What can the AFL-CIO learn from Servant-Leadership?
Yesterday the Teamsters and Service Employees International Union announced they were bolting from the AFL-CIO and beginning their own coalition (see here and here and here). Seems the AFL-CIO boss, John Sweeney wants to spend more money on lobbying Washington (they already spend $44m/yr.) and its members want to spend more money on recruitment. This graph tells the story why (click to enlarge):
The argument will rage from many corners that unions are an idea whose time has passed. What should be clear is as the boss of the AFL-CIO, Sweeney needs to be listening more closely to those who pay his salary. When an organization is suffering declining sales, membership, etc., it is time to get back to basics. When CEOs and leaders act on their own, without attempting to truly dialogue and reach consensus with those who work for them, they often suffer the same bad publicity and hit to their organizations that the AFL-CIO finds themselves mired in today.
The argument will rage from many corners that unions are an idea whose time has passed. What should be clear is as the boss of the AFL-CIO, Sweeney needs to be listening more closely to those who pay his salary. When an organization is suffering declining sales, membership, etc., it is time to get back to basics. When CEOs and leaders act on their own, without attempting to truly dialogue and reach consensus with those who work for them, they often suffer the same bad publicity and hit to their organizations that the AFL-CIO finds themselves mired in today.
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