45)
Intel (51)
Aflac (57)
Marriott International (71)
Nordstrom (74)
Men’s Wearhouse (87)
CH2M Hill (90)
Darden Restaurants (97)
Starbucks (98)
13
PM Leadership Role
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Determine purpose and vision
Development and influence of the team
Expand or maintain core competencies of the team
Sustain an effective work culture
Follow ethical practices
Established balance controls
Project mechanism for knowledge transfer across parts of project
Moral reasoning Sustain stakeholder relationships
Create resonance and serve stakeholder interests
Emotional intelligence (monitor your and others feelings/emotions)
• Ascribe to PM tools, management processes, and best practices
14
Leadership Challenges for PM’s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Uncontrollable variables
Personal skills and leadership capabilities
Staffing with skilled resources
Team interaction for finite period.
Limited team skills
Developing high performing teams
Functional vs. Project Team Management
Hard or measureable elements Soft skill communications, quality, and risk
Stakeholder expectations
Technical/engineering vs. Leadership Skills
15
Servant Leadership Application
PM’s can increase positive project outcomes by:
• Listening intently to project team members
• Being aware of the needs of the project team members
• Understanding and empathizing with project team members
• Being forward thinking in addressing issues
• Convincing rather than coercing project team members to respond to instructions
16
Servant Leadership Application
PM’s can increase positive project outcomes by:
• Committed to serving project team members
• Committed to the growth of team members
• Creating a sense of community among team members
• Being intuitive in facing situations arising during the project
• Striving to maintain good relationships with the project team members
17
Servant Leadership – Delicate Balance
Planned
Compassionate
Serious
Wise
Busy
Decisive
Lead Vs.
Spontaneous
Disciplined
Fun loving
Don’t Know
Listen
Open to change
Serve
© 2008 Benjamin Lichtenwalner Modern Servant Leadership
18
Servant Leadership Effectiveness
Education
Ask questions
Set goals
Community Building
Practice and Apply
What are their goals and dreams?
What motivates others?
What are they interested in?
What’s important to them?
Servant Leadership
Organization/Home
Professional
19
ThingstoPonder
• How does this change your ideas about leadership? If so, in what ways? • What servant leadership make the most sense to you ? What about least sense?
• How different would the world be if most leaders were servant leaders?
Greenleaf ‐ The Servant as Leader
20
Servant Leadership References
Websites:

Greenleaf Center: www.greenleaf.org

Spears Center: www.spearscenter.org

Consulting / Development: www.JamesHunter.com
Target operating model

Modern Servant Leader: http://modernservantleader.com/
Assessment:

Are you a Servant Leader? Try this assessment:
http://modernservantleader.com/servant‐leadership/leadership‐
assessment/
Books:

Servant Leader (Greenleaf, 1977)

Servant Retrospect and Prospect (Greenleaf, 1980)

The Servant (Hunter, 1998)

The Servant Leader (Autry, 2001)

Practicing Servant Leadership (Spears & Lawrence, 2004)

World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle (Hunter, 2004)
21
Servant Leadership
Contact me @…
Susan Parente
Parente@s3‐tec.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanparente
22