National Student Leadership Forum » Faith & Values

Servant leadership: A Path to High Performance

Admin — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 03:46:19 +0000

By Edward D. Hess April 28, 2013

I’ve spent years researching the DNA of high-performing companies, and much to my surprise the leaders at most of those companies did not fit commonly espoused theories of leadership.

Many people believe great leaders are charismatic, have a commanding presence, are visionary and educated at elite schools. Almost all of the leaders of the high-performing companies that I studied had none of those traits.

Instead, they are what I call servant leaders.

I discovered them while researching well-run organizations such as Chick-fil-A and the old Home Depot, both based in the Atlanta area, and even the U.S. Marine Corps, headquartered in Arlington. I found them again and again in research I did on high-performance organizations such as Best Buy, UPS, Ritz Carlton, Room & Board, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Levy Restaurants, the San Antonio Spurs and TSYS.

Those leaders tended to share common characteristics.

Leading by example

These leaders were servants in the best sense of the word. They were people-centric, valued service to others and believed they had a duty of stewardship. Nearly all were humble and passionate operators who were deeply involved in the details of the business. Most had long tenures in their organizations. They had not forgotten what it was like to be a line employee.

They believed that every employee should be treated with respect and have the opportunity to do meaningful work. They led by example, lived the “Golden Rule,” and understood that good intentions are not enough — behaviors count. These leaders serve the organization and its multiple stakeholders. They are servant leaders.

A leadership myth

Many people think that you cannot be people-centric and maintain high standards, because employees will take advantage. That’s another leadership myth.

These high-performance organizations show that people-centric environments and high performance are not mutually exclusive. Employees in these companies have high emotional engagement, loyalty and productivity, and outperform the competition on a daily basis over long periods of time. In fact, the relationship between high performance, high employee engagement and how you treat employees is compelling. My research clearly demonstrates that employee satisfaction drives customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Humble wins

Most people seek a leadership position because they want more pay, more prestige, more perks and more power. They seek and fall for the intoxicating powers of leadership.

Servant leaders side step that failing. They are paid more, but very few ever make the highest-paid CEOs list. Instead, they fight elitism in themselves and their organizations. Many of these organizations eschew corporate jets, executive dining rooms, big decorated executive offices and other trappings of elitism. Some of these leaders had small windowless offices. Some shared administrative staff with other executives.

Behaving well

How servant leaders behave is a key to their successful leadership. Behaviors are means of communicating. For example, treating people with dignity, being in the moment and not multitasking, not interrupting others, listening intensely, smiling, saying please and thank you, acknowledging the contributions of others, admitting mistakes, apologizing, not having to be the smartest person in the room all the time and spending time on the front lines with employees and customers.

Servant leaders do not abuse, humiliate or devalue people. They understand that behaviors either build trust or destroy it, and without trust one cannot generally achieve consistent high employee engagement and high performance.

Vigilant leaders

Like behaviors, a servant leader’s attitudes and beliefs underpin successful leadership.

Attitudes and beliefs are fundamental because what you think and feel drives behaviors. Servant leaders do not think they are better than the people they lead. Servant leaders do not think that unless employees are watched like hawks, they won’t work hard. They believe that if you create the right values and culture normal people will do extraordinary things.

The behavior of leaders, coupled with attitudes and beliefs, either enables or inhibits high performance. Good intentions and words are not enough. The best leaders understand that daily behaviors count.

And leadership is hard work because it takes discipline. Servant leaders are vigilant in fighting elitism, arrogance, complacency and hubris daily.

Edward D. Hess Professor of business administration and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He teaches an executive education course, “Servant Leadership: A Path to High Performances,” in November.

Please view the website here

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10 Powerful Ways to Give Thanks with Your Leadership

Admin — Thu, 17 May 2018 05:41:48 +0000

10 Powerful Ways to Give Thanks with Your Leadership

This time of year, we celebrate the virtue of gratitude. Rightly so. The benefits of being grateful — both personally and professionally — are numerous and well-documented. While we should flex our gratitude muscle throughout the year, it’s also important to take extra time during the holidays to pause, reflect, recharge, and re-commit to bringing gratitude to life in every area of our life. For me, part of that process is reflecting on the ways we can bring more thankfulness into our leadership. Not just because it’s a “nice” thing to do but because it’s a crucial business imperative. Giving thanks is about making people feel valued. And research shows the highest performing teams and organizations are comprised of people who feel valued. So, by giving thanks with our leadership, we can both feel more fulfilled as leaders and inspire better business results in the marketplace.

Here are 10 powerful ways you can give thanks with your leadership to get better results year-round:

1. Honor people with your time. You’re the leader. You’re busy. People understand that. But, what if you gave just a little more generously of your time? I have found that the more I honor people with my time and devoted attention, the more they honor me right back with their commitment, hard work, and trust. Find ways to give people an opportunity to connect with you, whether it’s walking around the hallways, making more time in your calendar for face-to-face meetings, or even just jumping on a 15-minute phone call to listen to ideas and offer your insights. A little goes a long way.

2. Hold better meetings. Meetings are an essential part of modern work life but they’re so often a time-wasting slog that employees can begin to dread them. It doesn’t have to be that way. By crafting clear rules around meetings, you can ensure they are productive and efficient. Start by not scheduling them at wacky off-hours and commit to keeping them brief whenever possible. Then, make sure you’re just as prepared for them as your employees are. This way, people know you value their time as much as your own. And that you care about their work. It can make a huge difference.

3. Actually say “thank you” earnestly and often. Earlier in my career, I was fired from my job. It was thanks to the support of other people that I was able to get back on my feet. One of the lessons I learned from the experience was the importance of saying thank you to the people who help lift you up. Ever since, I’ve adopted a practice of hand-writing personalized thank-you notes to people in the organizations I’ve led. At last count, I’ve written over 30,000 notes to people at every level, in every imaginable department. They aren’t gratuitous or filled with platitudes. The notes celebrate specific achievements and contributions. It shows I’m paying attention. And that I’m deeply grateful.

Some leaders think thank you “goes without saying” or that an employee’s paycheck is the thank you. It’s simply not the case. People want to hear it; they need to feel it. And there’s no downside to expressing gratitude when it’s been rightly earned with good work. So find a way to explicitly say thank you. Maybe handwritten notes aren’t your style. That’s fine. Find something that works for you and keep up with it diligently. 4. Provide opportunities to learn and grow. People want to learn. Investing in their development is good for them, good for you, and good for business. In today’s fiercely complex world, organizations must grow or die. The companies that win are the ones that are always adapting, always learning, always getting better. The best way to ensure your organization keeps pace is by championing a learning culture. That means providing tangible and plentiful opportunities for people to learn and grow. When you help people thrive, they get more engaged and stay excited about work. People don’t want to remain stagnant; they want to embrace their full capability. You can meaningfully value them by supporting their development. In my experience, if you give people the tools and energy to do their jobs with distinction, they will perform better and stick around longer.

5. Give the gift of giving back. One of the most powerful ways to value people is by helping them become more involved in causes they care deeply about. There is a growing awareness about the business case for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the benefits of “doing well by doing good.” But what sometimes gets less attention is how positively societal engagement affects employee engagement. Many employees want to feel that their work matters, that their efforts contribute to something larger than shareholder return or quarterly targets. When you identify ways to allow them to give back in partnership with their workplace, it means so much. So, ask people what matters to them. Think creatively about how you can leverage the resources of your organization to help them make a difference in a win-win way for them and for the organization. If you need help, CECP has resources that empower corporations to be a force for good in society.

6. Offer to help. Leadership that works is anchored in a helping spirit. To value people (and transform your leadership), start more interactions with the four simple words, “how can I help?” You’ll be surprised how it sets the tone for your conversations and helps you shape more productive relationships. First, asking how you can help puts the emphasis squarely on the other party, not on you. It centers their issues and needs. (This alone can lead to improved interactions; too often leaders steamroll and dominate discussions.) Next, it signals that you are available – that you’re there for them. This means a lot. It shows they’re not alone. People can tell when their leaders are absent; it’s not a sustainable approach. If you don’t show up for others, why should they show up for you? The more you offer to help, the more you demonstrate that you’re in the fight with them — and the more extraordinary things you can accomplish together.

7. Choose the right goals. People deserve goals that are aspirational and achievable. They need to know what direction to go in and to have clarity around a shared vision. (And they should also feel that their input has been honored in the shaping of that shared vision.) To value people, take the time to make sure you’re choosing goals that motivate and inspire your whole team. What’s the best way to do that? Remember this motto: pursue the ideal; stay anchored in the real. The goals that will inspire engagement and activate your team members should be idealistic and realistic. If you aim too low, nobody gets excited. Where’s the rush in maintaining mediocre standards? If you dream too big, people become demotivated and failure-adverse. The sweet spot is right in the middle. By smartly embracing the tension between the ideal and the real, you can create a direction for the people in your organization that is unifying, inspiring, and invigorating.

8. Listen like a leader. How many times have you been in a conversation where it’s clear the other person was not listening to you? How deflated and/or frustrated did you feel afterwards? As leaders, it’s urgent that we don’t leave others with those same bad feelings after they interact with us. It’s on us to uphold a higher standard – to model the right behavior. We’ve got to be better listeners. Listening is one of the simplest ways to tangibly demonstrate that you value the other people with whom you live and work.

Sure, it can be difficult. Often leaders are tempted to jump in with a quick fix (before they have all the information), or they’re distracted because they’re being pulled in ten different directions. But it’s no excuse. You can rise to the challenge. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn in a short period of time by simply listening more carefully. And you’ll be shocked at how much more completely and efficiently you can make decisions when you actually wait to get all the facts before interjecting. One more bonus? People will bring you their best ideas first because they know you’ll actually hear them out. So, don’t wait. Try to listen more intently in your very next interaction.

9. Make a promise. If you want people to know you are serious about valuing them for excellent work, publicly declare your intention to do so. If you say it loudly and proudly, people know that you mean business and that you expect to be held accountable to what you say. Use clear language so the meaning is unmistakable. When I was CEO of Campbell Soup, we developed The Campbell Promise, which simply stated: Campbell Valuing People, People Valuing Campbell.We meant it. Our leadership team worked tirelessly to fulfill this promise with our entire suite of leadership behaviors — and the results were unprecedented employee engagement levels and cumulative shareholder returns in the top tier of the global food industry. Find a way to visibly declare how you intend to treat people. Make a promise or a pledge and commit to bringing it to life.

10. Do what you say. As Stephen M.R. Covey says, “Trust is the one thing that changes everything.” The most powerful way to consistently value people is to prove that you are worthy of their trust. You can’t accomplish this with one action or speech or initiative. You have to cultivate trust over time. Building trust may take a little while, but there is no other endeavor more worthy of your effort. When you show up for people in an integrity-laden way, you value them and their contribution to the overall effort. Although there are a variety of ways to inspire trust with your leadership, the single most important way is to do what you say you are going to do – and do it well. Over and over again. The more you walk your talk, the more people know they can depend on you in good times and bad, and the more they are willing to bring their best selves to work – because they will trust that you won’t let them down. Remember, being dependable is rare and priceless. So many leaders fall short in this area. Be the exception.

This holiday season, capture the spirit of gratitude in your leadership behaviors. Try harder, listen better, do more. Reflect on all the ways you can give thanks with your leadership by valuing people more fully. When you value people and influence them with honor, leadership is more joyful and more effective. Try these ten powerful options. Or brainstorm your own list of behaviors and practices to try. The possibilities are limitless.

This article was written by Douglas Conant and can be found through this link. Please click here

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Shame: the case of Old David & Abishag the pretty virgin- Zalman Kastel

Admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 00:28:19 +0000

This week I spent a day with a group of mostly Muslim high school students, and restorative justice leader Terry O’Connell. We heard about a 14 year old boy, “Garry” who knocked Terry down to the ground with a punch when Terry was a young police officer. Terry found out that the teenager was stuck in a cycle of shame and lashing out at others. We learned about “the compass of shame” that leads people to attack others and/or self, withdrawal and avoidance (1). I wonder if shame and self loathing on the part of some men plays some role in the disregarding of the dignity and rights of women in their lives. To understand the mind and heart of offenders is not to condone their choices (2) but might help prevent them reoffending.

These thoughts were on my mind as I tried to make sense of a Biblical story that was recited last Saturday in my Synagogue about King David as an old man. David was very cold and being covered by clothing failed to warm him. Avishag, a very beautiful girl, was found and brought to the king, because his servants thought having a beautiful virgin lie in his lap would warm him. Although Avishag served David, and perhaps did lie in his lap (3) “the king did not know her” (4).

In one elaboration of the story (5) Avishag said to King David, “‘Let us marry,’ but he [David] said, ‘You are forbidden to me.’ ‘When courage fails the thief, he becomes virtuous,’ she mocked”. She was obviously resentful of the proposed arrangement. This version of the story implies that Avishag was not ok with the arrangement of being the king’s body warmer if she wasn’t going to be his wife and appears to legitimize the objectification of women. However this ancient story would generally not be taken as license by Jewish religious male readers, as it violates relevant Jewish laws (6). It is likely that the moral messages of the story (7) would be the one that are received by most readers, rather than what comes up for readers viewing it from a critical literary lens.

One interpretation of the story brings us back to the “compass of shame”. David’s “weakness and his exceptional coldness was due to the “many troubles and wars that never left him all the days of his life, sleep was driven from his eyes in the ways of the warriors…His sin with Bathsheba [who he saw bathing and lusted after] and Uria [her soldier husband whose death David hastened] was always on his mind (8) and he would cry about his sins and worry about them a lot all day and all night” (9). His unresolved shame appeared to lead him to attack himself constantly in his mind and combined with possible post traumatic stress, and grief (10) profoundly unbalanced his mind .

David’s response to shame is further highlighted in a contemporary analysis of our story (11). In contrast to the bold, decisive, even impulsive younger king, we see a withdrawn, avoidant, passive man paralysed by his guilt about Bathsheba. He said and did nothing when his son raped his daughter (12) and when her full brother killed his half-brother rapist. Even when his advisers suggested the young virgin he said nothing, he just allowed them to proceed without permission or protest. He was also oblivious to one of his sons, Adonija, presumptively, claiming that he will succeed David as king (13).

Shame might also explain what has been described as a far fetched (14) explanation of story in the Talmud that the reason for David’s predicament in which his clothes didn’t warm him was a punishment for his cutting off the corner of King Saul’s robe (15) many years earlier. This was deemed as a “sin against clothing” (16). David had little respect for clothing and the dignity they confer on the wearer. At another time in his life, David danced wildly before God, allowing parts of his body to be uncovered (17). The symbolism of clothing is quite linked to shame, in fact clothing is first introduced as a means of dealing with shame (18). David doesn’t manage shame well.

In the end David’s shame was overcome. Avishag’s role in the palace had been hidden, she was ostensibly the king’s treasurer (19). However, in a dramatic moment, Bathsheba walked in on David and Avishag in bed together, as Avishag warmed the old King (20). Bathsheba confronted the king with the subject of his shame; his sin with her. She reminded him that he and she had been so overwhelmed by shame and fear of stigma after their first born son died that she didn’t want to be with David anymore. But they had overcome their feelings when David made an oath that their next son together would succeed him as king (21). When he heard Bathsheba, he came alive again. He decisively directed the coronation of the wise Solomon as king as he had promised. This doesn’t make everything ok, but by dealing with his shame he is able to function and net his obligations.

Returning to 14 year old Gary. Terry, the caring cop, met with him and his mother. There were tears running down his mother’s cheeks and healthy shame for this young man about his mistakes. He dealt with it and broke the cycle, he sat up a little straighter and was given opportunities to make things right. Shame is powerful, it can be terribly destructive but it can also redeem.

1. Nathanson, D. L. (1992), Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self, cited by O’Connell, T, in resources prepared by Real Justice.
2. An argument I first heard being made by UK prime minister John Major
3 This is the view of Radak, Metzudas David and Rashi commentaries to 1 Kings 1:4 and 1:15, Abarbanel wrote: While by nature King David loved women and was driven to sexual relations, [at this point of his old age] he was already so deficient in his powers that he had no intimacy with her [Avishag] and did not draw close to her to lie with her…
4. 1 Kings 1:1-4
5. Talmud, Sanhedrin 22a, the Talmud goes on to relate David’s response to her mockery “Then he said to them [his servants], ‘Call me Bathsheba [his wife]’”. He had intercourse with his wife numerous times to demonstrate that he was still virile”. This raises a further objection as the old King proving his sexual prowess by summoning his wife also doesn’t come across as being infused with love and equality between two people.
6. Jewish laws does not allow a man and woman who are not of the same nuclear family to touch each other or being in a room alone with the door locked unless it is a medical situation for example.
7. See Siegelbaum, C. B, quoting her teacher Rav Carmel, http://rebbetzinchanabracha.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/developing-our-feminine-attribute-of.html that takes an approach articulated by Rabbi Shmuel Yerushalmi in Yalkut Me’am Loez Moznaim, p7, citing Ralbag (although I can’t find it in Ralbag). They argued that this incident was a way for David to demonstrate that he had repented from the incident with Bathsheba in which he succumbed to his lust. The highest expression of repentance involves “overcoming the desire to sin despite being in the exact same situation with equally powerful temptations as when originally committing the transgression (Maimonides, laws of Teshuva, 1:1). This anecdote shows that David had indeed repented in the very highest way, and that it was not because he was too old that he held himself back from taking Avishag” 8. Psalm 51:5
9. Abarbanel
10. Abarbanel also mentioned David’s “troubles with his son Amnon [who raped his sister and David’s daughter] Tamar, and Abshalom who rebelled against David weakened his heart and spirit.”
11. Israel, A. http://www.hatanakh.com/sites/herzog/files/herzog/1_4.pdf
12. 2 Samuel 13
13. 1 Kings 1
14. Radak commentary to 1 Kings 1:1
15. Talmud Berakhot 62b
16. Yalkut Me’am Loez, p. 5
17. II Samuel 6:16-22, metzudat David commentary to 6:20
18. Genesis, see another interpretation http://www.hatanakh.com/en/content/adoniyahus-insurrection-and-kings-clothing Ralbag
19. Radak to 1 Kings 1:15
20. Radak, to 1 Kings 1:13

Title: Shame: the case of Old David & Abishag the pretty virgin
Author: Rabbi Zalman Kastel
Format: Blog Post
Published: December, 2016
Publisher: Torah for Socially Aware
Access: NSLF Online Library and http://torahforsociallyawarehasid.blogspot.com.au/

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Waking the Dead

Admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 00:10:09 +0000

“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”

William Wallace from Brave Heart

The most dangerous person on earth is the one who has reckoned with their own death, and learned what it means to be fully alive. John Eldridge explores this thematic and some of the the things which can cause our deepest parts to silt over and allow us to trudge through life half asleep. On the contrary, he also explains what it is to be touched by God, fully restored and set free to become all you are meant you to be. Whole, awake, and fully alive. Waking the Dead will help you find that life, see the fierce battle over your heart, and embrace all that God has for you.

Title: Waking the Dead
Subtitle: The glory of a heart fully alive
Author: John Eldredge
Format: Book
Year Published: 2003
Publisher, City: Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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The Gift Nobody Wants

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 01:36:25 +0000

His work with leprosy patients in India and the United States convinced Dr. Paul Brand that pain truly is one of God’s great gifts to us. In this inspiring story of his fifty-year career as a healer, Dr. Brand probes the mystery of pain and reveals its importance. Together, the renowned surgeon and award-winning writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on a gift that none of us want and none of us can do without.

Title: The gift nobody wants
Author: Dr Paul Brand with Philip Yancey
Format: Book
Year Published: 1993
Publisher, City: HarperCollins, New York, New York
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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Donald Miller Greatest Hits

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 01:27:44 +0000

Donald Miller is a best-selling American author and public speaker based in Nashville, Tennessee who focuses on Christian spirituality as “an explanation for beauty, meaning, and the human struggle”. This is a collection of his greatest hits, Through Painted Deserts, Searching For God Knows What and Blue Like Jazz, each of these published between 2003-2005.

Title: Donald Miller Greatest Hits
Subtitle: Three books in one–Through painted deserts, Searching for God, Blue like Jazz
Author: Donald Miller
Format: Book
Year Published: 2003, 2004, 2005
Publisher, City: Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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Changes that Heal

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:29:36 +0000

This book focuses on four developmental tasks — bonding to others, separating from others, integrating good and bad in our lives, and taking charge of our lives — that all of us must accomplish to heal our inner pain and enable us to function and grow emotionally and spiritually. Dr. Cloud not only explains and describes each task, he also identifies the problems that result when we fail to accomplish that task, and he shows us what changes to make in our lives in order to bring about healing.

Title: Changes that heal
Subtitle: How to understand your past to ensure a healthier future
Author: Dr. Henry Cloud
Format: Book
Year Published: 2003
Publisher, City: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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The Purpose Driven Life

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:24:12 +0000

Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life’s most important question: What on earth am i here for? Knowing God’s purpose for creating you reduces your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions and gives meaning to your life.

Title: The purpose driven life
Subtitle: What on earth am i here for?
Author: Rick Warren
Format: Book
Year Published: 2002
Publisher, City: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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Can Man Live Without God

Admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 04:18:38 +0000

In this brilliant and compelling defence of his faith, Ravi Zacharias shows how affirming the reality of God’s existence matters urgently in our everyday lives. According to Zacharias, how you answer the questions of God’s existence will impact your relationship with others, your commitment to integrity, your attitude toward morality, and your perception of truth.

Title: Can man live without God
Author: Ravi Zacharias
Format: Book
Year Published: 1994
Publisher, City: Word publishing, Dallas, Texas
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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Revolution of Character

Admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 04:09:47 +0000

This book will help you reflect on the spiritual significance of each element of the human person―heart, mind, body, social life, and soul―so that God can transform you. This holistic approach will produce new ways of responding to life and will result in profoundly changed character.

Title: Revolution of Character
Subtitle: Discovering Christ’s pattern for spiritual transformation
Authors: Dallas Willard, Don Simpson
Format: Book
Year Published: 2005
Publisher, City: NavPress, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Access: Borrowable from the Library of the National Student Leadership Forum

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