Leadership is Conceptuatization - Greenleaf Pt 6

Several years ago, I was learning how to schedule students for classes within a school software system. In the process of building the master schedule, I made a suggestion to my mentor regarding the placement of study halls and the maximum number of students per section. My suggestion was that we schedule only one study hall section per period and set a maximum of 30 students per section. My mentor had a hard time holding back a laugh of disbelief. "Try it and sees what happens," was his smug response. In my tentative confidence I said, "I think I will!"

With just a few key strokes, the study halls were in place and a simulation was begun. At the end of the simulation, the computer gives a statistical printout of the % of students that could schedule with the parameters presented. A good percentage for an initial simulation was 60-70%. As the computer gyrated in the scheduling process, I was anxious to see how my first attempt would fair. Once the computer had finished doing its thing, I hit the statistics screen.... 25%! No way! My high expectations were not just disappointed but were totally devastated.

My good natured mentor did not rub it in too much - he simply explained that the computer made the study halls a priority. It interrupted any free period as a request for a study hall. As soon as the study halls filled up, all the other students were unable to schedule and the computer kick them out of the system. The mentor always added study halls after all the other scheduling was complete. I had missed the big picture and failed to understand the overall process of the software. My inability to conceptualize the big system and the "thinking" of the computer program, made my idea sink like a lead balloon.

Greenleaf, in his definition of Servant Leadership, provides ten characteristics of effective leadership. One of those characteristics is conceptualization. Larry Spears (2010) states,
"The ability to look at a problem or an organization from a conceptualizing perspective means that one must think beyond day-to-day realities.....The traditional leader is consumed by the need to achieve short-term operational goals. The leader who wishes to also be a servant leader must stretch his or her thinking to encompass broader-based conceptual thinking.....Servant leaders are called to seek a delicate balance between conceptual thinking and a day-to-day operational approach."

I see this concept of leadership being significantly different from the concept of vision. Vision is the ability to see the organization is 5-10 years and what the organization can and should become. Conceptualization, in my mind, is the ability to see the 30,000 foot view of the organization. It is the ability to go to the balcony and see the organization as a whole system of systems. It is more along the lines of Peter Senge's (1990) 5th Disciple of system thinking. Being able to see how the various departments and individual leaders within the organization relate to one another is the key to conceptualization.

Recently, I managed to offend an entire department within my organization with one huge response that lacked sensitivity. The leader of the department and her office manager both resigned because of the organization demonstrated a lack of support for their program. That was not my heart, it was not my intention, in fact, it was the opposite of my agenda, but a lack of conceptualization resulted in an offense big enough to result in a resignation. The effective and wise servant leader takes a trip to the balcony often and looks at the organization with the eyes of conceptualization. Where are things going smoothly and where are personnel working in great collaboration? Where are there tensions that pulsate with frustration and mistrust? Where are ideas flowing with creative collegiality and where are the communication lines plugged with gossip and pessimism?

Sometimes leaders fail to see the critical processes within the organization. Some miss the folly of concentrating on study halls that prohibit the effectiveness of the overall schedule. As I found out in the scheduling process and, again recently, in dealing with the needs of organizational programs, understanding the overall process is absolutely essential to the effectiveness of the bigger system. Conceptualization is critical to servant leadership.


Spears, L.C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1:1(25-30).

Senge, P. M. (1990) The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday.

30,000 foot view (image: Peter Kaminski)

Leadership is Persuasion - Greenleaf Pt 5

I sat in my office rather depressed. I had tried all week..... spent hour upon hour in problem solving and reflective brainstorming without resolution. The deadline was quickly approaching and time seemed to be slipping away. Along came an answer to my prayers. A fellow worker poked his head into my office and smiled. My halfhearted wave communicated distress and within a moment, he was sitting across from me with his ears attuned to my message.

"What's up," he asked. "You look really down." I explained the complexity of my difficulty, the best I could. His response was quick and to the point. "I totally believe in you. I have no idea how to fix your problem, but you are one of the smartest guys I know. You can figure this out; take a break; breathe some smart air outside; then come back inside and "tip the canoe." (his expression for creative problem-solving). I took that walk, and inhaled several deep lungs full of smart air, and sat back down in my well worn desk chair. Within moments things began to click, two hours later I was well on my way to victory, the corner had been turned.

My friend's words of encouragement stand in contrast to shouts of those who attempt to get things done by coercion and pressurized deadlines. My pal's words provided freedom and confidence that enabled creative juices to flow. Authoritarian mandates and edicts from the ivory tower only squeeze off the conduits of ideation. Mandates are much like my little league baseball coach that would scream at us if we made an error - it only made me more nervous the next time a ball was hit my way.

Greenleaf (1991) included the characteristic of persuasion in his list of servant leadership qualities. Persuasion can take many forms but the result is still the same - a willing partnership designed to accomplish a shared vision of purpose. As I have reflected on this concept of persuasion, four concepts or methodologies come to mind.

First, persuasion effectively takes place by a simple appeal for help. There are some people in my life that are a simple phone call away for support. A face-to-face solicitation for assistance immediately sets action into place. Those colleagues are ones with servant's heart and kindred spirits toward collaboration. I am easily persuaded to come along side these co-laborers and they quickly respond to my appeals for input.

A second effective approach to persuasion comes in the form of edification and encouragement of the talents and gifts of others. The recognition of skills and talents in others can ignite intrinsic motivators in the hearts of people. A leader must take several steps to make this happen. Initially, the leader must be sensitive enough to notice the skill sets of another person. Then, the leader must be intentional to comment on the high quality of performance of that individual. Finally, the leader should use the comment to inspire the person to continue to use that strength in effective ways.

Thirdly, a logical, convincing, presentation of facts can persuade others to support your ideas. The most effective persuasion often occurs within the intellect of individuals. A rational explanation of research is difficult to ignore. Preparation before presentation is critical. A poorly done report can often destroy a powerful concept. A systematic outline followed by a realistic bottom-line is a good formula for potent persuasion.

Finally, large group persuasion should not be overlooked by the leader. Inspiring and motivating the entire organization is a key component to effective leadership. Clear communication... powerful words... motivating appeals... inspiring challenges... these must be the skills of an individual who hopes to be used as a servant leader. One-on-one relationships are critical; persuasion within small groups and project teams moves strategic plans into motion; but large group dynamics allow for wide-spread vision-casting. Helping the entire organization to understand its institutional mission can best take place as all of the employees hear the message at one time, all together.

Persuasion is all about communication. One-on-one, the team dynamic, and the large group setting are all important arenas for the art of persuasion.

Greenleaf, R.K. (1991). The servant as leader Indianapolis, IN; The Robert Greenleaf Center.

Leadership is Awareness - Greenleaf Pt 4

The recent TV show, Undercover Boss , is an interesting study of CEOs of national organizations, who go undercover and disguise themselves as entry level employees, in order to gain an awareness of what is really going on within their large companies. Often times they are disappointed with some aspects of their organization's performance; they are usually touched by the commitment level of most of their employees; most of the bosses find policies and procedures that need to be changed to better their productivity and effectiveness.

It is quite embarrassing, if not inexcusable, when a boss has to admit, “I know that I am the CEO, but I had no idea what was going on.” Being aware of general issues of values and ethics; of overall trends and behavior; of corporate policies and practice; and of products and services is the mark of an effective leader.

Greenleaf (1991) suggests 10 characteristics of servant leadership. Recent blogs have made comments on Listening, Empathy, and Healing. This entry will explore characteristic number four. In the days ahead, I will touch on the remaining elements: Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Commitment to the Growth of People, and Building Community. This is quite a list of characteristics to be emulated.

The degree of awareness that a leader processes enables him/her to wisely understand various situations and to make decisions from a holistic perspective. The purpose of awareness from Greenleaf's (1991) perspective is to fulfill the needs of others and to persuade subordinates toward the common good. As I have considered this concept, three thoughts have dominated my thinking. First, for a leader to be aware, he/she must get out of the office. The concept of MBWA (managing by walking around) is such a key habit for leaders. The ivory tower syndrome is so easy to adopt for the leader as one's office becomes a second home and the lap-top is embraced as one's best friend. Scheduling specific times to leave the office and walk around, touching base with the people of the organization can enable the leader to get a sense of what is happening behind the scenes. Talking and listening, as well as being visible, can enhance the sensitivity of the leader to the needs and concerns of the organization.

Second,and closely linked MBWA, is the idea of margin. It is so difficult, and yet so imperative, for a leader to build enough margin in his agenda to take time to observe. In inductive Bible study, there are typically three steps: observation, interpretation and application. The more time spent in observation, the more accurate the interpretation. As the student of the Bible takes time to observe what is on the page, insights and truth begin to surface. So it is with leadership. The deeper the ability to see, the greater the awareness of the leader. A leader must be careful to full his/her schedule with enough space to observe. Building margin into the day permits the leader to address the unexpected and still have time to assess and evaluate the bigger picture of organizational life.

Finally, for awareness to become a reality, the tyranny of the urgent must be avoided.The call of the to do list is never ending. The cries of the few will stuff the agenda with hours of meetings Problems and issues are like wild fire- just a spark and they begin to blaze out of control. So many people want to down-load their concerns to the leader. Everybody's problem needs to be addressed today. The urgency of others will invade the calendar of the leader if given a chance. But the leader must be careful to filter the mountain of administrivia in order to make room for the important. The details of the demands of business can push out the priorities of importance if the leader is not careful to increase his/her ability of awareness.

MBWA, margin, and avoiding the tyranny of the urgent are a few pragmatic habits that can increase the awareness of the leader.

Photo:by Matthew Rough

Greenleaf, R.K. (1991). The servant as leader Indianapolis, IN; The Robert Greenleaf Center.

Leadership is Healing - Greenleaf Pt 3

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can leave scars that last a lifetime.” - D. Rough

“By His stripes we are healed” - Isaiah 53:5

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” - James 5:14-15

The topic of healing is a controversial one in almost every context. The Christian church has been divided over physical healing for hundreds of years. Some believers hold that God heals on a regular basis and should be an anticipation of those with faith. Others see healing as a rare supernatural intervention that, in God's grace, is a miraculous gift to the recipient. Still others feel that physical healing was a gift of the Holy Spirit for the first century church only and is not operative today. And yet others believe that healing is primarily an inner wholeness of the emotion and a strength to withstand the physical ailments of the body. Regardless of your doctrine stand on physical healing, I hope that we could all agree on the transforming power of God to heal the inner man of the deep wounds of sins committed or received (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whether we are the guilty dispenser of sin or the innocent recipient of the sins of others, wounds and scars remain.

One of the most interesting concepts of servant leadership that Greenleaf (1991) offers is that of healing. In Greenleaf's thinking, healing refers to the mending of broken relationships and wounded emotions suffered by followers. A shared search for wholeness between leader and the led is a powerful element in Greenleaf's explanation of servant leadership.

As I am reflecting over this leadership principle of healing, I am impressed with several ideas. The first thought that came crashing into my mind was the need for leaders to understand the forgiveness process. Forgiveness is a two-way, dynamic interchange. Forgiveness involes both seeking and granting. When I sin by offending another person, I must humbly (and hopefully, quickly) go to that person and seek forgiveness. Seeking forgiveness does not involve a rationalization for my sin or an attempt to blame or share my sin with anyone else; but rather it means a straight up admission of my wrong-doing, of my stupidity, of my error....of my sin. Seeking forgiveness demands a true humility and sorrow for the hurt caused. This is a difficult thing to do because we must burry our pride and take the action appropriate to our guilt. The other side of the coin may at times be even harder to accomplish....granting forgiveness. When the human instrument of our wound comes seeking our forgiveness, we often times do not want to give it.... we want revenge or retribution. The person does not deserve to get away it with only a simple apology! And yet, we sometimes fail to realize that the granting forgiveness brings about the healing in our lives. The granting is the catalyst for transformation – the guilty finds release; the victim finds restoration.

A second thought regarding healing involves change. Words are the powerful beginning to the healing, but time addresses the deeper scars. I overheard a wise teacher tell his students several times when a student recognized that he/she had done something wrong, “Sorry is good, change is better.” In the healing process, saying you're sorry is good...in fact it is a brave and excellent thing to do. But demonstrating your sorry through a changed life is even better. The healing balm continues to soothe as change in attitudes, actions, and reactions consistently reinforce the words of confession. Leaders need to be careful to live out their words of contrition... to demonstrate their sincerity with consistent authenticity.

One final thought involves the long-range commitment to healing. For the health of the individual, of relationships, and of the entire organization, I would recommend that every leader develop long fuses and keep short accounts. A long fuse keeps frustration, anger, and irritation under control. The old recipe of “counting slowly to 10”, can be a powerful practice in lengthening the fuse. The wise advice of “sleeping on it, before you make a rash decision,” can help us avoid the short fuse, knee-jerk reactions to life. The keeping of short accounts means to to quickly clear the air of disagreements and offenses. If a person offends you, don't brood about it or stir the pot of irritation; instead just go and have a talk...share your hurt, and your heart and make things right. Keeping a record of offenses without resolution, can build walls of bitterness and resentment. The “long account” will soon result in a debt that cannot be paid without a huge expense to the relationship. Leaders need to role model this short-account approach to conflict resolution.

I firmly believe that there is a direct correlation between the emotional and the physical,,, between one's spiritual health and one's physical vitality. So as a leader focuses on the emotional and relational healing that is desperately needed in today's organizations, I think a great deal of physical healing will result as well.

Greenleaf, R.K. (1991). The servant as leader Indianapolis, IN; The Robert Greenleaf Center.

Photos found at Flickr click on photo for source information

Leadership is Empathy - Greenleaf Pt 2

I walked into his office, greeted with a handshake and a friendly smile. “Have a seat, Dave. Can I get you a cup of tea or something cold to drink?” After a bit of chit-chat about some of the activities of the past week, he shared, “Dave, I sense that you have come in to talk about something heavy on your heart, what's on your mind?” During the conversation that pursued, he was focused on my words and thoughts. Although he did not always agree and even challenged my thinking on a few things, I knew that he was really trying to understand my position. At the end of the time together, I left confident that we were on the same team, working toward the same goal.

A few days later, I had a regularly scheduled meeting with another leader in the organization. The offer of a soft drink and some preliminary chat-chat was similar to the other leader's approach. But when we began talking about business, I quickly felt overwhelmed with barrage of questions and demands for up-dates on progress that had been made. Instead of a sharing of concerns and a collaborative spirit, there was an atmosphere of intimidation. He did not always agree and he challenged my thinking without really trying to understand my position. At the end of our time together, I felt that we were on opposing sides forced to do things his way.

In my experience with leaders over the years, I have found some to be very good listeners...and some that seem to have hearing loss. I have shared ideas and concerns with some leaders that communicated with me by providing their attention and focus to my comments.... while others appear distracted and even irritated during the conversation.But even with good listeners, there are those leaders that have a deeper ability, not just to understand my concerns, but also to empathize with my situation.

Empathy, one of Greenleaf's (1991) characteristics of servant leadership, enables leaders to communicate the value they place on others. People need to feel accepted and desire to be recognized for their special and unique contributions to the organization. Employees deeply appreciate leaders that are interested, not only in their work productivity, but also their personal lives. A leader's interest in an employee's family life, church activities and personal health communicates the concern and value that the leader places on the individual.

Empathy certainly goes beyond a personal concern for the employee. Empathetic listening in regard to working conditions, professional relationships, and creative ideas is essential for building the trust and confidence of others. How can a leader who does not understand you, represent you in organizational decisions? How can you trust a leader to institute change on your behalf, when you are not confident he values you as an employee? Empathy is a characteristic that every servant leader must develop. The skill and practice of empathetic listening should be a major focus in the office of every organizational leader.

There is, however, a dark side of empathy that must be recognized. Empathy often makes decision making more cumbersome. Desiring to be sensitive to the feelings and perspectives of others, the leader may find that information gathering can be a slow and long process. Some decisions need a quick response and decisive action. Some difficult decisions will not please everybody. Effective empathy engages one's emotions – but emotions are not always the best basis for decision making. Empathetic listening can confuse the facts. How important it is to consider the heart; to listen with deep convictions, to demonstrate great support and understanding of others; but leaders must carefully utilize their listening for the benefit of all...in order to accomplish the purpose and the shared vision of the organization.

Greenleaf, R.K. (1991). The servant as leader Indianapolis, IN; The Robert Greenleaf Center.

Empathy Graphic found at http://philosophy.fullerton.edu/EmpathyMain.htm