|#116 MWAVC| - Power of servant leadership
The reason for today got me thinking about servanthood. Many people would think of leadership as commanding people around and giving instructions. That’s part of leadership but not what it encompasses fully, in my opinion. Below is something short I wrote after visiting Stellenbosch for 10 days on a leadership program. Wisdom from Ian Fuhr, founder of Sorbet.
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In August 2016, I took a trip to Stellenbosch University with my Beyond Borders class as part of our Global Studies course. During this time, we were invited to a conference organized by LeadsSA, a global changemakers forum designed to build young leaders. Here, we listened to a talk by Ian Fuhr, Chief Executive Officer of Sorbet, a chain of beauty salons. From his talk on servant leadership, which is also the title of his TED Talk, I solidified my leadership philosophy of servant leadership. The following are my notes from the talk.
What is the purpose of work? It is to serve people and if you get that right you become a servant leader.
You go into business to serve people and if you serve them well you make a lot of money.
Service before reward and people before profit
Power Lesson #1: There is no chosen or superior people. We are all just different and the sooner we learn to respect and tolerate our differences, the better off our world would be.
Power Lesson #2: You cannot ignore the socio-political environment in which your employees live.
During this time, understand the impact of apartheid on their lives. “I’m your boss and you must serve and respect me” to “I am your servant and I will respect and serve you”.
The most important people in your business is not your customer…it is the person serving the customer
What is SUCCESS? Old understanding: money, power, influence, lifestyle. New understanding: Making a difference in other people’s lives.
Create a vision: To serve and improve the lives of our staff and customers (inspired, feel needed, worthy and be part of something bigger than themselves).
Make them see this as a privilege.
As a servant leader, you need to earn the moral authority to lead people to places they may never have gone by themselves. Create a place of safety where people can speak freely without fear of victimization and they can speak the truth without blame or judgement.
📱📱Quote of the day
“He who has begun a good work will be faithful to complete it.”
Remember: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”