Category: Learning Activities

To me the three most important principles of servant leadership are listening , foresight and building community

Listening is a learned discipline that involves hearing and being receptive to what others have to say ( Northouse , 2016, p.227) . In this definition the most important component is ‘being receptive’ . I practice listening in my role as a physician everyday . I am also very fortunate to be working with an immediate superior who is a great leader by virtue of his exemplary listening skills and empathy .

Foresight is the ability to anticipate future events and plan accordingly. As per Greenleaf, this comes with ethical responsibilities –  “a leader should be held accountable for any failures to anticipate what reasonable could be foreseen and to act on that understanding “. I had a foresight moment today. A patient came in to our clinic with a ‘ cold ‘ . I was the only physician in the office, and being that we are on the verge of flu season, I called an impromptu meeting with our clinic supervisor and put our flu protocols in place, for protection of our patients and staff.

“A community is a collection of individuals who have shared interests and pursuits and feel a sense of unity and relatedness” ( Northouse, 2016, p.229) A good leader is one who inculcates a sense of oneness amongst his followers, so as the collective moves together towards a shared goal . I had a chance to go to my daughters school for a ‘meet the teacher ‘ barbeque event. It was a very well organized event, in collaboration between the teachers and parents. I commend the school leadership in fostering this community , where we are all working towards one goal i.e the education of our children .

The most challenging of these to me is foresight – getting a chance to implement  future ideas is not always possible in a hierarchical setting

My question – I think foresight is something that you either have or you don’t . Can foresight be developed / cultivated ?

References

Greenleaf, R.K. ( 1970). The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice  seventh edition. Los Angeles: Sage.

An assigned leader is someone who is deemed a leader because of their title or designation .

An emergent leader is someone who assumes leadership by virtue of their ability to influence others .

Management and Leadership

There are many similarities between management and leadership. Both involve working with people , influence, and the concern for goal achievement ( Northouse, 2006, p.13)

There are also some key differences between them . The primary functions of management are planning, organizing , staffing and controlling ( Fayol, 1916) . As per Kotter ( 1990 )The overriding function of management is to provide order and consistency . The primary function of leadership it to produce change and movement ( Kotter, 1990)

Other scholars agree with Kotter ( 1990 ) that these 2 are distinct. As per Bennis and Nanus ( 1985) ‘to manage’ means to accomplish activities and master routines, whereas to ‘ to lead’ means to influence others and create visions for change. “ Managers are people who do things right, and leaders are people who do the right thing “ ( Bennis and Nanus, 1985, p.221)

I believe both management and leadership have very important roles to play in an organization. Leadership is essential to give an organization a vision and a set of values, to lay out shared goals, and to influence others to bring about change .

Management is essential in making sure the day to day activities are carried out in an orderly and timely manner, for individuals and the organization to move towards achieving those goals. There is a considerable scope for overlap between the role of manager and leader, and often times these roles can be inter changeable .

I would like to share a personal anecdote from my work place , in which I emerged as a leader.  I recently took up the role of a champion for foreign physicians who needed to be sponsored for a Green Card by my current employers. The process was imperfect, and I persuaded the leadership to look at it indepth . I was the one with the most knowledge on this topic, so I ended up assuming the role leader in this issue. This has led to the process being revamped and an attorney being hired for this sole purpose .

My question: What would you do if you were offered a leadership position, but knew you were better suited for a managerial position ?

References:

Bennis , W.G., & Nanus, B. ( 1985).Leaders. The strategies for taking charge New York:Harper & Row

Fayol,H. ( 1916). General and industrial management. London: Pitman

Kotter, J.P. ( 1990 ) . A force for change: How leadership differs from management, New York : Free Press

Northouse, P.G. ( 2016 ) . Leadership theory and Practice seventh edition . Los Angeles : Sage