C’mon, All the Cool Kids are Doing It: What Other Leaders Say About Servant Leadership

For the past several weeks, I’ve been posting about servant leadership.  Servant leadership contrasts pretty significantly from some of the more traditional ways people view leadership.  But even though many people are turned off by the power-hungry practices of many old school leaders, servant leadership can feel unfamiliar.  Sometimes something that’s different can feel strange and you can hesitate about learning more about it.  If that’s you, would you be interested in knowing what other famous leaders say about servant leadership?

Stephen Covey was a fan.  Mr. Covey, as you know, was famous for espousing character-based leadership, which he described in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and many other publications over the years.  He said, “Of all these fundamental, timeless principles [which he says “have governed, and always will govern, all enduring successes”] is the idea of servant leadership, and I am convinced that it will continue to dramatically increase in its relevance….” (Covey, as cited in Keith, 2008, pp. 32-33).

Not a Covey disciple?  Well, how about Peter Drucker?  You know, the guy who is, in many ways, the father of modern management theory?  According to Keith (2008, p. 33), Drucker “described the effective executive as someone who is focused on contribution and focused on others – a good definition of servant leadership in business.” 

But wait!  There’s more!  Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, describes various levels of leaders, with the higher levels corresponding to better leaders.  The highest level – Level 5 – leaders, “channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.  It is not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest.  Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves” (as cited in Keith, 2008, p. 33).

Surely by now you’re convinced that servant leadership is awesome, right?  If you’re a Peter Senge fan -- and if you’re not, get thee to a library, read The Fifth Discipline, and become one, stat -- you’ll be glad to know he’s a servant leadership proponent: “I believe that the book Servant Leadership, and in particular the essay, “The Servant as Leader,” which starts the book off, is the most singular and useful statement on leadership that I have read in the last 20 years…if you are really serious about the deeper territory of true leadership…read Greenleaf” (Senge, as cited in Keith, 2008, p. 34).

You may be saying, “Yes, but what about real organizations?  How does all this work in the real world and why should I learn more about it?”  OK, I hear you.  The Fortune Magazine 100 Best Companies to Work For list contains several companies among its ranks that have initiated servant leadership principles and are highly successful.  They include “TDIndustries, Southwest Airlines, Synovus Financial Corporation, The Container Store, and AFLAC” (Keith, 2008, p. 35).  The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For listing similarly contains many institutions that have adopted servant leadership principles and practices.

Not only do well-respected leadership experts agree that servant leadership is the way to go, but the success of many organizations prove it.  So…what are you waiting for?  You in?

Cited: Keith, K. M. (2008). The case for servant leadership. Westfield, IN:  The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.