It’s not very often people come around that can throw a light on the broader concerns of humanity in such a way to lift you onto the shoulders of giants so you may see more clearly the way ahead. When this happens, take good notes. Stick them on your refrigerator door so you cannot forget. Then busy yourself preparing the way for others, because it is in others our life is lived. And if we have lived any length of time at all, we must come to terms with Dr King’s profound question, “What are you doing for others?” But, how?

“An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow horizons of his particular individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Every person must decide, at some point, whether they will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ’What are you doing for others?’”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I believe most would agree Martin Luther King Jr’s question is just as pressing today as when he first asked it in 1957.  In many regards, perhaps his question is more urgent than ever before.  As we celebrate his legacy, I find it particularly important to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to teach our children to help others?”  Much of western society lives in an era of entitlement where “me” means everything.  And, why not?  With a little skill and a Lot of luck, you can become an entertainer, a professional athlete, or America’s next Idol, claiming for yourself much fame and great fortunes.  But to what end?  The toys you accumulate and the fortunes you amass gotta stay here when you exit stage left.  And what comes to those who do not achieve their dreams (or their parents’ dreams) of glory, stardom, and riches? 

My friend, John Paul, reminds us, “Humanity is an ocean.  All are welcome and the door is always open.”  Those who realize all living creatures within this vast ocean domain matter are likely found in front of a mirror each morning asking themselves Dr King’s “most persistent and urgent” question. We can be grateful so many have responded by getting involved.  We see it in every corner of our world.  Some have written inspirational tomes to help engage communities in service; we see proof of their success in articles, blog posts, and tweets on twitter.  Some have written and/or sung songs to inspire.  Singer/songwriter Schuyler Fisk, Sissy Spacek’s daughter, is a great example, having just penned and released “Love Somebody,” with proceeds going to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).  Others busy themselves with words of praise or acts of kindness (some large, some small, all heroic) day to day while others reach a little farther, knowing the good of one can inspire the great good of thousands. 

Herein we find those who dare something worthy—to serve another rather then dominate them.  Turns out, great men and women have eyes to see the smallest, seemingly insignificant opportunity overlooked by those preoccupied with self importance.  Service comes in many colors, shapes, and sizes, and it draws its strength from compassion.  It does not turn others away.  To the contrary, a servant’s heart seeks out the downtrodden to help lift life’s burdens.  An online search returns thousands of organizations reaching out to help and/or inspire others. In this post, we will feature three relatively new, grassroots organizations that readily come to mind:

·         Do Good “unites individual acts of kindness into a significant movement. every day. across the world. 365 days.”

·         Charity: water brings “clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.” 

·         Foyble encourages people “to perform acts of goodwill. Share your good deeds. Inspire the world.”

Of course, all of us have heard of others like, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Way.  So, what is the message?

In simplest terms, our service comes in many forms and it is offered through every deed of mercy toward anyone who may need what we have to offer.  From where I stand, the good we do runs deep and wide, often in obscurity, rarely seeking accolades or recognition, and always performing acts of loving kindness known only to those who have received them.  And I am left with the impression we want to do more.  That’s why the NorthFork Center for Servant Leadership is working with Brian Foy, a co-founder of Foyble, and Chad Sansing of the Community Public Charter School in Charlottesville, Virginia, to shine a light on the servant heart through all the good we do AND all the good we will do.  Especially, all the good we will do!  Among other things, we are collaborating to create what will be an amazing community service curriculum that trains administrators, teachers, and students in the power of social media used for good.  We are also creating ways to cultivate servant hearts around the globe and recognize the good our young people do all the time through acts of kindness and goodwill.  Chad, on his site, classroots.org, wrote of this collaboration in a recent post, “Match Classroom Technology to Good.”  You can find it here.  Brian’s post on developing a service curriculum aligned to national standards for teachers and students, can be found here.

Do join us as we dare something worthy.  Anytime one sets out to satisfy, no matter how small, “life’s most persistent and urgent question” it is certain to be an exciting ride!

Today being #OtherEsteem Wednesday on Twitter, I wanted to take a peek at Monica’s site, The OtherEsteem Blog (named after Monica Diaz’s book, OtherEsteem).  Her delightful post, The Biggest Challenge, reminds us how our experiences may differ widely from the experiences of another with similar circumstance.  As such, we are urged to take great care so as to understand another’s point of reference if we are to encourage and edify.  Monica’s post immediately reminded me of a Sioux prayer that captures the pure essence of what it is like to value others, to hold them in high esteem:

“As quietly as little rabbit’s feet, the morning glory sun arrives to greet the Red Man as he worships in his way. For this he asks the Spirit every day: Before I judge my friend, O let me wear His moccasins for two long weeks, and share the path that he would take in wearing them. Then, I shall understand and not condemn.”

Mother Teresa, speaking of the Peace necessary for us to be One, essentially taught the same lesson: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”  Herein, for me, is the essence of OtherEsteem—we belong to one another.  We are family and we share Love just as assuredly as we share the Breath of Life.  I, for one, thank my lucky stars we belong to one another, and that we share the path set before us with others who understand—or, who want to understand.

Every Leader, especially everyServant Leader, should read Monica’s post!  Thank you for an uplifting, inspirational post dear friend.  Hugs!

Today, I dropped by Mike Henry’s site, Lead Change Group, where I was immediately drawn to Mike’s latest post, 6 Facets of the Servant Leadership Diamond. I am a life-long student of leadership and staunch believer in the amazing difference servant leadership makes in the lives of so many! Contemporary examples include India’s Mahatma Gandhi, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, and our very own Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Each of these towering men of strength—and forgiveness—in their service to humanity has become a symbol of love and, by extension, the quintessential figures of a servant’s heart. So inspired, it seems to me it is incumbent upon us to continue the legacy of these courageous men with an indefatigable spirit in the redolent hope we transcend the limits imposed by boundaries and unite the hearts of people the world over as one community, one people who value others before self.

Clearly, principled leadership holds global application and appeal. So much so the world yearns for a giving leadership; not the glitzy, glossy, gives-good-press veneer that often passes for leadership in the public eye but, rather, the humble, soft-spoken kind of leadership that invites folks to listen, to trust, and to follow. We yearn for an authentic leadership—a true leadership—always undertaken as a service to the greater good. Such has been the case for millennia. Indeed, for more than a quarter century, the problem of our age has been described as “a crisis in leadership.” “One of the most universal cravings of our time,” suggests James McGregor Burns, “is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership.” I propose this craving is due, in large part, to the absence of our collective will to establish a firm foundation upon which to raise a new generation of leadership, a shepherding kind of leadership we find in the examples of Gandhi, King, Mandela, Corrie ten Boom, Jesus, Native American leaders such as Sitting Bull, and others to satisfy a great and universal yearning to matter, to be loved.

Mike, it’s my sense many understand the need for authentic leaders, but too few know how to respond thinking, perhaps, leading is something one does rather than something one becomes. The truth is leadership gives people, not power, a place to rest—it’s the outward manifestation of a caring heart, passionately concerned for the universal good of all people. A true leader is a source of strength for those who follow. Indeed, the “signs of outstanding leadership,” Max DePree asserts, “are found among the followers.” But let us remember such a role is not reserved exclusively for the few. Martin Luther King, Jr., a personal hero and source of great inspiration for me, taught, “If you want to be important—Wonderful! If you want to be recognized—Wonderful! If you want to be great—Wonderful! But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness … Everybody can be great because everybody can serve … you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love and you can be that servant.” By extension, WE can then be that leader.

As I brought my comment to a close on Mike’s post, I suggested the time is now for us to take up the cause to nurture a servant’s heart within a new generation who are determined to make a difference among those who have chosen to follow. The time is now to set out with all gusto to help leaders, young and old, discern how to do what’s right. The time is now to bring “ancient paths” (Jeremiah 6:16) within reach of those whose hearts seek to walk in the steps of the greatest leadership role models of all time—servant leaders.

Thank you for a great post, Mike, and thank you for this opportunity to share a few thoughts about a deeply personal passion, servant leadership.

I stumbled upon the Evil HR Lady blog this afternoon.  Her recent post, Termination Blues, generated a great number of comments; however, the vast majority, in my opinion, missed the point: an organization should not be ran on rules and regulations; it should be led!  The discussion revolved around the firing of a man who was caught sleeping on the job – twice.  Was it justified?  Most said, “Yes.”  I disagree.

Our world need not be a punitive one. There is much talk about the man’s infraction and the manager’s little recourse, and HR’s only option in the post/comments, but I must ask, Where is the leader?

One comment read, “This guy went to sleep on company time, and you have a policy against it.” The implication, of course, is to fire him because he broke the rules. And rules are made to be followed, right? That’s why none of us have ever broken one. With that said, let him/her without sin be the first to cast a stone (or, in this case, toss a pink slip) at this man.

My guess is all who read this post have, at some point (probably recently), stepped outside the rules. Spend any company time on your social network lately? How many of us commented on this post during company time? How about that community/political office we’re interested in obtaining or keeping? And we shouldn’t forget the attention that our online cash cow needs when you think no one is looking.

From where I stand, the role of rules is often misinterpreted; they should not exist to penalize infractions; instead, they should serve as guidelines to help leaders lead.

A great leader will not look at the world through a black and white castigatory lens, leaving the dirty work to their HR cadre; instead, they will take FULL responsibility for helping ALL employees find their strengths and, by extension, discover the Joy of their work through a niche that permits them to make a lasting, productive, and positive contribution.

Many employees (probably most) feel as though they are held hostage to a system that rewards yes men and women, cronyism, and proximity to the water cooler. They have little or no incentive to do any more than is asked, in large part because they are not appreciated and respected as a person—they feel they are merely looked upon as another pawn (perception IS reality). For example, we pit one employee against another with IDPs that foster unhealthy competition (to increase the company’s bottom line) rather than collegiality—me versus we—in their quest to race up the rusty rungs in the old trusty ladder.

I can’t help but wonder if the organization that fired this man really has a true leader; if so, it would seem to me the firing would have been unnecessary because a leader would have made it THEIR mission to help this man find a way to make work enjoyable. In lieu of leadership, we tend to resort to common, self-preservation management tactics: blame the man rather than the leadership (or lack thereof), fire him, and use the situation to instill the fear of God in the other workers so their productivity will improve (or at least doesn’t decline). Now that’s a team everyone wants to be part of, I’m sure. Right? Didn’t think so.

Let me encourage you to push back on leadership a bit. To not do so makes you no different than the man who was fired; it’s the same thing as sleeping on the job.

In closing, my intention was not to berate; instead, I wanted to shine a light on the bigger problem: leadership, and THEIR responsibility. If they pawn it off, it’s high time to give THEM the pink slip.

Earlier this week, I dropped back in on Sarah Robinson’s blog, Maverick Mom.  Her latest post, Finding Your Voice, is a great reminder that life is a journey and each of us have the perrogative to re-write our story.  Indeed, it’s most certainly a necessity because, as Sarah aptly points out, we all need to be part of the conversation!

Each of us possesses a unique work in life and, only with exceeding unfruitful effort, can we contain an innate yearning to share it. It is to that end we must find our voice and be ourselves. Like a good wine, however, we cannot rush the process. Margaret Atwood tells us, “We can only find our own meaning in our own time.” Let no one fool you. It is much easier to talk about finding our voice than it is to actually uncover and share it. A battle rages deep within us that pits our desire to be liked, accepted, and appreciated with an inconvenient calling to serve—to speak out for those who have not a voice of their own. Luciano Pavarotti said, “The rivalry is with our self. I try to be better than is possible. I fight against myself, not against the other.” This is an important matter.

Oft times, it appears we are left with little choice but to set aside everything we stand for as we search for our true self. In the subtle convergence of time and place, we are surprised to learn our voice, through authenticity and personal truth, seems to finds us—in so doing, it gives our life rich intonation. It also gives us the courage not only to open a new door in our life, but to walk through it—to cross a threshold to newfound freedom.

Courage, however, can be evasive, but it is necessary all the same. You see, not every door will open to self-actualization; many will present challenges, trials, and tribulations that cause us to shake in our boots. Others will illuminate our greatest fears: isolation, loneliness, despair. Perseverance brings success. As many of Sarah’s readers have indicated, there is a unique door for each person that leads to the right path; we need only to find it, open it, and walk through. For me, the key to that door, the key to finding my voice, was to realize my voice was never really mine; it belongs to everyone and it must be used for the benefit of all.

Part of my uniqueness, much like that expressed by Colin Lewis, was shaped in my early years. As a child, I was involved in an auto accident that came precariously close to taking my life. I essentially recall every detail and, even at a young age, was impressed with the notion life is fragile. We should make the very best of it. As time progressed, I became more aware of my existence and realized it is no longer good enough to simply make the best of my life; I must do what I can to make life better for others. To do so means stepping out of my comfort zone. It also means stepping headstrong into the comfort zone of others. Such, for me, is finding one’s voice.

From where I stand, our tendency, time and time again, is to shake the hand of a well-dressed business man before we reach out to the homeless. Our tendency, time and time again, is to fear what we think can happen to us forgetting all the good that can come to another if we but extend our hand in friendship. Something Mother Teresa said comes into play here: “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received (aka, our voice!) and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” We are easily ashamed, I suppose, because our tendency, time and time again, is to think of our voice as merely another unworthy instrument to be heard among the roar of millions when, in fact, our voice—just one voice—has the power to illuminate the prevailing darkness that holds so many hostage. You see, our voice, when used to help another, is without limit; it remains unbounded. It is during those times when we step out of our comfort zone and, as warranted, invade the comfort zone of others, that we not only end the silence of our own misfortune, but we end the misfortune that affects so many others. Our voice, in responding to the pleas and the cries of others, proliferates, swelling over the banks of a mighty river much like love swoops in as a fair luminous mist curling to fill empty spaces and uninhabited places of the heart.

Having found our voice, we cannot be selfish with it; nor, should I think, we would want to. Our voice finds us because we are the only one in all of Creation who can use it for the good of humanity. It finds us because no other exists who can wield it, like King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, in pursuit of truth, honor, freedom, and love. You see, when you get right down to the heart of the matter, our voice really isn’t ours at all. It belongs to humanity, and it wants to be heard. And, it seems to me, those around us need to hear it.

As you may know, I love to drop in unexpected on friends’ blogs.  Today is no exception.  Let me HIGHLY encourge you to visit Kendall‘s new blog, Let the adventure begin!  Kendall’s first post, “A fresh start … and an invitation,” attracted my undivided attention in part with a reminder from Helen Keller: “Life is an adventure or it is nothing.” Kendall makes his choice and then asks if we are ready to join the adventure?  By adventure, he means find your passion. Within seconds, I was in … up to my ears! Turns out I grew tired of “nothing” long ago and did what I could, under the circumstance, to turn the mundane into adventure. But life, as we know, is a journey. If we knew all of the answers before we started, what would be the fun of living?

I have to believe we are right where we are supposed to be. From where I stand today, much of my life (all of my adult life) has been devoted to serving others. Twenty-three of those years were wrapped in a blue (or camouflaged) uniform of the United States Air Force. Soon after joining the Air Force, I celebrated a pivotal moment that would forever change my focus even if it could not change my predicament. Instead of becoming one of America’s presidents, I would serve America’s children! By extension, I would serve the children around the globe!

I didn’t know how, precisely. And I didn’t know when. But I did know I would.

That was May, 1986. No kidding. It would be another twenty-two years before I found myself perched on the precipice of my very own “new beginning.” For most of those years, I thought the way I would serve America’s children would be the very same way I had served my country, albeit as America’s Secretary of Education. Only recently did I arrive at the conclusion such a role was not, as Amy Bryant might say, “playing BIG” enough, nor did it give me the flexibility I needed to bring together two great passions: children AND leadership. Then one day I heard a short story that brought great focus into my recent life. It is a father-son story that goes something like this:

“A beautiful Northwest summer weekend found the Parker men sliding down glaciers, jumping streams, and waking up marmots on a 3-day backpacking trip. They lingered on the mountain; heading down the trail for home was now a destination trek. They skipped and ran with 40-pound packs most of the way down. Not missing a stride after rounding a stretch of dense forest opening to a fork in the trail, the son turned his shoulder and shouted, ‘Which way do we go, Dad?’ Dad simply raised his arm and pointed the way for him.”

Such is the desire of all children and young people; they are calling on us to affirm their gifts, who they are, what they do well—to show them the way! Herein, we find the pure essence of leadership—putting others in front of and above ourselves. Gandhi said, “I must be going now, for there go my people and I am their leader.”

My time had come, like Kendall’s, to step away from the mundane and step squarely into an adventure of a lifetime—an adventure that is sure to change the face of our world. In so doing, I am certain to find myself on some distant day saying to all those who shall hear my greetings, even if for altogether different reasons and with altogether different outcomes, “I must be going now, for there go my people.” Not because I am their leader, but because they are now leaders—leaders who have brought a servant’s heart back to our world and with it, pure brotherly love.

Like Kendall’s simple little paper weight, a simple little father-son story turned on a light that would subdue the darkness around me and show me the way, much like that dad showed his son the way. I think Leonardo da Vinci was on to something when he said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” If I may add, simplicity is also liberating, freeing us to embrace our own passion(s) with small ideas that lead to the greatest change.

Thank you, Kendall, for sharing with us your garden, and inviting us to join you on an adventure of a lifetime.

Have I encouraged you to visit Sarah Robinson’s site, Maverick Mom?  Of course I have.  Let me do so again.  In her recent post, It’s a Mad World, Sarah asks us to consider what the world is coming to.  The ensuing conversation is robust, leaving one to wonder if a battle between good and evil is at the heart of all we see in the world today. 

There is no question it is a mad, mad world. It always has been. I suppose it always shall. Amidst the madness lies a warm cozy blanket of love. Within the blanket’s warmth a glow permeates the surrounding darkness. That gentle light represents all that is good in this world. What we learn is the darkness has no defense against it. It must submit. A Tibetan proverb holds, “Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts.” Madness is like that. It shouts, seeking solace in the company of misery. Because it shouts, it draws our attention, if only for a moment, away from all of the good in our world. To do otherwise is to lose its own life to the glowing goodness that is sure to conquer.

Plato also spoke to the whisper of good, pointing out “the essential Form of Good is the limit of our inquiries, and can barely be perceived; but, when perceived, we cannot help concluding that it is in every case the source of all that is bright and beautiful—in the visible world giving birth to light and its master, and in the intellectual world dispensing, immediately and with full authority, truth and reason—and that whosoever would act wisely, either in private or in public, must set this Form of Good before his eyes.”

Good is everywhere; it has no need to draw attention to itself. We come to realize this soon enough. Why? Because, as Saul Bellow reminds us, “Goodness is achieved … in the company of other men, attended by love.” You see, from where I stand, love is the answer. Okay, Oliver Wendell Holmes puts it this way: “Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness.” I personally like what Martin Luther King, Jr, has to say about the matter: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy (aka, madness) into a friend.”

Willa Cather posits, “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” Can madness hold a light to that? “Who so loves,” we learn from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “believes the impossible.” Lest I get too carried away, let us consider the wise words of Nietzsche: “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” Yet, Thomas Mann teaches, “It is love, not reason that is stronger than death.”

A great friend to many, Rabbi Noah Weinberg, died earlier this year. His spirit, of course, lives on in the many who loved him. One of his many memorable teachings finds relevance here. Rabbi Weinberg tells us, “There are things worth dying for, and if you don’t understand what you are willing to die for, you haven’t begun living.”

We live, not because madness wreaks havoc in the world, but because love subdues the madness and unites us as one. We learn this lesson in Dumas’ Three Musketeers. As King Louis appoints D’Artagnan to the Musketeers, he proclaims, “This world is an uncertain realm, filled with danger. Honor undermined by the pursuit of power, freedom sacrificed when the weak are oppressed by the strong. But there are those who oppose these powerful forces, who dedicate their lives to truth, honor, and freedom.”

As we can see, madness has been with us since before time. So, too, has love. In the end, love wins. Because in the end, we are bigger than the madness and we can see it for what it is. And we can forgive its trespass. “Forgiveness,” as Reinhold Niebuhr so eloquently puts it, “is the final form of love.”

Sarah’s band of Hooligans understands this, and that’s why they stand with her. Not to ward off the madness, but to shower her with love.

It was such a delight to visit Amy Bryant’s site, iPlayBIG, and read one of her most recent posts, Self-Leadership.   I really loved her post; it strikes such a harmonious chord! As many of you may already know, everything I do at the moment is geared to helping young and emerging leaders reimagine leadership in a world of “we” rather than a world of “me.”

The plain truth is they will have to do more than simply reimagine it. Taking great care not to get lost thinking about tomorrow’s leadership on today’s terms, they will have to walk the talk in ways that make talking unnecessary. The days of imitating the autocratic, hierarchical—even arrogant—“leadership” of a bygone era have slipped with the sun over the horizon. A new dawn rises.

With the new day comes an appreciation for leadership that matters. From my vantage point, the way to look to our future is to carefully consider our past. In so doing, we find ourselves face to face with an astounding realization: great leaders—true leaders—have blazed the trail. We need only to find and follow the signs they left behind. We must look beyond the distractions—the buzz words and philosophies of the day. Keeping our heads above the fray will let us remain alert to the dangers (the snares and temptations that lure us away) on our journey.

Tomorrow’s leader will look nothing like the leader of today. In fact, tomorrow’s leader will look nothing like a leader! Nor will they busy themselves producing other leaders (as Ralph Nader and others suggest) because that “tomorrow” is today. Something more is required. As Amy suggests, tomorrow’s leaders must possess an incredible amount of courage and self-awareness. They will be very comfortable with who they are. So much so, tomorrow’s leaders will not delight in their own success but, rather, in the successes of those who have chosen to be counted among them. Tomorrow’s leaders will be hard to find as they spend their time behind and beneath those who have chosen them to lead—they will be busy lifting others within reach of their own dreams.

The “self-leadership” of tomorrow’s leaders that Amy describes, to borrow a phrase from a Twitter colleague, Monica Diaz , reminds me of “other esteem!” Why? We live in a day when leadership principles hold worldwide application and appeal. The world yearns for leadership; not the glitzy, glossy, gives-good-press veneer that often passes for leadership in the public eye but, rather, a vulnerable, humble, soft-spoken kind of leadership that invites folks to listen, to trust, and to follow; self-leadership. Ironically, leaders of this caliber are not going to refer to themselves as leaders. In fact, they are not likely to speak of themselves at all. As a shepherd knows his sheep, tomorrow’s leader will know her “tribe.” Tomorrow’s leaders will speak highly (and often) of those they love, and those they wish to see succeed. They will understand what it is to sacrifice and do so willingly.

Truth is, tomorrow’s leaders will busy themselves serving others, not being served by them. As the focus of an organization undergoes a metamorphosis, of sorts, under this form of self-leadership to realign itself with the people rather than the bottom line, the organization, as Amy suggests, may go through a period of chaos and uncertainty. As the dust settles, what will emerge is the fresh scent of a leader who smells like their sheep. When that happens on a wide-scale level, the perception of the American public is sure to change.

For more than a quarter century, the problem of our age has been described as “a crisis in leadership.” The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, for example, reports “the American public perceives a crisis of leadership in our nation. Major public and private institutions increasingly appear incapable of dealing constructively with an ever-expanding list of social and economic problems, and individuals are becoming more cynical about government.” We hear the outcry for “a new generation of leaders who can bring about positive change in local, national, and international affairs.” “One of the most universal cravings of our time,” suggests James McGregor Burns, “is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership.” This is the self-leadership Amy brings to our attention. It is what I refer to as servant leadership.

As many of us are learning, leading is not something one does; it is something one becomes. Tomorrow’s leadership is about people, not power. It is the outward manifestation of a caring heart, passionately concerned for the preservation of justice, equity, and the universal good of the people. Tomorrow’s leaders will gently, yet decisively, move the masses through inspiration and vision. “The signs of outstanding leadership,” Max DePree asserts, “are found among the followers.” Such is the nature of servant leadership. On a very basic, pragmatic level, servant leadership works. It is the stuff dreams are made of, especially the dreams of those who follow great leaders—tomorrow’s leaders.

A great leader is first seen as a servant to others. Leadership literature includes a number of diverse listings of character traits as practiced by great leaders. I am particularly drawn to Warren Bennis’ short list as mentioned in his book, On Becoming a Leader, in which he identifies vision, inspiration, empathy, and trustworthiness as key characteristics of effective leaders. Ten characteristics of servant leaders typically stand out: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community.

Servant leaders recognize they have an opportunity to help make whole those with whom they come in contact. In his essay, The Servant as Leader, Greenleaf writes, “There is something subtle communicated to one who is being served and led if, implicit in the compact between servant leader and led, is the understanding that the search for wholeness is something they share.” This general awareness and, more specifically, the leader’s self-awareness, strengthens one’s understanding of ethics, power, and values while lending itself to a more integrated, holistic position on pertinent matters of concern. As Greenleaf observed, “Awareness is not a giver of solace—it is just the opposite. It is a disturber and an awakener. Able leaders are usually sharply awake and reasonably disturbed. They are not seekers after solace. They have their own inner serenity.”

Servant leadership undeniably offers great hope for the future in creating better, more caring, organizations—organizations that realize all leadership is essentially self-leadership. What an exciting time awaits us!

Thank you, Amy, for a wonderful post. In closing, please permit me to leave you with a taste of Greenleaf’s servant leader philosophy:

• “People can and should work together to grow a company. If an organization is to live up to its basic values and vision‚ a key ingredient will be leadership from a very large number of us.
• … Simply and plainly defined‚ leaders are people who have followers. They have earned recognition and respect.
• … Leaders are first a servant of those they lead. They are a teacher‚ a source of information and knowledge‚ and a standard setter‚ more than a giver of directions and a disciplinarian.
• … Leaders see things through the eyes of their followers. They put themselves in others’ shoes and help them make their dreams come true.
• … Leaders do not say‚ “Get going.” Instead‚ they say‚ “Let’s go!” and lead the way. They do not walk behind with a whip; they are out in front with a banner.
• … Leaders assume that their followers are working with them. They consider others as partners in the work and see to it that they share in the rewards. They glorify the team spirit.
• … Leaders are people builders. They help those under them to grow big because the leader realizes the more big people an organization has‚ the stronger it will become.
• … Leaders do not hold people down… they lift them up.
• … Leaders have faith in people. They believe in them. They have found that others rise to their high expectations.
• … Leaders use their heart as well as their head.
• … Leaders keep their eyes on high goals. They are self-starters. They create plans and set them in motion. They are persons of thought and persons of action — both dreamers and doers.
• … Leaders have a sense of humor; they are not stuffed shirts. They can laugh at themselves. They have a humble spirit. 
• … Leaders can be led. They are not interested in having their own way‚ but in finding the best way. They have an open mind.”

I visited Sarah Robinson’s site, Maverick Mom, again this week.  Her post, The Care & Feeding of a Tribe, resonates deeply with me. Among other things, it invokes my heartfelt love and passion for both native America and servant leadership. What many may not know is one is incomplete without the other. More on that later.

Sarah asks, “If you were trying to tell someone how to build and maintain a tribe that you wanted to be a part of, what is the #1 thing you would share with them?” 

Throughout her posts, I love how Sarah brings out the tribe’s unique deep-seated need for connection and levy much of that responsibility on the leader. As she so eloquently demonstrates time and time again with her blog, the care and feeding of her tribe (folks like me) necessitates a willing and deliberate outreach to spark conversation and to nurture and engage connections on so many different levels. In so doing, she creates a place of uncommon connectedness and community, free-flowing with a diversity of exchanges that attracts a variety of Hooligans to share time and place with her. As that occurs, “nurturing communities” bud and bloom. We can see it in Sarah’s very own tribe. Generally speaking, everyone contributes, everyone does their part to enable others to grow, all of us discover ways to learn by teaching, we share ways to grow by giving, and we respect everyone’s needs, skills, and wisdom. In a very important sense, Sarah’s tribe finds a home away from home when they are with her.

You know, I’d like to say, for the benefit of those pressed for time, I will keep this short. But it’s not nice to fib. And because there’s so much going on in Sarah’s post, I find it difficult to focus on one piece of advice. But I will narrow it down to three or four key thoughts central to my way of thinking.

If I were trying to tell you how to build and maintain a tribe that I wanted to be a part of (Sarah, you know all of this is academic, don’t you!), the very first thing I would suggest is for you to lean heavily on the wisdom of the ages. In so doing, you are lifted on the shoulders of all who have gone before. You gain the benefit of their triumphs and the strength from their struggles. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, and wisdom stands at the door knocking. We have but to open the door to receive it. And open the door we must. Senaca teaches, “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” Daring takes fortitude. Ralph Waldo Emerson posits, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” By relying on the wisdom of the ages to inform our decisions, we greatly improve our chances of seeing the forest around imposing trees; so much so, we learn to grow the forest. Deepak Chopra advocates, “In every seed, there is the promise of thousands of forests.” You, Sarah, are that seed. Your tribe of Hooligans is your beloved forest. In turn, expect each of them to grow their own!

While we’re on this subject (forests, not Hooligans), let us consider the lessons of leadership and uncommon connection we can learn from an unlikely source: a stand of quaking aspen. Aspen are medium-sized deciduous trees, generally 60 to 80 feet tall and about 18 inches in diameter. Their bark is smooth, greenish-white, yellowish-white, yellowish-gray, or gray to almost white in color. Their leaves are thin, firm, and nearly round, maybe 3 inches in diameter. They are quite lovely, pointed at the apex and rounded at the base, with many small sharply pointed teeth along their margins. Aspen leaves are smooth, bright green to yellowish-green, dull underneath, until they turn brilliant yellow, gold, orange, or slightly red in the fall. The leave’s small stem is flattened along its entire length, perpendicular to the leaf blade. The flattened stems allow the leaves to quake or tremble in the slightest breeze; hence, their name. Aspen trees usually do not live more than 150 years.What I have described leaves (sorry) a great many very important matters unlearned. And every leader, especially every tribal leader, should learn them.

There exists a colony of Aspen on the Fishlake National Forest in southern Utah. Some ask, “So, what?” My reply: Maybe, everything. You see, this colony survives a single male Quaking Aspen whose root system is claimed by some to be 80,000 years old, making it perhaps the oldest known living organism in existence. That’s great, but why is this important and what does it have to do with leadership and the uncommon connectedness of a tribe? In simplest terms, an aspen colony—a tribe, if you will—thrives not because of what goes on above ground but, instead, because of what happens just below the surface. Tribal leaders (e.g., moms!, CEOs, entrepreneurs, Eagle Scouts, Chiefs, and the like) must learn that everything happening on the surface will likely take care of itself if—and that’s a really big IF—the leader tends to matters of the heart—those things just under the surface that can raise the tribe to new heights or destroy it from within. Remember what Emerson said: Those things that go on around us are of little significance compared to what lies within us. Your tribe has many “aspens.” You can focus, as I described above, on each aspen in isolation. After all, it is your tribe. Or … you can look at the grove—the tribe—and realize all that goes on below the surface gives life to what we see and feel. For, just beneath the surface every Aspen tree is connected to every other by a common root system, often stretching across entire mountains. So it is, the true nature of your tribe is hidden from view—you see the individual, but you know it’s the heart and soul—the collective consciousness—of the tribe that is essential for you, the leader, to nurture and keep connected.

In this emerging reality, great leaders thrive and mediocre leadership is revealed. Look at “the best places to work.” They are the best places to work because the leadership recognizes the optimum enterprise no longer relies on autocratic, hierarchical behavior; instead, it listens intently to the collective consciousness that flows within it. The days of misguided well-positioned folks who know nothing of leadership believing, instead, in an arrogant, ego-centric self-serving way, people exist for their benefit instead of vice versa are fast fading. Great leaders respond to their awareness of this new reality. They do so by deliberately relying on the wisdom of the ages; they possess an innate understanding of life passed down by ancient traditions. And they understand one of our greatest collective mistakes is to ignore sage advice just because it is old.

One of the very best pieces of “old” advice I can share is to follow in the steps of servant leaders. Servant leadership is not something new. It derives its power from the people, and its traditions hail from the Middle East and the ancient Orient. According to the ancient Hebrew texts (about 900BC), Rehoboam was a king of ancient Israel and later king of the Kingdom of Judah after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled to form the independent Kingdom of Israel. Seeking advice from those who once stood before Solomon, King Rehoboam was encouraged “to be a servant unto his people, to serve them and answer them, and speak good words unto them; only then would they be thy servants forever.” Lao-Tzu, in the 6th century BC, said, “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”

Some two hundred years later in India, Chanakya, writing in the Arthaśhāstra, explains the Indian way of life, expressing the general concept of servant leadership through the walk of the king: “the king [leader] shall consider as good not what pleases himself but what pleases his subjects [followers].” About 400 years later, Jesus urges his followers to be servants first: “You know that the rulers … lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave …” In a more contemporary time, Martin Luther King, Jr., a personal hero for me, taught, “If you want to be important—Wonderful! If you want to be recognized—Wonderful! If you want to be great—Wonderful! But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness … Everybody can be great because everybody can serve … you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love and you can be that servant.” By extension, you can then be a leader.

And this brings me to my love, admiration, and deep appreciation for Native America. In the interest of keeping this short, you generally do not rise to a position of leadership unless you first demonstrate your capacity to love others through your willingness to serve them. At its height, there were over sixty distinct tribes of Indians on this continent. Some of the names ring familiar: Anasazi, Apache, Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chinooks, Comanche, Creeks, Hopi, Iroquois, Kiowa, Lakota, Navajo, Nez Perce, Paiute, Pawnee, Pueblo, Shoshone, Sioux, Ute, and Wampanoag. Each tribe boasted its notable men: Red Cloud, Cochise, Squanto, Crazy Horse, Sacajawea, Pontiac, Geronimo, Tecumseh, Sitting Bull, Black Hawk, Sequoya, Pocahontas, Black Elk, Hiawatha, Chief Joseph, Standing Bear, Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, and Little Crow.

Do you see where this is going? Every Native American leader was/is a servant leader. It is, perhaps, for this reason alone the dominant culture through the centuries has so misunderstood Native Americans. Every tribe, every band, every Indian nation was/is governed by servant leaders. Indeed, the history of Native America is replete with servant leaders for one reason: no one could lead until they proved their willingness to serve. From the time they can walk, Native Americans were/are taught that service to others is the highest calling to which one can aspire. And as they grew up watching the adults serve, they were encouraged to actively seek their own ways to serve their community. Indeed, throughout their life, they were/are servants first – servants always. When you stop to consider the Native American culture, you cannot help but wonder (in amazement!) why they spend so much time helping others. The answer you will receive is simple: “This is what life is about: service to others.”

Sarah, your wonderful tribe of Hooligans is no different! As such, my advice, I suppose, is unnecessary. If you want to successfully nurture your very own tribe (and you are!), the people must first want you to lead them (they do!). With that bridge crossed, let me encourage you to seek the wisdom of the ages (seems to me you do!). From there you will want to tap into the collective consciousness—the ebb and flow—of your tribe (we see it every day!). You will best accomplish both of those tasks by first serving those you lead (my day is brighter because I know we share the same path!).

Let me encourage you to visit Lolly Daskal’s site, Lolly Daskal: Lead from Within. Her blogs—and her lovely paintings—will enlighten and enrich your life. Her recent post, Is a Belief a Fact or a Choice, resonates deeply with my own beliefs about, well, beliefs.

From my vantage point, humanity is swimming in belief systems. Beliefs permit us to be comfortable with the unknown as a means to be secure. Many beliefs promote goodness, perhaps under different names and concepts—while others herald contempt. Most are a conditioned response—a mechanism that deceives us into overlooking observations of the self because they are so generally accepted as being of great value. This casual neglect, oddly enough, detaches us. How can it be? If we are to believe something, must it not first contain truth? Yet others do not believe. Uh-oh. And, surprise of surprises, we do not always hold a fancy to another’s truth—to their belief. What’s up with that?

If we hold something to be true and believe in it, does it not retain certain value? And, at least to us, it soon represents “fact?” Yet it does not take long for another to ask, “Why?” For them, our belief is not fact. Herein lies the conundrum: our explanation may be nothing more than a speculation. Believing our speculation is THE uniquely acceptable explanation makes it incumbent on us to refrain from questioning the veracity of the explanation, unless it’s okay to be banished from our intimate circle. Said differently, when an explanation is accepted as a belief, we are either loyal or disloyal to it at our own peril.

Two notions come to mind:

First, Wayne Dyer suggests: “What you see is evidence of what you believe. Believe it and you’ll see it.” Over the years, I have come to accept beliefs are highly dependent upon perspective and circumstance. Would we hold to our current belief structure had we been born in another part of the world? For example, isn’t it perfectly reasonable to expect a child born in a Muslim country to grow up loving Allah (God, Yahweh (Jehovah), Bhagwan, etc.) through an Islamic belief system? Of course, it is. The story is similar for children born in Shanghai, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, or Nashville. We are, to a large extent, products of our environment.

Second, our beliefs typically are an outgrowth of societal norms and culture. As Lolly points out, society places a burden upon us—a very heavy burden—to accept what consensus says is so. Consensus, carefully considered, generally takes the appearance of fact; we know, however, it does little more than offer an explanation. Explanations have the tendency to engender tension. Do you recall the last time folks fought over hard facts? What about quarrels over explanations (in America, it is easy to recall quarrels over women’s suffrage and civil rights)? But a national platform is not necessary. We see them every day. Explanations must be defended because other people have their own explanation of the same phenomena—an explanation that requires a defense, too. When our belief systems are elevated to explanations of faith, we soon find ourselves in an arduous spiral.

So, is faith and belief the same thing? It may help to ask two additional questions: What separates us? What brings us together? The answer, as I see it, is elementary. A great many things separate us and very little brings us together. Said another way, beliefs separate us and faith (not talking about religion here) brings us together.

Sorry to go so long but I want to close with an observation I share with teens trying to assimilate our different beliefs to see just how much we are the same. The VERY abbreviated version goes something like this:

Like a stack of homemade pancakes, man exists within a plane of planes: Earth (flat or otherwise), the Milky Way, a galaxy, a universe. What lies beyond is certain to nudge us out of our comfort zone and, perhaps, into a brand new belief. For example, the recent Hubble Deep Field image captured hundreds of galaxies in a single view while the scientists have come to the conclusion there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in deep space—we call it the universe. But is it really THE universe? If we could stand far enough away, would we see hundreds, if not hundreds of billions, of universes comprising, I don’t know, a mega-verse? As we take the time to learn more, our beliefs must change to coincide with our discoveries. And the only option to prevent our beliefs from being turned on their head is to stop discovering. But that is not really an option at all.

The point is, if we become comfortable with our beliefs, we begin imposing them on others. When that happens, fear replaces faith and forces us to start all over again. I wholeheartedly agree with Lolly in that we do, indeed, need to let go of strict beliefs imposed upon us. As we do, fear resides and faith moves in to bring us back together. When that happens, our world becomes better for it.