I'm reading a book for one of my courses right now. The Serving Leader by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert. It's one of those leadership fables. A son reconnects with his dying father and learns about servant leadership along the way. I wasn't sure what to expect going in. But it's connecting with me more than I thought it would.
The core concept is simple. Flip the pyramid. Most organizations put the boss at the top. Everyone below exists to serve the boss. Make the boss look good. Keep the boss happy. Information flows up. Orders flow down. That's the traditional model.
The serving leader turns that upside down. The leader exists to serve the people doing the work. Remove obstacles. Provide resources. Set the direction and then get out of the way. You qualify to be first by putting other people first.
I'm not finished yet. Just made it past the section on blazing the trail. But the ideas are already sitting with me.
Upend the pyramid. Serve the people you lead. Their growth. Their development. Their success.
Raise the bar. High standards. Real accountability. Serving doesn't mean soft.
Blaze the trail. Clear the obstacles. Remove the barriers. Let people focus on the mission instead of fighting the bureaucracy.
Run to great purpose. Give people a reason to show up and bring their best. Not just a paycheck. A purpose.
None of this is new to me. I've seen it before. I just didn't have the words for it.
Reading this brought back memories from my time in the Corps. I served under leaders who operated exactly this way. They gave us the mission and intent. The left and right lateral limits. Then they got out of the way and let us execute. They didn't micromanage. They didn't take credit for our work. They cleared paths. They had our backs. They pushed us hard but built us up at the same time. Those were the leaders you'd follow anywhere. Not because of the rank on their collar. Because of how they led.
I also served under the other kind. The ones who made everything about themselves. The pyramid right side up with them sitting on top. Those leaders got compliance. The serving leaders got commitment.
I know which one I tried to be.
I'm not done with the book yet. Still have more to go. But I already know this one is going in the toolbox. It's a quick read. Enjoyable. And it's making me think about the kind of leader I've been and the kind I still want to become.
Even in retirement. Even with my health challenges. It leads me to believe there is much more I can do as a leader.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Notes:
-All content is mine unless otherwise annotated.
-Images are my own unless otherwise noted.
-Photos edited using Linux photo editor and drawing and/or iPhone SE.
-Page Dividers from The Terminal Discord.
