Alex Tang
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Books Recommendation
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
Blanchard, Ken & Hodges, Phil. 2003. The Servant Leader: Transforming your heart, head, hands & habits. Nashville TN: J. Countryman
“Another way to tell a self-serving leader from a servant leader is how they approach succession planning”. p.18
An interesting statement as it serves as a test to differentiate a self-serving leader from a servant leadership. The authors were correct to use this as must self-serving leaders will never let go as it is so closely linked to their ego.
“The journey of life is to move from a self-serving heart to a serving heart. You finally become an adult when you realize that life is about what you give, rather than what you get.” p.22
An indirect reference to 1 Corinthians 13 where the apostle Paul writes about love. He wrote that as a child, we think like a child but when we are grown, we give up childish things.
“What is your leadership EGO?
EGO- Edging God Out or Exalting God Alone “ p.26
“How to start Exalting God Only:
- Embrace an external perspective of the here and now in light of the then and there.
- Seek to lead for a higher purpose-beyond success, beyond significance-to obedience and surrendered sacrifice.
- Scrupulously assess my level of trust and surrender to what I believe about God, His Kingdom and His claim on my life and leadership.” P.40
“Follow The Twelve Steps to Faithwalk Leadership with others in accountability relationship over time.
- I admit that on more than one occasion I have allowed my ego needs and drive for earthly success to impact my role as a leader-and that my leadership has not been the servant leadership that Jesus modelled.
- I’ve come to believe that God can transform my leadership motives, thoughts, and actions to the servant leadership that Jesus modelled.
- I’ve made a decision to turn my leadership efforts to God and to become an apprentice of Jesus and the servant leadership He modelled.
- I’ve made a searching and fearless inventory of my leadership motives, thoughts, and behaviour that are inconstant with servant leadership.
- I’ve admitted to God, to myself, and to at least one other person the exact nature of my leadership gaps-when I behave in ways that do not make Jesus proud.
- I am entirely ready to have God remove all character defects that have created gaps in my leadership.
- I humbly ask God to remove my shortcomings and to strengthen me against the temptations of recognition, power, greed and fear.
- I’ve made a list of people whom I have harmed in by my ego-driven leadership, and I am willing to make amends to them all.
- I’ve made direct amends to such people whenever possible unless doing so would injure them or others.
- I continue to take personal inventory regarding my leadership role, and when I am wrong, I promptly admit it.
- By engaging in the disciplines of solitude, prayer, study of the Scriptures, and belief in God’s unconditional love for me, I seek to align my servant leadership effort with what Jesus modelled, and to constantly seek ways to be a servant first and a leader second with the people I encounter in my leadership responsibilities.
- Have had a ‘heart attack’ regarding the principles of servant leadership, I have tried to carry this message to other leaders and to practice them in all my affairs.” P.40-14
This 12-step program to become a servant leadership is a powerful use of the philosophy behind the AA’s 12 step programs. It assumes that a leader has come to a point where he or she is willing to humble themselves and be a servant leader. Many of us accept intellectually that we are to be servant leaders and force ours to behave thus. That is a recipe for failure as our self-serving self will always win out. As will the AA’s program, a leader must be broken before he or she can walk through the program.
“People who think this way don’t understand there are two parts of leadership that Jesus clearly exemplified:
- A visionary role-doing the right thing
- An implementation role-doing things right” p.44
“Leadership vision…a good vision has three parts:
- YOUR PURPOSE/MISSION: what business you are in-How will you benefit your customers?
- YOUR PREFERRED PICTURE OF THE FUTURE: where you are going-what will you look like if everything is running as planned?
- YOUR VALUES: how you want people to behave when they are working on your mission and picture of the future-what do you stand for?” p.45
“Servant leadership starts with a vision and ends with a servant heart that helps people live according to that vision.” P.57
“Remember that servant leadership involves…
- Setting the vision
- Defining and modelling the operating values, structure and behavioural norms.
- Creating the following environment with partners in the vision.
- Moving to the bottom of the hierarchy with service in mind.” P.59
“The seven reactions people have to change- and the ways leaders can ease the transition.
- People will feel awkward, ill at ease and self-conscious when confronted by change- tell people what to expect.
- People will feel alone even if everyone else is going through the same change-structure activities that create involvement. Encourage individuals to share ideas and to work together to help each other through change.
- People will think that first about what the have to give up- don’t try to sell the benefits of change effort initially. Let people mourn their perceived losses. Listen to them.
- People will think they can handle so much change at once-set priorities on which changes to make, and go for the long run.
- People will be concerned that they don’t have enough resources (time, money, skill, etc) to implement to change-encourage creative problem solving.
- People will be at different levels of readiness for any particular change-Don’t label or pick on people. Recognise that some people are risk-takers and others take longer to feel secure. Someone who’s an early adopter of one type of change might balk at another type of change.
- If pressure is taken off, people will revert to old behaviours-keep people focussed on maintaining the change and managing the journey.” P.66-67
Some of the suggestions given are good. But somehow, it sounds like manipulation to me. Is there no better way for leaders to help their people change without manipulation? Missing here is to tell people why they have to change. Maybe it will be easier if people understand why they have to change. Then the leader will have their full cooperation.
“Transformational Leadership- Jesus as a Situational Servant Leader
Situational Leadership II:
There are three skills to being a Situational Leader- diagnosis, flexibility and partnering for performance.
Skill#1 – Diagnosis
Diagnose development level…two variables: their commitment (confidence and enthusiasm) and their competence (knowledge, skills and experience).
- Enthusiastic beginners (development level1)
People with high levels of commitment to the task but low levels of competence because they have never done this particular task before.
- Disillusioned learners (development level 2)
People with some experience and competence but reduced levels of commitment and enthusiasm due to some failure during the learning process or realization that the task is harder than they thought.
- Capable but cautious performers (development level 3)
People with moderate to high levels of competence but may have lost some of their enthusiasm or confidence or are cautious in performing the task on their own.
- Peak performers/self-reliant achievers (development level 4)
People who are highly competent and highly committed to perform a particular task.
Skill #2 – Flexibility
Situational Leadership II describes two types of leader behaviour you can use in attempting to help people develop:
DIRECTIVE BEHAVIOR- telling people what to do, when to do it, where todo it and how to do it.
SUPPORTIVE BEHAVIOR-listening to people, involving them in decision-making, encouraging them, praising their progress and facilitating their interactions with others.
Four Leadership Styles:
- Directing (Style 1)-high direction, low support
Leaders provide specific directions about roles and goals and closely track performance in order to provide frequent feedback on results.
- Coaching (Style 2)-high direction, high support
Leaders explain why, solicit suggestions, praise progress that is approximately right, but continue to direct task accomplishment.
- Supporting (Style 3)-high support, low direction
Leaders facilitate interactions with others, listen to people, draw them out, encourage and support them, but provide little direction.
- Delegating (Style 4)-low support, low direction
Leaders empower their people to act independently with appropriate resources to get the job done.
Skill #3-Partnering for performance.” P.69-83
