Serve to Lead is built upon the following principles of 21st century leadership:
1. Everyone Can Lead, Because Everyone Can Serve.
2. The Most Valuable Resource of Any Enterprise is its People.
3. We Are in Transition from a Transaction-Based World to a Relationship-Based World.
4. Leadership is a Relationship Between Empowered, Consenting Adults.
5. Leadership is a Dynamic Relationship.
6. There is No Universal Leadership Style.
7. Leadership Roles Are Converging.
8. A Leader’s Unique Task is to Imagine and Advance a Vision.
9. Love is the Highest Level of Leadership Relationship.
10. Character is a Competitive Advantage.
What do you think? In the coming weeks and months this blog will examine these principles and their implications for how we all live and work today.
For an excellent discussion of these principles–and a generous mention from one of my leadership heroes–please see Tom Peters’ blog and the stimulating comments engendered.
10 Principles of 21st Century Leadership
adapted from Serve to Lead.
One of the things I appreciated most about Serve To Lead was the blatant and unembarrassed use of the word “love.”
I recently conducted a seminar for coaches designed to provide strategies to inspire and not only motivate.
When discussing the need to demonstrate caring as a competence – a skill that could be improved through self-awareness, strategic intent and practice, I pushed the envelope to express the need to love those one coaches.
At least one person verbalized their discomfort and expressed their opinion that love was reserved for a special few, no for those at work.
I asked if I could share some thoughts from someone ESPN voted as the greatest coach in all U.S. sports history – John Wooden.
From his book Wooden On Leadership he wrote this:
“A leader in sports, business, or any other field of endeavor should possess and provide the same qualities inherent in a good parent: character, consistency, dependability, accountability, knowledge, good judgement, selflessness, respect, courage, discipline, fairness, and structure.
And while all these will make you a good leader, they will not make you a great leader. For that, one additional quality – perhaps the most important of all – is necessary. Although it may sound out of place in the tough -and-tumble context of sports or corporate competition, I believe you must have love in your heart for the people under your leadership. I did.”
Jim Strock’s leadership principle #9 is indispensable to the kind of leadership the world needs today.
Thanks so much, John, for your thoughtful and kind comment. You express such an important idea so well. And your quote from John Wooden is wonderful. Hard to dismiss him on the power of love in management and leadership!