Category: Leadership Character

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Course Reflections – Unit 10, Learning Activity 1

Although it has only been ten weeks, the impact of this course and what I have learned is significant. It has hopefully built a strong foundation as I move forward through the rest of the courses for this MA Lead program, which I’m doing with great excitement and anticipation.

In terms of specific learning, there are two which will be specific for me in terms of how I lead within my own context. First, to remember that transformational leadership on its own has a dark side which can lead to disastrous consequences (Northouse, 2018). The importance is to take this into account in combination with the heart of servant leadership. This hybrid form of transformational servant leadership gives so much new language to me as a leader who desires to lead effectively as part of an organization with clearly defined mission, vision, and values while also desiring to serve and impact those around me who are under my leadership. Transformational servant leadership can now become a framework for self-evaluation of my own leadership.

Second, the personal leadership challenge for me as I journey through this course and this program is to grow in empathy, in the other-focused side of my leadership. My desire is to help those I lead to understand emotionally that I believe in them, trust them, and want the best for them. Although this quote was from a unit on the course focused on women in leadership, the impact for me is profound. Inclusion is related not only to gender but to every person who I lead, every person who comes across my way. As I strive to be a more effective, more empathetic leader, this reminder to celebrate the uniqueness and belonging of each person is very helpful for me in my own leadership.

This quote from Nugent & Travis (2016) summarizes what I hope to bring to those I lead:

Employees reported feeling included when they experienced both:
• A sense of uniqueness—that they are recognized and valued for their specific attributes and contributions.
• A sense of belonging—that they are welcomed and valued as part of their workgroups and among their colleagues.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Nugent, J., Pollack, A. & Travis, D. (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf

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Gender and Leadership – Practical Inclusion Ideas – Unit 8, Learning Activity 2

As I read chapter 15 of Leadership (Northouse, 2018) and the Catalyst (Nugent, Pollock, & Travis, 2016) report I was challenged to think about practical inclusion ideas while also finding myself encouraged and grateful for the environment where I work. No situation is perfect and we should always be paying attention to the areas where we have become passive and status quo. At the same time, I can genuinely say that much of what I read about in these two resources is valued and has been implemented in my workplace.

As Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) state, employees who experience uniqueness and belonging report as feeling included. This can be a challenge as an organization grows and becomes more complex. Employees are hired to complete a task but have a desire to be recognized for who they are and that they are welcome among the larger group.

As a manager, I meet with my direct reports one-on-one every month to give organizational updates but also to ask them how they’re doing, to ask what questions they have, and to ask for updates and feedback on their current projects. This is more than a performance check-in (although it does serve that function) and becomes the place where meaningful relationships can happen and trust is built between employee and manager. These meetings happen with all employees regardless of gender and the same requests are feedback are given in all meetings.

In reflection, part of my active leadership to the team I lead could then be to have employees share great insights or feedback they’ve given and to invite this from both male and female employees in our department. For the wider team to know that I value and respect the input and insight of male and female employees alike would speak to this desire for inclusion through the feeling of uniqueness and belonging.

At the same time, from taking the Gender-Leader Implicit Association test (Northouse, 2018) I was quite surprised to find a level of gender bias within my own understanding of leadership. While I don’t believe it is possible for zero bias to be achieved, I do believe that I can work actively to overcome this bias and build this culture of inclusion among those I work alongside.

Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) also speak to these inclusion experiences in the Catalyst report as being invisible and yet expected. The challenge is that inclusion doesn’t speak to a program or workplace training but instead to something within the character of the leaders. Inclusion can’t be narrowed down to individual conversations or bulletin board material but needs to be instilled across the organization through leaders who are committed to acknowledging exclusionary behaviour and choosing to do the opposite.

In summary, I believe that our organization is doing a good job of practicing this inclusionary behaviour stemming from employees feeling a sense of uniqueness and belonging. However, we cannot assume this is automatic and will always continue so I need to pay attention to my interactions with all employees, regardless of gender, and look for ways to speak publicly of the contributions they are making to our organization’s shared goals. This needs to be modelled for other leaders within our organization who can then continue this behaviour to grow these feelings of uniqueness and belonging to every area of responsibility.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Nugent, J., Pollack, A. & Travis, D. (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf

 

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Transformational Leadership and Principles of Ethical Leadership – Unit 7, Learning Activity 2

According to Wang, Oh, Courtright, & Colbert (2011), managerial implications of findings related to transformational leadership include the following:

  1. Transformational leadership is desirable at the managerial level and therefore emphasis should be placed on hiring, training and promoting candidates who “are more likely to become transformational leaders” (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253). 
  2. Transformational leaders are most successful and have the greatest organizational impact when they are working collaboratively as part of a larger team (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253).

These two implications mean that organizations need to pay attention to the people they are promoting into senior positions of leadership. As the influence of an employee grows through promotion, it becomes more important for this person to display characteristics and traits of someone who is likely to become a transformational leader.

At the same time, an employee who demonstrates clearly that they have the ability to be seen as a transformational leader should be placed in a role where they have the opportunity to influence those around them through this style of leadership. A transformational leader who is asked to do a role which doesn’t require collaboration and teamwork is a poor organizational leadership decision.

These two implications impact me in two specific ways. First, who are the leaders within our organization who are already demonstrating the traits of transformational leadership? These people should rise to the top of the list of candidates who should be considered for collaborative, team-based roles where their transformational leadership can flourish and bring greater influence across our organization.

Second, there are some roles within my department and our organization as a whole which are mostly administrative, can be done independently and by the nature of the role don’t require collaboration. These roles are not any less important for the success of the organization but I should be careful to not expect a leader who exhibits traits of transformational leadership as someone who would be excited about a role like this, even if it means a promotion and the appearance of greater organizational influence.

According to Northouse (2018), there are five principles of ethical leadership which are summarized as respect, service, justice, honesty, and community (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).

Respect
Ethical leadership requires a level of respect for not only the people around us but also for their decisions and values. The people are not a means to the end of accomplishing our own leadership results but the people are “ends in themselves” (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).

Respect shows itself not only in how a leader treats other people but also in how the ideas, input and decisions of those around the leader are taken into consideration. Leaders who don’t respect those around them and the value they bring to a team or organization will quickly find themselves with nobody to lead.

Service
While this will always be a struggle for leaders (particular those who are used to a transactional style of leadership) there is significant value in seeing my position as a leader as an opportunity to serve those around me. The well-being of followers becomes increasingly important for an ethical leader. The desire for followers to succeed just as the leader succeeds is a mark that this principle has taken root in the life of the leader.

Greenleaf (1970, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 348) develops this further as the concept of servant leadership. The role of the servant leader is to help develop and grow followers so that the organizational objectives can be achieved.

The increasing popularity of the greater good, even in the business world (Northouse, 2018, p. 348), means this notion of servant leadership is becoming more familiar. The expectation continues to grow that part of a leader’s focus is to serve the people they are leading.

Justice
The ethical leadership characteristic of justice speaks to the need for leaders to treat people equally and with fairness. Preferential treatment shouldn’t be given by the leader to followers based on relationship and benefit to the leader. In times when followers are given different treatment, this characteristic of justice means an ethical leader will know it is important to communicate why different treatment is being given while keeping an ethical mindset in the treatment of followers.

Justice is also seen when it comes to reward and punishment. The ethical leader has a responsibility to make sure that equal treatment is given to followers based on performance or value to the team. Reward and punishment should not be given based on the leader playing favourites or looking to make a larger statement to other followers.

Honesty
Ethical leaders are expected to always tell the truth. Every leader knows this is a challenge and comes with significant nuance. While it is not always possible for a leader to be fully truthful with every person in every situation, ethical leadership requires that leaders are never dishonest with followers.

Dishonesty is lying and creates distrust. The other principles of respect, service and justice all become casualties to the leader’s lack of honesty. Dishonesty is also a display of selfishness by the leader. An act which says that the reputation of the leader is more important than the consequence of telling the truth.

Experienced ethical leaders will learn to never lie while also knowing when they should not be fully truthful. Ethical leaders understand that everyone is entitled to the truth but the timing of when that information is delivered may change depending on seniority or other organizational factors.

Community
The principle of community speaks to the ability of an ethical leader to build a group of followers toward a common goal (Northouse, 2018, p. 351). Ethical leaders understand that followers have their own desires, motivations, and intentions and this principle of community shows itself as the followers rally together, led by this ethical leader, to accomplish this common goal.

The followers are valued as individuals and their interests matter to an ethical leader. As community is built together the followers become more committed to working together, following the leader and achieving the outcome ahead of them.

Rost (1991, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 352) suggests that community as a goal itself is not enough but that ethical leadership will influence followers to even greater significance through community impact, or “attention to a civic virtue” (Northouse, 2018, p. 352). Ethical leaders build community among followers so they are able to focus not only on the goal ahead of them but on the greater good they can bring to the community around them.

Of these five, I would say all five are critical but honesty and service would stand out to me as the two most important.

As I’ve already mentioned, when a leader lacks honesty they lose all credibility, their reputation is tarnished and mistrust is built among followers. The impact is the relationship between leader and follower is significantly damaged and the ceiling on relationships between followers themselves is also very low. The likelihood of any kind of common goal being achieved in this kind of environment is very slim.

The priority of service as a principle of ethical leadership is so important because in some ways it facilitates the other four principles to happen. If my focus is on serving those around me it is incumbent on me to respect them, to treat them justly, to be truthful with them and to build community among them. When followers see a heart in a leader to serve others, this becomes relational currency for the times when the leader makes mistakes. A leader who is focused on serving others will be given more grace by followers because it is understood that the desire was there to make a decision based on the good of the followers.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Wang, G., Oh, I. S., Courtright, S. H., & Colbert, A. E. (2011). Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of research. Group & Organization Management, 36(2), 223-270. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601111401017

 

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Leadership, Ethics and Morality – Unit 7, Learning Activity 1

Leadership as a matter of competency but also of character continues to be a headline issue around the world. In terms of character traits, the expectation is growing for leaders to be of impeccable character (Northouse, 2018, p. 25).

Ethics help leaders make decisions. According to Northouse (2018), “ethics is concerned with what leaders do and who they are” (Northouse, 2018, p. 336). Ethics are not simply belief but inform behaviour. And, vice versa, a leader’s behaviour demonstrates their ethics.

The definition of ethical leadership and the role of ethics in leadership are examined in a webinar (Van Buren, 2013) and an article (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). These bring to light the moral implications of leadership behaviour as well as methods by which a leader can enable their organization to grow and flourish.

Van Buren’s (2013) definition of ethics is “principles, values and beliefs that define what is right and what is wrong behavior” (Van Buren, 2013, 3:58). Ethics are defined not only by right behaviour but also by the belief behind the behaviour. Van Buren’s (2013) reminder that being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ethical highlights that there are issues of competency and also of character when it comes to leadership.

The example of the organization who receives a donation of clothing (Van Buren, 2013) is a succinct example of the moral implication of leadership behaviour – both ethical and non-ethical. Avolio & Gardner summarize the moral component of leadership with the goal of achieving “authentic and sustained moral actions” (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 324). The internal moral compass shows itself outwardly in moral or ethical behaviour.

The moral implication of leadership behaviour is that the leader, the followers and the organization itself are all impacted by the ethics of the leader. Leaders set the moral tone for the entire organization (Van Buren, 2013). Leaders influence followers and their development (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 325-326). As Van Buren (2013) states, “all organizations can face ethical challenges” (Van Buren, 2013, 4:24) and the implication is that all organizations need leaders who believe and behave ethically.

When it comes to enabling an organization to flourish and grow, Van Buren (2013) outlines six ways a leader can create an ethical culture. A leader can be a visible role model to demonstrate ethical behaviour to influence followers and set organizational ethical values. Leaders have a responsibility to communicate ethical expectations so that employees and the entire organization understand what is considered to be right and wrong behaviour. An ethical leader will promote effective financial management to ensure the organization can achieve its goals with the available resources. Followers can grow as part of the organization when a leader provides ethical trainings to clarify and communicate not only ethical behaviour but also the values, morals and beliefs which contribute to the organization. A leader who is able to institutionalize an ethical culture develops followers to the point where ethical belief and behaviour are common and expected across the entire organization. When things don’t go as expected, a leader who is able to provide protective mechanisms will come to the help of followers and guard the organization against any kind of abuse or danger.

As I consider these six categories, the one which stands out to me the most is how I can be a visible role model. In my role as a pastor, I have the privilege of leading several employees and many volunteers. I also have public visibility to the entire congregation as I participate in worship services. I understand that my behaviour is on display and is being examined in a unique way because of my leadership position. The opportunity I have to exemplify ethical, moral behaviour (rooted in a belief system or morality and values) helps to show those I lead and our church community what is expected in terms of belief and behaviour within this ethical culture.

 

Reference
Avolio, B. & Gardner, W. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984305000263?_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Van Buren, Jane. [BuildingCapacity]. (2013, March 29). What Is Ethical Leadership? [Video File]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA.

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Light from Many Lamps – Abraham Lincoln – Unit 6

Abraham Lincoln’s ability to unite people around a cause is legendary and the focus of this story in Light from Many Lamps (Watson, 1951) is one more example. Lincoln’s second inauguration speech is remembered most for the first phrase of the closing paragraph. “With malice toward none; with charity for all” (Watson, 1951, p. 205) is the summary of the outcome Lincoln was hoping to express in this speech. As expressed by Elihu Root, “It is a living principle of action” (Watson, 1951, p. 206).

As I reflected on this story and the content of Lincoln’s speech, I couldn’t help but think about the current state of the presidency south of the border. While Lincoln is affirmed to be a man who “never willingly planted a thorn in any man’s bosom” (Watson, 1951, p. 206) the same cannot be said for today’s president.

The focus of my reflection is not political but instead an appreciation of Lincoln’s ability to bring unity to a divided country with the clear contrast of the division we see today in the United States.

Lincoln’s desire for the entire country to live with malice toward none, charity for all begins with him as a leader of impeccable character and personal resolve. Time and again Lincoln shows evidence of the four transformational leadership factors (Northouse, 2018) as developed by Bass (1985, as cited in Northouse, 2016) – idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (Northouse, 2018, p. 169-171).

Personally, Lincoln has been a significant leadership influence for me and I had the opportunity in 2016 to visit the Lincoln Memorial as part of a quick visit to Washington, DC. To see the words of this speech engraved on the wall of the memorial (photo below) was a reminder to me of the impact of having malice toward none, charity for all in my own leadership.

There are times when I will disagree with someone but as soon as malice toward them starts to happen inside of me I’ve gone beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable as a leader. In fact, the words of Jesus remind me that “Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22, New International Version). Extreme, perhaps, but it gets to the heart of the matter that our thinking toward those around us begins to influence our behaviour toward them as well.

At the same time, as a leader I have the opportunity and privilege of showing charity to those around me. Believing the best about people and the decisions they make do not come naturally but this speech of Lincoln’s is a good reminder of the power of a leader’s willingness to show charity to all.

Question
What are some specific habits you pursue in your life to keep malice subdued and to increase charity toward others?

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

 

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Servant Leadership Characteristics in Team Leadership – Unit 5, Learning Activity 2

Servant leaders who are given the responsibility to lead a team need to consider how to most effectively serve and lead when working together on projects in a group.

Spears’ ten characteristics (2010) can be seen as over-arching character descriptions of an effective servant leader and can also be taken as instructive directions and strategies for a particular situation. The habit of character, as described by Hillman (1996, as cited in Spears, 2010), points to these characteristics being both situational and longer term.

When it comes to a specific group project being led by a team leader in an organization, some of these characteristics can be used effectively to help the team succeed.

Listening
Leaders must be able to clearly identify the goals and results which are being requested in a project. The ability to ask questions, seek clarity and listen to the “said and unsaid” (Spears, 2010, p. 27) communication of what will make a project successful is key for the leader.

This equips the leader to then communicate clearly to those they are leading. In the same way that a leader must listen well to what is being asked of them, the leader must also listen well to what is being offered by the followers.

The specific talents, abilities, experience and resources which different members of the team are able to offer the leader need to be heard, recognized and encouraged for the group to be successful together.

Awareness
The power dynamic of a leadership position requires self-awareness so that a leader doesn’t obstruct or interfere in the work a team is doing together. Understanding how requests are heard by followers when asked by a leader, for example,  will impact how the leader makes the request.

Awareness also helps to facilitate leadership decisions from the Hill Model for Team Leadership, as explained by Northouse (2018). Whether a leader needs to monitor or take action, whether intervention is needed by task or relationship, and whether internal or external intervention is needed are all challenges which can be navigated by a leader with a high level of awareness.

Persuasion
By listening to followers on the team, the leader is then able to persuade the team as they work together to achieve the common goal. A servant leader is not in a position to simply do the will of the rest of the team but to serve each person on the team by helping them come to the most effective solution to the problem they are facing.

Persuasion can easily become dictatorial and driven by power so the leader needs to understand their role clearly and develop skills which allow them to be persuasive rather than manipulative. As Spears says, persuasion “offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant leadership” (Spears, 2010, p. 28).

Question
Have you experienced being a follower on a team where a leader clearly struggled with one of the ten characteristics of servant leadership from Spears? How did that impact you and the team you were a part of?

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Spears, Larry C. (2010) Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, Vol. 1 Iss. 1, 2010, 25-30. Retrieved from https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/jvl/vol1_iss1/Spears_Final.pdf

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Rank – Talk – Write

My experience has been that skill development among pastors is typically presented as leadership theory, budget management and organizational development. Kathleen A. Cahalan’s article Integrative Knowing and Practical Wisdom (2017) presents instead the reminder that pastors are practitioners who must grow toward practical wisdom.

Cahalan’s central question is presented at the end of her introduction after giving sketches of funerals led by two different pastors, one fumbling and rigid and one compassionate and merciful.  “How did this priest learn to be this kind of minister?” (Cahalan, 2017, p. 116)

Broken down by headings within the article, I found five main ideas presented:

The Intelligence of Practice
Skills can be learned in different ways which, over time, have the potential to be acted on together becoming practical wisdom.

In the Beginning
The beginning of practice acknowledges that a novice practitioner requires education, mentors, peers and opportunity to help them grow in skill and understanding.

Advancing in Practice
As practitioners advance they grow in their ability and also by internalizing the ethos of their area of skill.

Competence in Practice
As practitioners, and pastors specifically, grow in competence they develop additional skills such as foresight, empathy and seeing the bigger picture which help move them closer to practical wisdom.

Another Kind of Competence: Expertise or Unknowing?
Practitioners in many skill areas are focused on expertise while the focus for pastors is the truth that the knowledge and understanding of God will never be fully known.

Cahalan’s article (2017) is a strong reminder of the importance of “eight ways of knowing that are essential to wise practice” (p. 117). Yet the summary remains that for ministers the expression of practical wisdom is different from skill areas where “the virtues of practice are related to speed, efficiency, accuracy, and often individual effort” (p. 121). For priests and pastors to truly minister to the families they are serving, practical wisdom goes beyond skill development or increased knowledge. “Ministers who are expert practitioners require something very different: the ability to slow down and contemplate what God is doing” (p. 121).

Reference
Cahalan, K. A., Foley, E., & Mikoski, G. S. (2017). Integrating Work in Theological Education. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1500058&site=eds-live

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LRDS 500 – Follow the Leader

The blessing and the curse of social media abundance is every voice – positive, negative, constructive or damaging – has the opportunity to be amplified. Over the years I have been impacted in many positive and constructive ways by Paul Baloche and how he has led so well through multiple social media platforms.

Paul is a worship leader, pastor and songwriter who spent most of his career in Texas and now lives in New York City. He is the writer of many familiar worship songs sung by millions of people around the world and has been able to keep his focus on serving Jesus, serving the church and serving other leaders.

Paul’s social media platforms are generally used to share his ideas around gratitude, encouragement and the importance of family. He speaks often about the tension of being a Christian leader who lives in a spotlight with the necessity of promoting his own work, revealing more of his character and his desire to be a leader who serves well.

As a way to highlight each of these ideas, here are posts from three of Paul’s social media accounts.

Gratitude: 
https://twitter.com/paulbaloche/status/1041774763532840963

Always grateful when I get to lead with @verticalworship Yesterday was so encouraging.

Encouragement:
https://www.facebook.com/PaulBaloche/videos/265365450775055

Your Mercy – An incredible reminder that no matter what you’re going through God’s arms are always open wide and He’s always wanting and willing to cover you with His mercy.

Family:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm1nH1RHd3i

Our whole family! (Since several of you asked “where’s David”?) 1 wife, 2 daughters, 1 son, 2 son-in-laws, 2 grandkids, and 1 mother-in-law 🙂

Paul’s consistent reminders to me and leaders around the world about the importance of gratitude, encouragement and family have spurred me on time and time again. Leadership can be difficult and leaders can often get caught up in their own problems, their own struggles and their own isolation.

To be encouraged in these ways has helped me take my eyes off my own situation and remember the focus of my leadership is to help the people I am leading by serving them, by encouraging them, by expressing my gratitude to them and by helping them become all they were created to be.

Although this can be easy to forget, Paul’s reminders over the years have been very timely and had significant impact in my life.

As a dad, the way Paul publicly values his wife, his kids and now his grandchildren has helped me to remember that my family are the ones who should benefit the most from who I am. Family is not meant to get the leftovers of my leadership benefits or be pushed to the side in the pursuit of any kind of success.

The larger context for what I see in Paul’s leadership is the fact that he is a globally recognized leader when it comes to worship ministry and songwriting. His skill is without question and yet his greatest impact in my life has come through his character, his heart and who he is as a person rather than what he has accomplished as a leader.

Since Paul’s leadership carries global impact with generational influence it feels strange to offer suggestions or advice. My only recommendation and hope would be for Paul to continue pressing on, even as he’s honest about his own struggles with self-promotion amid the abundant noise of leadership advice.

As well, the value of Paul as an older, wiser, experienced leader with a track record of both skill and character can never be underestimated. Paul’s voice is so needed in a world of instant celebrity, quick rise to success and here today, gone tomorrow influence. Experience and wisdom like Paul’s are impossible to buy and are literally priceless.

I am grateful for Paul’s leadership through social media but more than that I am grateful for his friendship and mentorship in my own life. To know that how Paul portrays himself online is paralleled by who I’ve seen him to be over the years is a great encouragement to me.

I have said several times that I would like to be more like Paul Baloche when I grow up! My hope is that the way that I live my life and the way that I lead would speak to the same ideas of gratitude, encouragement and the importance of family as Paul does.

Enjoying some authentic New York pizza with friend and mentor, Paul Baloche.

 

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LDRS 500 – Unit 1, Learning Activity 5

Reading through this list of servant leader characteristics from Spears (2002, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 229-230) left me feeling like I now have a more complete understanding of servant leadership. To be able to summarize such an abstract concept into these ten traits was very helpful and may have been the first time I have seen servant leadership defined in this way.

As I read the list and reflected on the rest of this chapter focused on servant leadership, these are the three characteristics which stood out to me as I thought about my own leadership.

Empathy
The words of Romans 12:12-15 speak so much about empathy and how we can, to the best of our ability, “truly understand what followers are thinking and feeling” (Northouse, 2018, p. 229):

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn (New International Version)”

Leaders who can rejoice and mourn alongside those they are leading display this empathetic characteristic of servant leadership.

Conceptualization
A charity formed in response to some kind of response could be considered conceptualization within the framework of servant leadership.

Scott Harrison, the founder of Charity: Water, was gripped by what he saw in his time in Benin and Liberia. As a response he envisioned an organization which could respond to the water crisis he witnessed.

“I volunteered aboard a hospital ship with a humanitarian mission to Benin and then Liberia, West Africa, and saw extreme poverty for the first time. One year turned into two, and while I was there, I saw people drinking dirty water from ponds, rivers and swamps – simply born into communities without access. It shocked and angered me, and I began learning more about the world’s 800 million people living without access to clean water. I returned to NYC to help them, and started charity: water (Schawbel, 2013).

Building community
Employees who come together to create a workplace culture that promotes relationship and community would be an example of servant leadership. This could be a group of staff who go beyond the duties of their paid roles and look for opportunities to work together. Employees finding ways to come together to impact their local neighbourhood or helping co-workers create meaningful friendships would be possible outcomes of this servant leadership characteristic.

For me, there is no question empathy is the most challenging of the ten characteristics of a servant leader. My own lack of empathy and my awareness of this shortcoming has been a struggle in my life and leadership for many years. I am hopeful to one day see my own life marked by rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn as a clear sign of growing empathy.

Question
Who is a mentor or person of influence in your life who has consistently modelled these characteristics of servant leadership?

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Schawbel, Dan. (2013, July 22). “Scott Harrison: How He Started Charity: Water And What He Learned In The Process.” Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/07/22/scott-harrison-how-he-started-charity-water-and-what-he-learned-in-the-process/.