The Servant Warrior Leader
Foreword
Discovering 'Authentic Leadership'
There is nothing in the world that has a more profound
impact, for better and worse, than leadership. Leadership in all its
dynamic forms represent in real terms one of the most significant factors
in determining the successes and failures of human beings. Yet, many
see leadership from an internal locus of control, something one exercises
upon others, something that exists to fulfill the need to
manage, direct, and organize people toward a common goal.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Real leadership, in its most
effective form, inspires and motivates people.
It's what leadership coach Phil Johnson terms in his Master of Business
Leadership program (MBL) as 'authentic leadership'. To celebrate one's
unique and authentic self, with the goal of serving and inspiring others
- this is possibly the most liberating discovery a
developing leader can make. Authentic leadership is self- empowering
- yielding greater personal and organizational results.
The idea of being true to oneself is not new, Shakespeare penned about
it long ago. But our world's modern day leadership often reflects yesterday's
approach as we struggle to shake the leadership hangover from the past.
By overcoming the fear that breeds victims within us, and by rejecting
the power-based win-lose "carrot and stick" leadership that
much of our world is still unconsciously practicing, we can begin to
be true to ourself.
That's the point when authentic leadership naturally takes hold. Even
strong leaders could be achieving greater results by simply focusing
on inspiring others which in turn raises the level of engagement of
every employee and team member. The payoff is huge.
What does authentic leadership look like and how is it different?
Good leaders motivate people to become high performers and achieve goals
both individually and collectively.
Good leaders are able to neutralize or diffuse conflict and transform
it into a positive force moving in a focused direction toward the goal.
They also have a stabilizing effect in an organization during turbulent
times. And good leaders are usually always strong communicators.
But today that's simply the employment prerequisite in many organizations.
What Phil Johnson's coaching program makes alarmingly clear is that
even consistent high achievers can often be leaving results on the table
because they may be missing out on several critical ingredients. Honesty
and compassion are two of them
that can make an overwhelming difference.
An example of a 'master' of authentic leadership
Authentic leadership isn't some kind of "strategy du jour"
for modern leaders, it has always existed. It's not a societal construct
cooked up by a management consultant or business school. It's all around
us, but most of us just
aren't aware of it. And, as Phil points out, that's because nobody told
us, "we don't know what we don't know".
But looking closely at well known leaders in history, we can spot some
of the truly successful ones who developed an ability to empathize,
who sought to first understand rather than be understood, and who always
maintained a strong value system that was transparent and respected.
Abraham Lincoln is a standout. There are many in our past that are revered
on coins and monuments, and this doesn't necessarily mean they were
particularly great leaders. Lincoln however, was a master and embodied
all the elements of an exceptional leader. He may be one of the few
political leaders in the world whose words, actions and results even
to this day act as an inspirational example of the best leadership can
be. In my view, Lincoln was great because he possessed the critical
traits of honesty, compassion, and a 'people' approach to results.
He seemed doomed to fail - shortly before he took office in 1861, the
southern states seceded from the US federal Union. He was perceived
as an awkward inexperienced lawyer from a small constituency. Many predicted
he would be the last U.S. President. Yet he achieved such enduring results
when so much seemed stacked against him. Through the years of conflict
that marked the American civil war, Lincoln always practiced a degree
of honesty that cemented his reputation as a man with the highest level
of integrity and fairness (his moniker was "Honest Abe"),
and it provided him a great degree of leeway with his critics when he
needed it, and an incredible
loyalty from his governing team as well as ordinary citizens who might
have otherwise lost faith in him and the Union.
In addition to his honesty, historical accounts widely note Lincoln
possessed a remarkable compassion and empathy for all, even for those
that he privately acknowledged perhaps didn't deserve it. He always
gave people the benefit of the doubt, even his underperforming generals
and his opposition that frequently attacked him. To be sure, he was
a highly results oriented man, he held those
around him accountable but never personally took responsibility for
their own actions, he left that to them, empowering and encouraging
them where necessary but clearly articulating what was expected every
step of the way. And it's Lincoln's sense of empathy and understanding
that paved the way for his place in the history books.
At the end of the civil war, the issue of the South's fate was hanging
in the balance. Lincoln avoided the mistake that so many in history
before and after had made. He didn't publicly persecute the Confederate
leaders, nor did he penalize and hold down the South through punitive
trade and governing restrictions, instead he began a long healing and
unification process by making the South a stakeholder in the nation.
Lincoln was not vindictive in the least, he knew that people always
want to know how much you care, and he made frequent and genuine efforts
to show it.
Like all good leaders, Lincoln was ultimately all about results. But
he knew results come from people, not memos and directives. Authentic
leaders view results as a direct derivative of strong people relationships.
For Lincoln people always came first, results were simply something
that were produced when they're truly empowered, inspired and motivated.
Lincoln spent a great deal of time out of the White House and in the
field meeting with commanders, citizens, civic leaders and others. It's
one of the reasons he's widely viewed as having been a 'man of the people'.
If Abraham Lincoln was alive today he would be trumpeting the MBLProgram.
Many of the tools and insights that he discovered and used during the
course of his life are very consistent with what's offered in this program.
What I love most about Phil Johnson's MBL program
Awareness of what's holding you back
Phil's program helps to peel back the layers of how we look at ourselves
and others and it reveals, in Phil's words, the "many stories we
tell ourselves". These self fulfilling stories are fuelled by the
fear, habits and perceptions that we individually harbour but which
we are mostly unaware of. Once we become aware of those fears, habits,
and perceptions, as well as the walls we build around ourselves as a
result, there ceases to be an
excuse for anything less than full engagement in all aspects of our
lives. It's amazing how many stories I was telling myself, and now I
find I'm calling myself on it. It's this level of awareness of what's
truly holding us back that helps pave the way for incredible results
that all of us are capable of.
The wood/heat syndrome
The MBL program promotes a basic and powerful philosophy: 'If you want
more, give more'. I love this, it's really tied into the concept that
teamwork and relationships can't be 'conditional', and it turns 'carrot
and stick' management on its head. Phil talks about how the "I'll
give you wood if you give me heat" syndrome doesn't work - by giving
the wood rather than asking for heat, conflict often melts away and
forward momentum is sustained. I have personally embraced this approach
and it has had a significant impact on several relationships
where I now feel a breakthrough has truly been achieved.
The toxic leader
At some point in our careers we all have or will likely come into contact
with the 'Toxic Leader'. This is the person who is so old school and
wrestling internally with so much fear that they simply poison the organization
with their habits and actions. Yet they survive. It would be easy simply
to avoid these people, but often we have no
choice but to face them. By lowering our own walls and focusing on what's
really important, we become authentic and it's the best way to engage
the toxic leader. It frustrates them of course, they want desperately
to steal everyone's energy and encourage others to also become the victims
that they already are. These types usually
leave the organization once the culture turns against them, but until
that happens they act as an obstacle to achieving high performance results.
The MBL program better prepares you to deal with the 'toxic leader'
by helping you first avoid becoming a victim of your own self,
and also preparing you from becoming a victim of those who masquerade
as real leaders.
Most people all want to have an impact within our organizations and
communities. The truth is that results come from people, and people
that are fully engaged deliver better results. Engaged people are those
that are highly motivated and truly inspired by authentic leadership.
Phil Johnson's MBL program is a unique and brilliantly
straightforward approach to leadership that will raise your awareness
of what may be holding you back and help you strive to be the only servant
warrior leader you should ever be waiting for - You!
Jeff Hayward
Vice President, Marketing
Global Fortune 500 Software Company