Tag: Servant Leadership

Servant Leader—Right for Your Leadership Training?

The founder of Servant Leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf, posited that servant leaders are different from traditional leaders because they don’t exercise power from the “top of the pyramid,” but share their power with those they manage and “serve.” They put others’ needs first and help their employees develop and perform at as high a level […]

An Introduction to Servant Leadership

The concept of “servant leadership” pivots on the philosophy that when leaders serve, both leaders and followers collectively enrich their lives, builds better organizations, and, ultimately, creates a better place for humanity. It also centers on the idea that people are naturally kind, positive, humble, open-minded, and have a high degree of self-control. While it […]

Bring your parents to work and show them what they helped you achieve

by Dan Oswald Recently, one of my colleagues suggested that we have a “bring your parents to work” day at the company. It’s a great idea and one that I, frankly, would have never thought of even though it makes perfect sense. Many companies have a “bring your kids to work” day, although many people […]

Step up and make a difference in someone’s life

by Dan Oswald Early last year, Yesenia Diosdado, just 11 years old, got off her school bus near her home in Lexena, Kansas. As the bus pulled away, Yesenia noticed that a three-car accident had occurred at a busy nearby intersection. Police and emergency workers were on the scene attending to the victims. Yesenia wandered […]

Politics and religion aside, Truett Cathy still great example of servant leader

by Dan Oswald I recently wrote about servant leadership, mentioning that it has long been a concept that intrigues me. I used as an example—in part because of his recent passing—Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A. My choice for an example wasn’t universally embraced by those who read the entry. Many of the negative comments […]

Chick-fil-A founder was embodiment of servant leader philosophy

by Dan Oswald I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the phrase “servant leadership.” While servant leadership is a concept I’ve heard about many times in the past, I wasn’t sure where it originated, so I did some research and found that the phrase was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, […]

Have Your Leaders Learned These 6 Leadership Lessons?

A recent Gallup poll shows that only 30 percent of Americans are actively engaged at work. According to Gallup’s chairman and CEO, fully 20 percent of American employees are actively disengaged because they have “bosses from hell that make them miserable.” In turn, these employees “roam the halls spreading discontent.” But wait—there’s good news. According […]

Lessons on life and leadership from Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Dan Oswald Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Inarguably, he accomplished much during his lifetime, and there certainly are lessons we can learn from his approach to life and leadership. King was a man who developed a followership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—made up of […]

What Makes an “Employee of the Year”?

Last week I wrote about the importance of employee recognition and described our company’s version of the “employee of the year” award. I got to thinking about our most recent award recipient and what set her apart from her peers. What was it about this award winner that caused her coworkers to nominate her and […]