Leadershipbydesign
News From LBD
September 2010 Vol 2 Issue 9
FEATURE STORY-

The Parable of Brother Leo


   A legend tells of a French monastery known throughout Europe for the extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks began a pilgrimage to visit Brother Leo to learn from him. Almost immediately, they began to bicker about who should do various chores.

    On the third day they met another monk going to the monastery, and he joined them. This monk never complained or shirked a duty, and whenever the others would fight over a chore, he would gracefully volunteer and do it himself.

    By the last day, the others were following his example, and from then on they worked together smoothly. When they reached the monastery and asked to see Brother Leo, the man who greeted them laughed. 'But our brother is among you!' And he pointed to the fellow who had joined them.

    Today, many people seek leadership positions, not so much for what they can do for others but for what the position can do for them: status, connections, perks, advantages. They do service as an investment, a way to build an impressive resume. The parable about Brother Leo teaches another model of leadership, where leaders are preoccupied with serving rather than being followed, with giving rather than getting, with doing rather than demanding.  Leadership based on example, not command. This is called servant leadership.
 
    Can you imagine how much better things would be if more politicians, educators, and business executives saw themselves as servant leaders?



 

What Leaders are Reading

 Servant Leadership by Robert K. Greenleaf, Larry C. Spears. This highly influential book is filled with prophetic essays on what Greenleaf coined "autocratic leadership" with a holistic approach.

The Servant Leader by James A. Autry.  Learn how to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance.

Fail-Safe Leadership by Linda Martin and David Mutchler. Straight forward talk about the leadership challenges that face most organizations. 

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LEADERSHIP TIP
OF THE MONTH


There have been many books and articles written about servant leadership.
Many organizations send their leaders and potential leaders to conferences and seminars in hopes of "catching" the servant leadership bug and becoming better leaders. Yet, when all is said and done, there is often no positive behavior change.  Why?
Because "knowledge is NOT power."  Applied knowledge is power. Applied knowledge means developing the attitudes and habits that will drive positive behavior change.  This change is formed through REPETITION.  Unless your leadership development is done repeatedly, habits won't change.  If habits don't change, the desired results won't be there.
To be a better servant leader consider enrolling you and your staff in a leadership process that utilizes the theory of spaced repetition.

For additional information contact LBD.

John Branstad
John Branstad

Quote of the Month

"Winners are motivated by desired results; Losers are motivated by comfortable means."
John Branstad
www.leadershipbydesign.org
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