Right Wisdom

I put a shout out to a leader group on Linkedin to see if they could nominate anyone for the Legends of leadership piece that I do. So far I have received three good suggestions. Today I am adding my next person to my list of Legends of Leadership. It is my belief that the best type of leadership is Servant leadership. It is the highest calling of leadership it allows the leader to serve and thus lead the way that others should serve. With that in mind the latest addition to the legends of leadership is Robert K. Greenleaf (1904 – 1990). Robert Greenleaf is the founder of servant leadership although he wasn’t the first to perform this style of leadership he is the one who coined the term “servant leadership”. Most of the following information can be found on the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership website. What does Mr. Greenleaf’s resume and accomplishments look like? RESUME: ·          Director of Management Research at AT...

What type of personality do you have? What type of personality does your leader have? Have you ever been in a situation in which your personality clashes with the personality of your boss? Maybe there is something about you that your boss doesn’t like. Our fourth trait of a selfish leader according to the article “What Makes a True Leader” by JeroldAust is playing to personalities. This trait ties together with number three, playing favorites. Often times leaders click with someone’s personality and they end up showing favorites to that person. There is another aspect of this trait and that is when the leader seeks power for selfish reason. They will seek out other leaders who might be in a position of greater influence in order to eventually gain more power for themselves. You may have seen this in someone who is give a position of leadership and all of a sudden they ignore those they used to work with because they perceive them as below them. They instead seek out other leader...

Over the past five days, not including the weekend, I have been looking at servant leadership and the ultimate servant leader, Jesus. What are some things you can do to become that servant leader. First of all let's remember that Jesus performed many miracles as a servant leader. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and fed 5000 with just a meager child's lunch. We can't come close to doing the things Jesus did but if we seek first His kingdom and righteousness He will be able to help us in all that we do.   The first step to servant leadership is to humble yourself to God. Here is what we looked at this week and how they can help you become a servant leader.   Washing Feet - Serve first then lead later. Ransom Note - Give your live a ransom and serve others. Socialization - Dig in and interact with your employees. Attitude - Serve with Attitude. Have the attitude of a servant leader, always willing to give. Secret - Serve in silence and reap your h...

Everyday during your work, jobs and deeds go unnoticed. Sometimes even a job well done will go unrecognized. How does that make you feel? It can be difficult doing a task that will take you over and above what is expected of you and no one recognizes you for it. We continue our look at servant leadership. Today's verse: Matthew 6:3-4 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable  deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Another sign of a true servant leader is someone who gives and gives and gives but never wants recognition. It is like those people who give an anonymous gift and ask nothing in return. They don't want the accolades or the praise they just want to know that they did something right. When you work you are working for money so your reward is your pay. Within that job however you may find yourself going above and beyond. Sometimes you mi...

Today we continue our series on Servant leadership and the comparisons to Jesus. Jesus was the ultimate servant leader and it is His examples of servant leadership that we can embrace and follow. Today's verse: Philippians 2:5-7  "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." Jesus took on the attitude of a servant. He knew that in order to help us He had to become one of us. He humbled Himself and became a leader by serving. We have to take on that same attitude. Often leaders will exalt themselves above their employees and deem tasks too menial to do. Until the leader feels what it is like to be in that position they can't help the employees be successful. Leaders can feel the pain of what it is like by having the attitude of their employees. You might say someone n...

We are looking at Servant Leadership by examining the life of Jesus and how He was a servant leader. Today's verse: Luke 5:29 - 30 "Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"" In these verses Jesus is socializing with sinners. The low-lifes of society. That is why Jesus was here on earth to save those who were lost. To reach out to those low-lifes and let them know that they could live the high life if they just followed Him. So how does this relate to servant leadership? Sometimes leaders have to do things they don't like. Sometimes a leader has to take on a menial task to complete a project or get the job done. Sometimes leaders need to do something they don't like to do. When a leader avoids these situations they are ...

Servant leadership, the style that seems contrary to being a leader but the one that is the most satisfying for everyone involved. I started yesterday with a deeper dive into Servant leadership and specifically Jesus as the ultimate servant leader. Today's verse:  Matthew 20:27-28 "And whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many." These words were spoken by Jesus to his disciples. He was showing them that it is more important to serve than to be served. Another important aspect of servant leadership is that of the humble leader. The person who is willing to give it up for the people the person who is will to take a hit or pay the price to save those around them. Leadership really isn't about being the best or the greatest. It isn't about lording over those around you or puffing up in pride to show how great a leader you are. On the c...

During the next several days I am going to take a closer look at servant leadership. Specifically I am going to look at the ultimate servant leader, Jesus. During these blogs I am going to give you a verse and then I will look at those verses and how they relate to servant leadership. John 13:5   "After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the desciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." Feet are not the prettiest appendage. Back in Jesus time feet were a major way to get around so it isn't surprising that the feet were quite filthy and needed to be washed. Most people didn't wash other people's feet.  Back during this time footwashing was usually reserved for the lowliest of menial servants. In these verses we see Jesus washing the feet of those who were following Him. How does this relate to servant leadership? According to Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership  "Servant leadership is a persons desi...

I have been spending some time examining leadership through the powers of Superheroes. It has been fun and has given me material for a training session on leadership. To finish this series on leadership and superheroes I would like to address those superheroes who live among us. Back on September 11th 2001 when terrorists flew airplanes into the twin towers those firefighters and policeman who came to the rescue are the true heroes. They unselfishly risked their lives to save others. Maybe you know one of those firefighters or police officers. Firefighters and police officers risk their lives everyday to save others. This is true leadership. That is what a real superhero does. They give of themselves sacrificially to help others. They lead by doing and not wanting recognition. They humble themselves to make others better. Are you a super hero leader? Are you the type of leader who is willing to do what it takes to make sure others are successful. Those superhero leaders ...

This week we are going to look at various leadership styles. I will look at a few that are commonplace within the leadership institution and a few unique styles. Today I want to look at Servant Leadership these won't be deep dives into the styles but more of a general overview and my opinion of the style. The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader , an essay that he first published in 1970.  This is from the following webpage Greenleaf Center .  The term "Servant Leadership" has only been around since 1970 but the concept is been around since the beginning of time. Jesus was the ultimate Servant leader in that He was willing to lay down His life for others. It is that mentality that a leader should have if they want to drive success in their followers. Servant Leadership isn't a me first leadership style. Instead it is a you first leadership style. The leader is always looking for ways to improve and grow those aroun...

Whether you have been a leader for many years or you are just starting in your leadership adventure it is always good to find out what type of leader you are. Some people might think a leader is a leader what does it matter about the leadership style. The style of leader matters quite a bit because if you can identify what type of leader you are or your boss is then it will help with those doing the following. Once you become a leader you do not stop following. Everyone has someone they are accountable to so it is important to understand the various leadership styles. Over the next several days we will look at the various leadership styles. Some leadership styles are the same across the industry but there are other unique styles depending on who you ask. Every expert has some unique styles they have identified. I will look at the main types of leadership styles and also offer a couple of my own unique styles. This will not be a comprehensive list but ...