When you feel like the answer is obvious, but nobody wants to listen, you are not alone.
When everyone else seems focused on their personal pestige, rather than serving stakeholders, you are not alone.
When you want to scream at the narcacisists entitled with executive job descriptions, you are not alone.

When it seems overwhelming and you don’t know Where to turn, you are not alone.
When you’re tired of watching people proclaimed “the greatest asset”, only to have performance reviews be an after thought, you are not alone
When you fought for the strategic investment only to have it cannibalized into a small, short-term gain, you are not alone
When you waste hours working with outdated tools because the organization does not value people’s time, you are not alone

When the economy is blamed for layoffs, while the company reports record earnings, you are not alone
When exploitation of the team seems an art form to others, you are not alone

When self preservation trumps doing what is right, you are not alone
When dirty politics is standard, on-the-job training, but leadership courses are few and far between, you are not alone
When trust is absent but fear and intimidation are your neighbors, you are not alone
When executives seem blind to the negative culture and declining results, you are not alone.

When leadership fails to serve and you alone, seem opposed to the toxicity proliferating your organization, you are not alone.

You are not alone, servant leader. We stand with you. We see the trending failure today and we seek to right it. We seek to fix what is broken. We seek to mend the broken limbs of our corporate cultures and set right what the toxic leaders of today have all but destroyed.

You are not alone. If you need resources or want to connect with other servant leaders, here are some resources:

Posts on Modern Servant Leader:

• Servant Leader Manifesto
• Why Servant Leadership is the Future
• Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For with Servant Leadership
• Situational Leadership? Try Consistent Leadership

Resources on Modern Servant Leader:

• Servant Leader Assessment
• Resources for the Beginning Servant Leader
• Servant Leadership Companies List
•  Servant Leadership Quotes

Other Servant Leadership Sites:

• LinkedIn Servant Leader Group
• Spears Center for Servant Leadership
• Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

We have a crisis of leadership and need your help. This is our servant leadership manifesto.

The Problem: Toxic Leadership

Business: You see it in business, when narcissistic executives build golden parachutes and steal from tomorrow to make today look good.
Academia: You see it  in Academia when professors forget the students in their march toward self-promotion and prominence in their field.
Religion: You see it in churches where the minister’s name appears above the savior’s.
Non-Profits: You see it in charities that put growth and recognition ahead of the needs of the suffering.
Government: You see it in government when politicians promote themselves over the needs of their constituents.

You see it in every sector,  industry, region and country when leaders forget their priority is to serve their stakeholders first. Yet, there is a small but growing number of us who know there is a better way. That way is called servant leadership…

Yet Another Example

Another executive was arrested today. It’s all over the news. ”Executive embezzles millions”, “CFO Defrauds thousands of investors”, “Auditors deny any fault”. And the public cries out, “We need better governance, stronger regulations, tougher penalties!”  Yet, inside we all know that the guilty will always find shortcuts. Toxic leaders will inevitably abuse their power for self-gain. Those of us with the solution know what we really need are more servant leaders.

For those of you who seek only personal fame, fortune and glory, we tell you there is a better way. To those who desire false authority through positional power, we say you will cause more pain, through selfishness and greed than you comprehend. To you toxic leaders we say: observe the true power, real authenticity and sustainability of servant leadership.

The Answer: Servant Leadership

We seek not to lead, but to serve first and find that, in serving, our greatest influence is leading. We seek not to use others for our own gain, but for their benefit and the benefit of their communities.

You say we are too soft and unfit to manage in demanding environments.
But we say some of the greatest servant leaders are military officers who prepare their troops in peace and execute effectively in war. We say the greatest servant leaders are stronger for their effectiveness in applauding and reprimanding appropriately. The servant leader serves all – including their shareholders, customers, employers and staff – not their ego.

You say good guys finish last. We say the servant leader runs a different race. The toxic leader runs a sprint. The servant leader runs a marathon.

You layoff by the thousands to achieve a couple cents better on the stock market for a season. We hold others accountable, but layoff as a last resort – only when required for the greater good and long-term sustainability of all stakeholders.

You wage wars under false pretenses and say dirty politics are necessary to achieve your objectives. We wage wars on dirty politics, back stabbing and false pretenses, saying transparency and candor wins in the end.

You say religion has no place in the office, but we say servant leadership is supported by most world religions and even agnostics and atheists with strong morals and ethics.

Your communications are few, tight lipped and reveal only the most refined, highly commercialized messages yet unsubstantiated marketing claims. We demand active listening, candor and transparency. When we can not be more transparent, we are candid in explaining why.

You seek fame and fortune, magazine covers and lime lights. We are everywhere, behind the scenes of great success – be it a Fortune 500 or a 5th grade classroom, though you’ve likely never heard our name.

You deflect blame and steal praise. We pass along the praise and pull in the blame.

We are servant leaders. Our time has come. We seek a better way and we hope you will join us.

Call to Action

We do have a crisis of leadership today. Won’t you help us end this crisis by joining the movement to spread awareness, adoption and support of Servant Leadership principles? If you are willing, we have some steps you can take below.

Next Steps

• Spread the word on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or other sites below
• Read more about servant leadership
• Sign up for eMail or RSS updates here
• Get Servant Leadership Updates from MSL on Twitter
• Get Servant Leadership Updates from the Greenleaf Center on Twitter
• Join the Servant Leadership Group on LinkedIn
• Join the Servant Leadership Community on Ning
• Visit the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
• Visit the Spears Center for Servant Leadership

Credit Note: I appreciated the framing from the Hacker Manifesto and used a similar form in the section “Another Example.”

This list of quotes is a compilation from my own reading and studies on Servant Leadership. They are ordered by topic (category) and are all displayed in line below. Therefore, you can browse them all, or select a specific topic of interest here:

Accountability Quotes

It is a shame that so many leaders spend their time pondering their rights as leaders instead of their awesome responsibilities as leaders. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

…leaders who do not hold their people accountable to a set standard are, in effect, thieves and liars. Thieves because they are stealing from the stockholder who pays them to hold people accountable, and liars because they pretend that everything is OK with their people when in fact everything is not OK. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

It’s not my job to steer the ship,
The horn I’ll never blow.
It’s not my place to say how far
The ship’s allowed to go.
I’m not allowed to go on deck
Or even clang the bell
But if this damn thing starts to sink
Just watch who catches hell! — Unknown via James C. Hunter, The Servant

Authority Quotes

A leader – whether in the home, church, business, community, or government – has authority due to her role, but her positional power will not bring about good for individuals or organizations unless it is backed up by the capital of character. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

You may obey a leader who has power and authority, but you will not strive to serve her or the cause of the organization unless you respect and care for her in addition to the ones with whom you serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Authority: The skill of getting people to willingly do your will, because of your personal influence. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Authority cannot be bought or sold, given or taken away. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Authority is always built on service and sacrifice. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Power people are generally threatened by authority people… — James C. Hunter, The Servant

there is great joy in leading with authority, which is serving others by meeting their legitimate needs. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. — John C. Maxwell

Challenges Quotes

Grace. Loss. Fortune. Hardship. Victory. Sometimes the worst seat is best seat in the house and it comes as a result of leading. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

One of the best sources of perspective is enemies. If we can learn from them, then we can profit from anyone. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

The more you openly name your struggles, the less people can use your silence as a back door to blackmail you, to sabotage your leadership, or to subvert relationships within the organization. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

If you are a leader, it is not possible to be at peace with all and friends with everyone. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Most people want to grow, but the price of growth is pain. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

A rut… is little more than a coffin with the ends kicked out. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself; therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man. — George Bernard Shaw via James C. Hunter, The Servant

…while everyone’s focusing on keeping the boss happy, who’s focusing on keeping the customer happy? — James C. Hunter, The Servant

…even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something. — Samwell Gamgee, Lord of the Rings

When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it and want to get on to other things. — Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. — Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday

Your early successes can be your undoing later. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

I think we’re living in a time when size is not a strategic advantage, necessarily. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

There’s no work-life balance without making decisions and without courage. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

…most leaders get sucked down into the weeds and they spend too much of their valuable time majoring in the minors. — Mike Myatt, N2Growth.com

Character Quotes

A leader – whether in the home, church, business, community, or government – has authority due to her role, but her positional power will not bring about good for individuals or organizations unless it is backed up by the capital of character. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

You may obey a leader who has power and authority, but you will not strive to serve her or the cause of the organization unless you respect and care for her in addition to the ones with whom you serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Leadership is not about personality, possessions, or charisma, but all about who you are as a person. I used to believe that leadership was about style but now I know that leadership is about substance, namely character. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Thoughts become actions, actions become habits, habits become our character, and our character becomes our destiny. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

It’s not about trying to find something to help you be a more effective leader. It’s about trying to be a better person. The other will follow. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

…it’s easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/4

Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Nothing is more deflating to morale than to have a poor outcome pinned on someone who doesn’t deserve it. It lacks integrity and overvalues the outcome at the expense of the people as well as the process. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

The best way to deal in a transparent world is just be transparent. Let your life be authentic and let people look in. Because if they want to find out, they’re gonna find out. And so to me it’s given me a greater sense of accountability as a CEO. It’s given me a greater opportunity to lead. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

Courage Quotes

Courage never takes away fear; courage simply redistributes fear to get the job done. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. — Anne Lamott via Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Buzyness, however, is moral laziness because it involves refusing to live with courage and intentionality. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

A warrior’s not about perfection, or victory, or invulnerability. He’s about absolute invulnerability. That’s the only true courage. — Nick Nolte, Peaceful Warrior

Culture Quotes

The fundamental keys to the culture of any organization can only be achieved when everyone is on the same page. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

Ask yourself: would you be comfortable printing everything your employees, customers & partners have to say about your culture? — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

Decision Quotes

De-cide. Homo-cide. Sui-cide. Patri-cide. The root word Decidere means to “to cut off”. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Empowerment Quotes

Empowerment is not about “I take some of my power and give it to you”. That’s the myth. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

Fear Quotes

Courage never takes away fear; courage simply redistributes fear to get the job done. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. — Anne Lamott via Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Forgiveness Quotes

Forgiving behavior is dealing with situations as they arise in an assertive manner and then letting go of any lingering resentment. As the leader, if you are not able to let go of the resentment, it will consume you and render you ineffective. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Humility Quotes

For most leaders, humility comes only by wounds suffered from foolish falls. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

To experience brokenness and humiliation all you have to do is lead. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Idealism may get us into the fray, but it is the loss of all we cherish that begins to form in us a heart capable of leading others reluctantly and humbly. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

The more we walk the path first while becoming last and least in our organizations, the more we become like the Alpha and Omega whom we long to serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

I learned that if you can retain the feeling of what it feels like to be a “have not” in a society of “haves”, to be down in the hierarchy, you can carry that with you into leadership positions. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

I think the only way to get out of the ego is to get into yourself. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

What I keep saying is, don’t be the person who has all the answers; be the person who has the best questions. And then you’ll get better answers! — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

It’s not about trying to find something to help you be a more effective leader. It’s about trying to be a better person. The other will follow. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

We also decided that humility was defined not by self-deprecating behavior or attitudes but by the esteem with which you regard others. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/5

Generally, you can be humble only if you feel really good about yourself—and you want to help those around you feel really good about themselves, too. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/5

We are all important, but we are not indispensable. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

You shouldn’t take pride in your natural talents any more than you should take pride in your sex, your race or color of your hair — Markus Buckingham, Now, Discover Your Strengths

Your early successes can be your undoing later. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

I’m willing to submit to the sovereignty of the consumer, but I just want to know what they say. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

You’re not as smart as you think you are, but you’ve got more potential than you could possibly imagine. The secret from the one to other is humility. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

People with humility don’t think less of themselves, they just think about themselves less. — Ken Blanchard / Norman Vincent Peale, http://www.johanmathson.com/wordpress/leadership-and-love%E2%80%94why-they-are-a-perfect-match/

Joy Quotes

In order to reclaim the joy and passion of leadership, we must walk the valley of the shadow of death and name the cost of leadership. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

General Leadership Quotes

You manage things, you lead people. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Leadership: The skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

INTENTIONS – ACTION = SQUAT — James C. Hunter, The Servant

INTENTIONS + ACTION = WILL — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Forgiving behavior is dealing with situations as they arise in an assertive manner and then letting go of any lingering resentment. As the leader, if you are not able to let go of the resentment, it will consume you and render you ineffective. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

we must never forget that people buy into the leader before they buy into a mission statement. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Those who follow the crowd will never be followed by the crowd. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

What I keep saying is, don’t be the person who has all the answers; be the person who has the best questions. And then you’ll get better answers! — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

Doing deals doesn’t yield the deep rewards that come from building up people. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/2

…even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something. — Samwell Gamgee, Lord of the Rings

The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves. — J. Carla Nortcutt

We are here to add what we can to, not get what we can from life. — Sir William Osler

Part of the role of a thought leader is not to necessarily have all the answers – I certainly don’t – but it’s to be able to ask the right questions and the privilege of being able to lead the conversation. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

Leaders have the privilege and responsibility of going first. The most powerful way that anybody can lead is by example. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

Motivation Quotes

(A manager) once confided in me she liked to picture in her mind’s eye that every employee was wearing one of those sandwich billboard signs. On the front side, the sign would read ‘Appreciate Me’ and on the back side ‘Make Me Feel Important.’ — James C. Hunter, The Servant

I’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/5

The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves. — J. Carla Nortcutt

It’s easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal when you’re in the trenches. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Nothing is more deflating to morale than to have a poor outcome pinned on someone who doesn’t deserve it. It lacks integrity and overvalues the outcome at the expense of the people as well as the process. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

How you use the opportunities your given to affect the world around you will determine the legacy you leave behind. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

The mercenaries will always beat the draftees, but the volunteers will crush them both. — Chuck Knolww (via Tony Dungy), The Mentor Leader

Others first. Whatever your corporate mission, paint a clear and compelling picture that others can understand and embrace. State your mission in terms that appeal to your team’s best instincts. Persuade and empower as if you are leading and mentoring volunteers. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Nothing does more to lubricate the rough spots than a good dose of encouragement. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Everybody needs encouragement, even when things are going well. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Who really benefits from discouragement? More often than not, encouragement is exactly what is needed. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Is the life you’re leading worth the price your paying to lead it? — Tony Schwartz, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working

I made a list of the happiest periods of my life & I realized that none of them involve money. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

You’re not as smart as you think you are, but you’ve got more potential than you could possibly imagine. The secret from the one to other is humility. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

Passion Quotes

In order to reclaim the joy and passion of leadership, we must walk the valley of the shadow of death and name the cost of leadership. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Doing deals doesn’t yield the deep rewards that come from building up people. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/2

How you use the opportunities your given to affect the world around you will determine the legacy you leave behind. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

The mercenaries will always beat the draftees, but the volunteers will crush them both. — Chuck Knolww (via Tony Dungy), The Mentor Leader

Is the life you’re leading worth the price your paying to lead it? — Tony Schwartz, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working

I had decided to stop chasing the money & start chasing the passion. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

I made a list of the happiest periods of my life & I realized that none of them involve money. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it and want to get on to other things. — Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Politics Quotes

If you lead, you will eventually serve with Judas or Peter. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

The more you openly name your struggles, the less people can use your silence as a back door to blackmail you, to sabotage your leadership, or to subvert relationships within the organization. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

…while everyone’s focusing on keeping the boss happy, who’s focusing on keeping the customer happy? — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Power Quotes

A reluctant leader is highly suspicious of people who work to accumulate and hoard power. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Power: The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or your might. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

You can get a few seasons out of power, even accomplish some things, but over time power can be very damaging to relationships. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

you can get a few seasons out of power but over time relationships will deteriorate and so will your influence. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Power people are generally threatened by authority people… — James C. Hunter, The Servant

A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service. — US Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr.

Pride Quotes

The more I break down my pride and ego, the more joy I have in life. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Serving others breaks you free from the shackles of self and self-absorption that choke out the joy of living. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Never let your ambition surpass your moral compass. — Warren Bennis, Practicing Servant Leadership

Religion Quotes

It is God’s design to use reluctant servants to usher in glory. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

In order to reclaim the joy and passion of leadership, we must walk the valley of the shadow of death and name the cost of leadership. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

If you lead, you will eventually serve with Judas or Peter. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

The more we walk the path first while becoming last and least in our organizations, the more we become like the Alpha and Omega whom we long to serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

Each of you has been blessed with one of Gods wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. — 1 Peter 4:10, Bible

I’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/5

A leader lives with people to know their problems. A leader lives with God in order to solve them. — John C. Maxwell

I realized that I needed to be more like the shepherd than the hired hand in protecting my team. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Sacrifice

“Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice.” — David Kenyon Webster

Servant Leadership Quotes

The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first… — Robert K. Greenleaf

It is God’s design to use reluctant servants to usher in glory. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

What originally led us to serve others by leading them seldom remains our North Star. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

You may obey a leader who has power and authority, but you will not strive to serve her or the cause of the organization unless you respect and care for her in addition to the ones with whom you serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

The more we walk the path first while becoming last and least in our organizations, the more we become like the Alpha and Omega whom we long to serve. — Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp

To have a healthy and thriving business, there must be healthy relationships with the C.E.O.S. in the organization and I’m not referring to the Chief Executive Offficers. I am talking about the Customers, the Employees, the Owner (or stockholders), and the Suppliers. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Our top-down pyramid style of management is a very old concept borrowed from centuries of war and monarchies. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Slaves do what others want. Servants do what others need. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Who then is the greatest leader? The one who has served the most. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates but as their leader I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization. — Vince Lombardi

Serving others breaks you free from the shackles of self and self-absorption that choke out the joy of living. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

The only one among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

there is great joy in leading with authority, which is serving others by meeting their legitimate needs. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

Each of you has been blessed with one of Gods wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. — 1 Peter 4:10, Bible

Servant leadership teaches us that you have to lay your cards on the table. — Warren Bennis, Practicing Servant Leadership

I learned that if you can retain the feeling of what it feels like to be a “have not” in a society of “haves”, to be down in the hierarchy, you can carry that with you into leadership positions. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

I think the only way to get out of the ego is to get into yourself. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

Project authenticity and vulnerability, be present, be accepting, and see your role as being useful, as being the servant. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

My conclusion: Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team. — Clayton M. Christensen, http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/2

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. — John C. Maxwell

Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly. — M. Scott Peck

A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service. — US Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr.

This is a service station, we offer service. There is no higher purpose. — Nick Nolte, Peaceful Warrior

I realized that I needed to be more like the shepherd than the hired hand in protecting my team. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Others first. Whatever your corporate mission, paint a clear and compelling picture that others can understand and embrace. State your mission in terms that appeal to your team’s best instincts. Persuade and empower as if you are leading and mentoring volunteers. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

If you’re truly obsessed over customers, it’ll cover a lot of errors. — Jeff Bezos, Delivering Happiness

…the best leaders are servant leaders – they serve those they lead. — Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness

I’m willing to submit to the sovereignty of the consumer, but I just want to know what they say. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

The companies that are successful, they start out to make meaning, not to make money. — Guy Kawasaki, TiECon 2006

If you start out to solely make money, you will attract the wrong kind of employees. — Guy Kawasaki, TiECon 2006

Success Quotes

Few people are successful unless other people want them to be. — Charlie Brown

We all know that the time spent is not necessarily an indicator of success. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Technology Quotes

As the CEO, one of my main jobs is to get visibility for Thomas Nelson and I don’t know of an easier, better way to do it, with greater leverage, than with Social Media. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

In the age of Twitter and Facebook, everyone has a megaphone. — Michael Hyatt, MichaelHyatt.com

Toxic Leadership Quotes

A seagull manager is one who periodically flies into the area, makes a lot of noise, dumps on the people, maybe eats their lunch, and flies away. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

It is a shame that so many leaders spend their time pondering their rights as leaders instead of their awesome responsibilities as leaders. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

you can get a few seasons out of power but over time relationships will deteriorate and so will your influence. — James C. Hunter, The Servant

It’s not my job to steer the ship,
The horn I’ll never blow.
It’s not my place to say how far
The ship’s allowed to go.
I’m not allowed to go on deck
Or even clang the bell
But if this damn thing starts to sink
Just watch who catches hell! — Unknown via James C. Hunter, The Servant

Who really benefits from discouragement? More often than not, encouragement is exactly what is needed. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

Transparency Quotes

Servant leadership teaches us that you have to lay your cards on the table. — Warren Bennis, Practicing Servant Leadership

Project authenticity and vulnerability, be present, be accepting, and see your role as being useful, as being the servant. — James A. Autry, Practicing Servant Leadership

Others first. Whatever your corporate mission, paint a clear and compelling picture that others can understand and embrace. State your mission in terms that appeal to your team’s best instincts. Persuade and empower as if you are leading and mentoring volunteers. — Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader

The best way to deal in a transparent world is just be transparent. Let your life be authentic and let people look in. Because if they want to find out, they’re gonna find out. And so to me it’s given me a greater sense of accountability as a CEO. It’s given me a greater opportunity to lead. — Michael Hyatt, Vanderbilt University Interview

As I write this, there is a newly married couple emerging from the church across the street. The bells of the old Victorian-era church can still be heard echoing down the street. Strangers walking down main street have paused to watch while cars driving by honk their horns in celebration. The bells were a sign for all around, proudly announcing the joyous occasion of the couple’s new life together. As I witness this scene unfolding it occurs to me, we need to ring those bells more often.

The bell is a symbol, an announcement, a proclamation to all around – family, friend, or stranger, that there was a cause to celebrate. And celebrate they do – family, friend and stranger alike.

Business Celebrations

How often in business, do we “celebrate” in closed communities? We say thank you to the team, who already knows what was done and the effort involved. We thank the individual contributor during their performance review, which already captures the effort in great detail. We thank the team on an email, copying their boss, who already saw the hours of dedication in the team’s time reports.

How much greater would it be if we rang bells to shout, “look here! See what this great team has done! Family, friend and stranger alike, celebrate with us!” Wouldn’t this be a better way to celebrate? Shouldn’t we announce and share the news more frequently with a broader audience? How much greater would these public proclamations be for the team?

Public Celebration Ideas

Here’s some ways I can think of to ring our bells in celebration of our teams:

1. Newsletters: Announce the success in divisional or corporate-wide newsletters that read a larger audience.

2. Press Releases: It seems we are too conservative in marking celebrations with these proclamations.

3. Voice Mail: Most corporate offices are equipped with the option for “broadcast” voice messages.

4. Hallway Signs: Have a poster made and post in the hall or other high traffic area.

5. Street Sign: Use your headquarter sign board or a billboard to display the gratitude.

Question: What other ways do you celebrate in public?

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” -William Arthur Ward

I am recruiting folks with gratitude in need of sharing and hope you will join us. You see, I recently realized I had not thanked our project team for too long. As a result, I cleared my calendar for a while and wrote several, sincere notes of gratitude. The response, as you might expect, was great. Some needed the reassurance their efforts were valued and others simply appreciated that I had taken the few minutes to say, “thanks”. To avoid letting too much time pass again and to help others avoid the same, I’ve decided to start a new campaign: “Thank-You Thursdays”. Each week, I will block time on my calendar to simply say, “thank you”. My hope is that others will join me in this campaign.

Why Thursdays?

There are seven days a week to thank others and we should use them all. So why specifically highlight Thursdays?

1. It’s Catchy: “ Thank-You Thursdays” is catchy, so we’re more likely to remember it.

2. Time to Reflect: We will have most of the business week from which to identify contributions.

3. Before the Weekend: The messages are likely to be read before the weekend, supporting timely feedback.

4. Minimize Disruptions: Thursdays avoid any 3 and most 4 day weekends.

5. Morale Boost: Sometimes, we just need that boost to get us through Friday.

Who to Thank?

I realize we should thank anyone that has a positive impact on us, our organizations, our families or other stake holders. Yet sometimes we only think of the most obvious and direct contacts. Here are some reminders I developed to build a list of thank you recipients:

1. Direct Reports: Your team should be thanked frequently.

2. Peers: Team members in the organization. Independent? Consider your professional network.

3. Bosses: Present or past, as well as any mentors you may have.

4. Customers: Anyone who ultimately “buys” (literally or figuratively) your product or service.

5. Family: When was the last time you thanked your spouse, parents, children or siblings for all they do?

6. Companies: Is there a product or service you particularly like? Did you ever send them a thank-you note?

7. Non-Profits: Many NPO employees and volunteers work harder, for less. They deserve our gratitude.

8. Representatives: Have you thanked your politician today? What about local government workers?

9. Professionals: Accountants, Doctors, Teachers, even Lawyers and other certified professionals all deserve thanks.

10. Service Men & Woman: Have you thanked someone in the military recently? What about police officers or firefighters?

How to Say Thank You

Most of us have a variety of ways in which we can say, “thanks”. The best choice is probably to mix it up, especially so the same person does not receive the same method too frequently. Here’s a short list of free and relatively inexpensive options to consider:

1. In Person: Many people believe the face-to-face, direct thank-you is best.

2. Email: The most common method and likely the one I will use most. Consider copying their boss.

3. Chat: Instant messaging is good, real-time feedback, without having to be face-to-face.

4. Meetings: If you’re in a meeting with people you want to thank, add a slide or speak to your gratitude.

6. Certificates: Printable certificates are available online and enable recipients to retain and display your gratitude.

7. eCards: Electronic cards are simple, yet creative ways to share your thanks.

8. Cards: Traditional, hand written notes are increasingly rare and appreciated. Try keeping a box in your desk.

9. Flowers: Having a bouquet of flowers delivered is a great way to communicate and display your gratitude.

10. Meal: Why not take them to lunch or treat the team to a pizza? Can’t meet in person? Send a gift certificate.

Frequency

The best feedback is frequent, so we should say, “thank you” as often as possible. However, here’s a couple guidelines to help frame the frequency:

1. Frequent but Meaningful: Yes, you should say, “thank you” often, but not so often that it becomes meaningless. Make sure the gratitude is sincere and not concocted.

2. Degree of Interaction: If it is a member of your team, you should thank them more often because, chances are, they are doing more for you and the organization on a regular basis.

3. Avoid Routine: Not to contradict the weekly Thursday intent, the idea here is not to necessarily thank the same person, every week, at the same time. For individuals you thank regularly, don’t always wait until Thursday to share it – mix it up.

I’ve never been perfect about showing gratitude, nor do I think “Thank-You Thursdays” will make me perfect at this practice. However, I do think it will help me and I hope it will help you. Won’t you join the campaign for Thank-You Thursdays? Thank someone now.

Questions: How do you say “thank you”? What’s the best way someone thanked you?

“To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Rock Concert or Business Conference?

The scene resembled a large rock concert. There was a massive stage, huge projection screens, a booming sound system, laser lights and special effects that would make Broadway jealous. To say there was a great deal of excitement and anticipation for the presenter would be a major understatement. His name was announced, the music boomed and onto stage strode the classic image of a powerful, confident executive. Navy suit with pin stripes, tall, slender, salt-and-peppered hair, power tie and polished shoes. The audience’s applause roared. He walked to the podium, the music faded, applause stopped and the stadium settled to perfect silence in anticipation…

Narcissism Defined

“How’s everybody doing today?!” The keynote speaker began, with excitement in his voice. “Wow, what a year it’s been!  Since last year’s conference, a lot has changed. For example, I reorganized our division and product lines into….” he continued into details of how he, apparently personally, completed some organizational and product line restructuring. Then he continued, “in addition I introduced 12 new products, including some of the hottest new items on the market, such as…” he described a number of top selling products. “And what about services? Well, I introduced the following new service lines…”. Then, he launched into series a corporate acquisitions, “I purchased….”, “I merged…”, I… I… I…

BUZZ KILL.

Within the first 5 minutes of his presentation, all the excitement turned into disbelief at the narcissism displayed by this executive. Really?! Did they really just send that massive of an ego-maniac onto the stage?! This guy specifically said he did all these things – not once did I hear him mention the contributions of another individual or his team.

If you were a member of his organization, how would you have felt? I am sure his team put in a lot of hard work and many late nights. Without these contributions, many of “his” successes would never have come to fruition. If I worked for him, I think my resume would have hit the job boards the next day.

MORALE KILL.

His Narcissism, Our Lesson

Confronted with his narcissism, the executive would likely brush it off as an oversight on his part. He would likely reassure anyone inquiring, “of course I meant the team did all this” and follow up with a commitment to be more clear in the future. But how many stadium-sized opportunities does one get? These platforms are rare. The damage was done.

I hope your narcissism does not compare. Still, if we’re not careful, our own oversight can turn into narcissism. At the very least, oversight can easily kill the morale of our own teams. So how can leaders avoid narcissism and keep their team’s morale alive? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Thank someone every day: If not one, then two, three or twenty. Always be sure you reflect your gratitude.

2. Thank publicly: Most people appreciate public recognition. Given the opportunity, share your platform.

3. Document Credit: When creating communications, especially those for distribution, credit those that contributed.

4. Accountable, not Responsible: Toxic leaders tend to confuse accountability for responsibility. Remember, just because you’re accountable does not mean you are responsible for the success.

5. Serve First: Remember your role as a leader is to serve the team first, not for the team to serve you.

Question: What other ways do you or your leaders avoid narcissism and maintain humility?

Turn Whiners Into Winners

For technology executives, the one constant is change. However, as humans, we are by nature, creatures of habit. This could easily explain why so many folks are resistant to change. Change does not, by definition, feel familiar. It’s awkward, different and for many, uncomfortable. But like all things new, we can choose how we respond to change. My experience suggests there are not many folks that respond to change with indifference. Instead, it seems most people fit into one of two categories: Winners or Whiners.

Winners
When I was working on turning around a large back-office technology project, there was one individual who was thrilled to be a part of the “new solution”. Although she had a vested interest in the old way, she looked to the future, realized things were broken and was anxious to be recognized for a successful project. As a result, she often came with a proposal for improvements, new technologies, processes or ideas. She understood the need for change, would lay out the problem in detail, explain why it was a problem and often have two or more recommendations for solving the problem. She was a winner because she embraced the change, identified roadblocks and problems with the old school of thought and proposed solutions based on solid examples.

Whiners
Of course, at the opposite end of the spectrum are individuals that resist change with a defeatist attitude. While the term may seem derogatory, “whiner” underscores where most of the effort is placed by these individuals. Certainly, it is not intentional. I don’t think anyone, regardless of their frustration level, says, “today, I am just going to complain about what’s going on at the office”. Instead, some personnel, when faced with change, spend a lot of effort thinking about the negative side (not unlike their winner counterparts). The problem is, whiners stop there. And why not? It’s easier to stop there and just tell their coworkers about the pain. Where whiners turn into winners is when they make that extra effort, they go that extra mile and do something about the negatives. Instead of simply communicating the problem(s), they become a part of the solution.

Whiners and Winners are in every organization. When you find winners, great, leverage them as examples to the whiners. When you find whiners, remember – they’re not setting out to just complain, they’re just stopping too soon. Ask them what they would do about the problem they mentioned? How would they improve the environment? What process would they use to avoid it from happening again? Then make them a part of the accepted solution. Without commitment and a role in the solution, it will be too easy to revert back to the Whiner.

Whatever you do, do not become a whiner yourself. Anytime you catch yourself complaining – especially in front of your team, be certain you come up with a solution and communicate it to them. This holds true for commiserating as well. Nodding in agreement with complaints without putting the complainer to task at finding a solution, makes you a whiner too. So make sure you’re thinking like a winner and presenting solutions to your problems while putting your team to task, doing the same. Go the extra mile, set the example for your teams and build winners out of the whiners.