Wanted Servant Leaders

"Based on lectures first delivered in 1988 and 1989 as a part of the ACTEA International Lecturship programme in a series of mongraphs designed to provide, in handy format, theological perspectives on vital issues facing Christianity in Africa today."--Preface and cover

To lead is not to be “the boss,” the “head honcho,” or “the brass.” To lead is to serve. Although serving may imply weakness to some, conjuring up a picture of the CEO waiting on the workforce hand and foot, servant leadership is actually a robust, revolutionary idea that can have significant impact on an organization’s performance. Jim Hunter champions this hard/soft approach to leadership, which turns bosses and managers into coaches and mentors. By “hard,” Hunter means that servant leaders can be hard-nosed, even autocratic, when it comes to the basics of running the business: determining the mission (where the company is headed) and values (what the rules are that govern the journey) and setting standards and accountability. Servant leaders don’t commission a poll or take a vote when it comes to these critical fundamentals. After all, that’s what a leader’s job is, and people look to the leader to set the course and establish standards. But once that direction is provided, servant leaders turn the organizational structure upside down. They focus on giving employees everything they need to win, be it resources, time, guidance, or inspiration. Servant leaders know that providing for people and engaging hearts and minds foster a workforce that understands the benefits of striving for the greater good. The emphasis is on building authority, not power; on exerting influence, not intimidation. While many believe that servant leadership is a wonderful, inspiring idea, what’s been missing is the how-to, the specifics of implementation. Jim Hunter shows how to do the right thing for the people you lead. A servant leader or a self-serving leader: Which one are you? With Jim Hunter’s guidance, everyone has the potential to develop into a leader with character who leads with authority.

A Practical Guide to Using the Principles of Servant Leadership Leadership is a calling. And servant leadership—the idea that managing with respect, honesty, love, and spirituality empowers employees—helps individuals answer that calling. Bestselling author and former Fortune 500 executive James A. Autry reveals the servant leader’s tools, a set of skills and ideals that will transform the way business is done. It helps leaders nurture the needs and goals of those who look to them for leadership. The result is a more productive, successful, and happier organization, and a more meaningful life for the leader. Autry reveals how to remain true to the servant leadership model when handling day-to-day and long-term management situations, including how to: •Provide guidance during conflict and crisis •Assure your continued growth and progress as a leader •Train managers in the principles of servant leadership •Transform a company with morale problems into a great place to work Practiced by one-third of the companies on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, servant leadership is a thriving philosophy. Ultimately, Autry explores how it can be a valuable, refreshing, and rewarding approach to leading others in business life.

Leadership legend and bestselling author Ken Blanchard and trust expert and thought leader Randy Conley present this carefully curated collection of fifty-two essential leadership principles that are easy to implement and practice. Effective leadership is an influence process where leaders implement everyday, commonsense approaches that help people and organizations thrive. Yet somehow, many of these fundamental principles are still missing from most workplaces. In Simple Truths of Leadership, legendary servant leadership expert Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide, and his colleague Randy Conley, known and recognized for his many years of thought leadership and expertise in the field of trust, share fifty-two Simple Truths about leadership that will help leaders everywhere make commonsense leadership common practice. Readers will discover profound, memorable, and in some cases counterintuitive leadership wisdom such as • Who should make the first move to extend trust • What role a successful apology plays in building trust • When to use different strokes (leadership styles) for different folks—and for the same folks • Where the most important part of leadership happens • How to create autonomy through boundaries • Why the key to developing people is catching them doing something right A fun, easy read that will make a positive difference in leadership and organizational success, Simple Truths of Leadership will show readers how to incorporate simple but essential practices into their leadership style, build trust through servant leadership, and enhance their own lives and the lives of everyone around them.

The definitive playbook for driving impact as a middle manager Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization delivers an insightful and practical guide for the backbone of an organization: those who have a boss and are a boss and must lead from the messy middle. Accomplished author and former P&G executive Scott Mautz walks readers through the unique challenges facing these managers, and the mindset and skillset necessary for managing up and down and influencing what happens across the organization. You’ll learn the winning mindset of the best middle managers, how to develop the most important skills necessary for managing from the middle, how to create your personal Middle Action Plan (MAP), and effectively influence: Up the chain of command, to your boss and those above them Down, to your direct reports and teams who report to you Laterally, to peers and teams you have no formal authority over Anyone in an organization who reports to someone and has someone reporting to them must lead from the middle. They are the most important group in an organization and have a unique opportunity to drive impact. Leading from the Middle explains how.

"How do we develop into leaders whom others will want to follow? Robert Neuschel firmly believed in the principle of servant leadership, which he learned early in his military career in World War II, where a demanding infantry captain taught him. "Always serve your troops first that you may command them better." The philosophy at the heart of The Servant Leader, recognized as one of the world's classic leadership texts, is "to grow the total soldier" - to feed the mind, the heart, and the spirit." "Neuschel adopted and tailored this philosophy throughout his subsequent long and successful corporate and academic careers. He proved than enabling people at all levels to grow as leaders can only benefit them and the organizations to which they belong." "In the past several decades, Neuschel became concerned with corporate leaders' preoccupation with quick shareholder value at the expense of building enduring organizations based on ethical values. In his book he forcefully outlines how leaders must take personal responsibility for all their decisions and actions." "The Servant Leader provides thoughtful insights from a man who truly understood the importance of humility and humanity to all those who take on the role of leader."--BOOK JACKET.

From the author of The One-Minute Manager, a guide to leading others by serving them, featuring advice and tools from real-life leadership experts. We’ve all seen the negative impact of self-serving leaders in every sector of our society. Not infrequently, they end up bringing down their entire organization. But there is another way: servant leadership. Servant leaders lead by serving their people, not by exalting themselves. This collection features forty-four renowned servant leadership experts and practitioners—prominent business executives, bestselling authors, and respected spiritual leaders—who offer advice and tools for implementing this proven, but for some still radical, leadership model. Edited by legendary business author and lifelong servant leader Ken Blanchard and his longtime editor Renee Broadwell, this is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging guide ever published for what is, in every sense, a better way to lead. “Renowned expert Ken Blanchard with Renee Broadwell have assembled the insights of dozens of successful leaders in their new book Servant Leadership In Action. I doubt you will find any book or course on leadership that delivers a more on-target message of the essential element critical to being a truly great leader. Get a copy. Read it. Be it.” —Miami Herald “A comprehensive and inspiring book presented as a servant leadership primer, action plan and how-to guide, then concludes with proof of effectiveness and inspiration to go forward. The wide-ranging yet related topics covered in Servant Leadership In Action is part of what makes the book so valuable. I am sure it will quickly become a must-have resource for leaders, both emerging and established.” —Being Fully Present