Gems From Down Under
Two of my all-time favorite people are the dynamic Feldman sisters – Diann and Ali – who founded and head up the Greenleaf Centre, Australia and also operate a successful consulting firm based on servant leadership. In a recent exchange of emails, Diann shared some gems about their approach to evoking others' understanding of what it takes to be a servant-leader.
"We talk a lot about what has to be given up to be a servant-leader and what is gained; that it takes time, courage and a deep desire to see real change – deep change from within the servant-leader, not some pseudo action that won't last.
Then, conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead – but why does one aspire? [We] explore the idea that 'aspiring to lead' is about seeing the opportunities we are given to serve others, to take the lead to ensure that their high priority needs and ability to grow are foremost in our actons.
Servant-leaders aspire to lead because they see leading as another opportunity to influence the growth of others. It is likely that everyone can be a servant-leader if they raise their consciousness to the growth of others, serve this growth effectively, and also consciously choose to take the lead as a way of being able to serve others more fully."
"Listening must come from two places – a genuine place of not knowing, and from an attitude of undefended receptivity. We talk about listening to, listening for, and listening with . . ."
There is much to ponder here. The question about what one needs to give up to be a servant-leader, for example, is not popular and not often asked, but it speaks to the heart of the matter. I recall a question asked of me during a presentation in Dallas some months ago. A woman wondered how I was personally changed by doing Greenleaf's biography. I tried to reply honestly, even though it wasn't much fun: "I had to start giving up some of my grandiosity, and there are days when I really miss it."
If you go to the Greenleaf Center's Annual Conference in Indianapolis this year (June 2-4) you can look up the Feldman sisters. I'm going a day early just for the chance to "shoot the breeze" with them, as we Yanks say.
"We talk a lot about what has to be given up to be a servant-leader and what is gained; that it takes time, courage and a deep desire to see real change – deep change from within the servant-leader, not some pseudo action that won't last.
Then, conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead – but why does one aspire? [We] explore the idea that 'aspiring to lead' is about seeing the opportunities we are given to serve others, to take the lead to ensure that their high priority needs and ability to grow are foremost in our actons.
Servant-leaders aspire to lead because they see leading as another opportunity to influence the growth of others. It is likely that everyone can be a servant-leader if they raise their consciousness to the growth of others, serve this growth effectively, and also consciously choose to take the lead as a way of being able to serve others more fully."
"Listening must come from two places – a genuine place of not knowing, and from an attitude of undefended receptivity. We talk about listening to, listening for, and listening with . . ."
There is much to ponder here. The question about what one needs to give up to be a servant-leader, for example, is not popular and not often asked, but it speaks to the heart of the matter. I recall a question asked of me during a presentation in Dallas some months ago. A woman wondered how I was personally changed by doing Greenleaf's biography. I tried to reply honestly, even though it wasn't much fun: "I had to start giving up some of my grandiosity, and there are days when I really miss it."
If you go to the Greenleaf Center's Annual Conference in Indianapolis this year (June 2-4) you can look up the Feldman sisters. I'm going a day early just for the chance to "shoot the breeze" with them, as we Yanks say.
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