Many years ago, I read a book by James Autry called The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance (Prima Publishing, 2001). In it, he states that “Leadership in service of others requires a great deal of courage.” I have reflected on this many times because it is too easy to think of leadership as a reward for hard work rather than a responsibility. Patrick Lencioni wrote a whole book on the subject of leadership as a reward vs. a responsibility called The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate their Most Important Responsibilities (Wiley, 2020). It is nice to see two thoughtful individuals arrive at the same place.
Autry’s focus on service to others is defined by some very important characteristics of leadership. As he writes:
“Leadership is not about controlling people; it’s about caring for people and being a useful resource for people.
Leadership is not about being boss; it’s about being present for people and building a community at work.
Leadership is not about holding on to territory; it’s about letting go of ego, bring your spirit to work, being your best and most authentic self.
Leadership is less concerned with pep talks and more concerned with creating a place in which people can do good work, can find meaning in their work, and can bring their spirits to work.
Leadership, like life, is largely a matter of paying attention.”
As we enter the later part of this summer, I believe we need to sit down with young leaders who are new to the position of manager or leader and review step by step the above five sentences. We need to unpack them and explore what is the key idea within each sentence. We also need to discuss what are the core behaviors that make the idea a reality over time. This level of dialogue is vital if we expect this group to help position their teams and the company for a positive 2022 and 2023.
P.S. Now is the time to sign-up for the upcoming Fall 2021 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable on September 22 - 23, 2021. We will be meeting in-person at the Brown Deer Golf Club & Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa.
Here is the agenda for your review:
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
8:30 am - Arrival & Visiting Time
9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do we recover organizationally from a global pandemic?
10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break
10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do we lead with strategic thinking rather than reactive operational problem solving?
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do we plan for the future when the future is still so unpredictable?
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do we empower others to move forward during this recovery period?
4:30 pm - Adjourn
Thursday, September 23, 2021
9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do I recover personally and professionally from a global pandemic?
10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break
10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application
12:00 pm - Adjourn
The price for the full Fall Roundtable is $ 295.00.
The price for the one day Fall Roundtable attendance is $ 200.00.
Here is the link to the registration form:
https://chartyourpath.com/VTA-RT-Details.html
I hope you and your team are coming!
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