Page 197 - leadership-experience-2008

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
178 PART 3: THE PERSONAL SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
even if it does not “pay off” financially. In this view, the organization exists
as much to provide meaningful work to the person as the person exists to
perform work for the organization.
2. Listen first to affirm others. The servant leader doesn’t have answers;
he asks questions. One of the servant leader’s greatest gifts to others is
listening, fully understanding the problems others face, and affirming his
confidence in others. The servant leader tries to figure out the will of the
group and then further it however he can. The leader doesn’t impose his
or her will on others. By understanding others, the leader can contribute
to the best course of action.
3. Inspire trust by being trustworthy. Servant leaders build trust by doing what
they say they will do, being totally honest with others, giving up control,
and focusing on the well-being of others. They share all information,
good and bad, and they make decisions to further the good of the group
rather than their own interests. In addition, trust grows from trusting
others to make their own decisions. Servant leaders gain trust because
they give everything away—power, control, rewards, information, and
recognition. Trust allows others to flourish.
4. Nourish others and help them become whole. Servant leaders care about
followers’ spirits as well as their minds and bodies, and they believe in the
unique potential of each person to have a positive impact on the world.
Servant leaders help others find the power of the human spirit and accept
their responsibilities. This requires an openness and willingness to share in
the pain and difficulties of others. Being close to people also means leaders
make themselves vulnerable to others and are willing to show their own
pain and humanity.
Servant leadership can mean something as simple as encouraging others in
their personal development and helping them understand the larger purpose in their
work. When Linda Burzynski became president of Molly Maid International, she
learned about servant leadership from one of her cleaners. Posing as a new member
of the cleaning crew, Burzynski entered a home with her partner, Dawn, to fi nd
dishes piled high, food spilled on countertops, clothes and magazines strewn about,
and pet hair everywhere. Surveying the mess, Burzynski was ready to walk out,
but Dawn explained that the woman who owned the house was going through a
divorce and dealing with three rebellious teenage sons. “She’s barely hanging
on,” said Dawn, and having a clean house gave her a sense of order and control.
Burzynski noticed that Dawn seemed to take extra care because she knew she was
helping the woman with more than just her household chores. Burzynski says she
learned that day about the power of being a servant to her employees and helping
them fi nd larger meaning in their diffi cult jobs. Another example of a leader who
43
puts service to workers fi rst is William Pollard, chairman of ServiceMaster.

IN THE LEAD C. William Pollard, ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster is a successful, dynamic company that cleans and maintains hospi-
tals, schools, and other buildings. It’s not a glamorous industry, and many of the jobs

are menial—cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, and killing bugs. But ServiceMaster
has instilled in its employees a sense of dignity, responsibility, and meaningfulness,
thanks largely to the servant leadership of chairman C. William Pollard.
Pollard believes it is immoral to take away an employee’s right to make
decisions and take action. He sees leaders as having a moral responsibility to help