servant or self-serving?

In a discussion with a colleague earlier this week, the idea came up of the difference between servant leadership and self-serving leadership...and what may be a supposed fine line between the two.  Of course, very few people would admit to engaging in self-serving leadership and would claim that they were all about servant leadership; very few people would want to be known as self-serving leaders and would rather be lauded as servant leaders; very few people would be able to recognize self-serving leadership in themselves and would be quick to point out how they are actually practicing servant leadership; and very few people understand the difference between the two, especially in themselves.  Even as I write this blog and think about this topic, I am putting myself at risk of being seen as someone who might be more self-serving than a servant in my own leadership.

So what might the difference look like?  And is it possible to be both a servant leadership and self-serving at the same time?  What follows are a few ideas about the differences between the two:

• Pride: leaders should take pride in their work and the execution of strategy for their organization.  Where that pride is placed is one indicator of whether one is a servant or self-serving leader
• Recognition of Others: when leaders recognize the accomplishments of others, is the end result a stronger and more constructive organization or is it only that more people appreciate the leader mentioning their names?
• Execution: as strategy is rolled out and executed upon, do others thank the leader for their vision and determination or do they look around and thank each other?
• Communication: who is at the center of the story the majority of the time? and who determines what gets said, when it is said, and how it is said?
• Decision Making: how does the leader react when decisions are made outside of her or his purview? are decisions mostly centralized or pushed out to others?
• Vision: Is the vision about something bigger and more aggrandizing? or is the hero of the story the client or the one being served?

While none of these ideas are exact and readily seen or known, they begin to give an indication of whether or not one is a servant leader or a self-serving leader.  The paradox of this concept is that in order to serve others, leaders may have to act at times in a manner that is perceived as self-serving.  One of the things I tell up-and-coming leaders is that they must be able to embrace the paradox that it is all about them AND not at all about them.  This is not an exact science...there are no 21 rules or 7 habits of determining whether one is being a servant or self-serving...and it would not be fair to determine for someone else, based on these concepts, whether they are a servant or self-serving leader.  My hope is that as I have thought about this concept, so will you.  And, when looking in the mirror, you will be able to tell the difference and begin to shape yourself more toward being a servant for those you lead.

when disagreements arise

Leaders will have disagreements with others...and others will have disagreements with leaders.  That is the nature of leadership, as decisions are made with which others will disagree.  It may be the actual decision; it may be how the decision was executed; or it may be that they were not included in the decision making process.  The only way to avoid disagreement with others is to not make decisions, and that could even lead to disagreement by those who want decisions made.

Given that disagreement will occur, how might leaders best handle those situations?  Here are a few thoughts:

• Consider what is behind the primary motive of the disagreement: what is causing one to disagree with the decision made? Is the disagreement coming from a place of hurt, being left out, differences of opinion, or just plain stubbornness?  Understanding the motive helps in directing and shaping the conversation
• Is the disagreement around values or operations? if there is a misunderstanding or clash around the values of the organization (or the individuals) the conversation takes a much different tone than if it is merely around how a decision was carried out.  A conversation between two people who agree on the ends but not necessarily the means is very different than a conversation between two people who fundamentally see the world through opposite lenses
• Consider the intensity of the disagreement (for both you and the other person): if the intensity of the disagreement is low, it may be possible to let it go and allow time to bring about equilibrium.  If the intensity is high, then it is imperative to seek understanding and work to restore equilibrium to the relationship
• Seek to know what one does not know: when disagreements arise, there is more than likely an unmet expectation on the part of one of the parties involved.  Work to uncover the information that might be missing from your thinking and help others understand what might be missing from their thinking
• Learn something from the disagreement: when leaders seek first to understand before being understood (thank you Stephen Covey) there is almost always something that can be learned which allows them to change their thinking and adjust their behavior. Enter the learning process with the understanding that "I might be wrong" and move into a learning mode rather than a defensive mode

As I typed the above five thoughts, it struck me that many leaders might be adverse to disagreement with others and, over time, back away from making the difficult decisions.  Making difficult (and sometimes not so difficult) decisions will cause disagreements to arise.  How leaders handle those disagreements can be the hallmark of their leadership and impact their relationships with others.

5 books that impacted my leadership in 2017

I had originally intended to write about the five books I read this past year that impacted my leadership and, as I looked thought my list of books read, realized that is was the books that I had (for the most part) read in the past (and dipped into this year) that had most affected my leadership in 2017.  So here is the list of five books that most impacted my leadership in 2017 (with no particular order of importance or impact):

• Henry V  by William Shakespeare: One of my go-to leadership texts, Henry V is the story of a man who is thrust into leadership and reflects on the role in a meaningful and realistic manner.  Henry's soliloquy on the loneliness and responsibility of leadership (act 4, scene 1) is a sober reminder of what it takes to lead and the steadiness one needs in the face of others' comments and thoughts.  Prior to the battle of Agincourt (act 4, scene 3), Henry inspires his army by reminding them that they and their actions will be remembered because of the hard work they will have done.  This particular speech was a go-to of mine as decisions were made and executed throughout the year.
• The Book of Job: this book in the Old Testament is a reflection on trusting in God, moving through the hard times, and doing the work with and among friends. Not necessarily an easy text to read, this book is full of paradoxical thinking and requires a re-thinking of how God works in our lives to bring about the Kingdom.  Job has no reason for continuing to believe and trust in God, much less a reason for living; despite urging from his friends and family to abandon God and move on with his life, Job remains faithful (though in a curious sort of way) and in the end has a greater understanding of God, himself, and others.  My favorite translation is the one by Stephen Mitchell, published by Harper-Collins and written in 1987.
• The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney: my team knows that this is my bible of execution and shows up regularly at our strategy reviews and executive team meetings.  A simple (and not so simple) approach to executing strategy throughout the organization, this text provides both a philosophy of execution and specific approaches and tools the organization can use to take in make things happen.  Whenever I feel myself (or others) slipping into a mode of complacency and not being able to execute, I return to this book to see where we are failing to stay on track and address the necessary steps to start executing again.
• Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland: I love finding books that take a topic seemingly unrelated to leadership and finding new and hidden gems on how it speaks to the role of leaders in a new and unique way.  Art and Fear is one of those texts for me as the authors consistently remind me why leaders are unable to make and execute on hard decisions.  The tension that exists for artists between the ideal and the actual also exists for leaders...and the ability to manage that tension is one of the hallmarks of good leadership.  Simply substituting the words "making decisions" for "creating art" makes this a text on leadership and provides the reasons why leaders often fail in their roles.
• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: this text, written in the 3-4 centuries BC, keeps drawing me back year after year to more deeply understand the complexities and the paradoxes of leadership.  The 80-some short poems each have something to say to leaders who take seriously their roles of courageous execution of strategy and compassionate caring for people.  Similar to the Book of Job, this is not easy reading and should be done in short bit and pieces, taking the time to contemplate and meditate on what the author is really saying.  One of my favorite sections is #11, where the author unpacks the idea that what is not present is what actually causes the action to happen (yes, you will need to read it to better understand what I am trying to say).  My favorite translation is by Jonathan Starr as a part of the Tarcher Cornerstone editions.

That's my list!  If you have read any of these before, I challenge you to read them again through leadership lenses.  If they are new to you, find time this year to read them, many of which can be read over time.  And finally, I challenge you to come up with your own list of five books that are your go-to leadership texts.  Which ones, over time, have influenced you the most and that you keep going back to, especially at those times that might be the most challenging?  A blessed New Year to all!

5 leadership lessons from 2017

As the year 2017 comes to a close, I am thinking about the leadership lessons I learned (or had reinforced) over this past year.  In no particular order, here they are:

• inner work determines outer work: one of my goals for this academic year is to increase and strengthen my personal devotional life or, as others have put it, to improve on my spiritual practices.  As I have dipped my toe into this and, having spent more time in reading scripture, prayer, and quiet meditation, I am finding that there is more clarity in my decision making and more calmness in my execution.  This has not been easy for me, so I am thankful for the advice of one of my Board members who reminded me to not make this another "law" I have to follow but to extend myself grace when I forget or do not spend the needed time each day.  I look forward to see how this increases over time and shapes the way I lead.
• team is everything: more than ever, I have experienced a great team this year, working with five other people who are moving in the same direction and supporting each other along the way.  This team did not come about easy, not was it perfectly formed the first day.  We have done the hard work needed to become a great team and know that we can never let down our guard, lest we slip back into bad habits and retreat back into our silos.  I have learned to never take having a great team for granted AND to never settle for anything less than a great team.
• decision making never gets easier: having been in a leadership role for many years, and having thought about and written about leadership for many years, it is still difficult and gut-wrenching to make those hard decisions that impact people and organizations.  Having done the inner work and having a great team with which to do the work helps to provide the support necessary when making these decisions, but they are never easy.  As an organization grows and changes, the decisions that leaders make become more complex and can have consequences far beyond what one can imagine.  Perhaps this is why leaders (especially those who are founding leaders) get stuck after the first few major changes and decisions.
• you are what you read: in her book A Poetry Handbook Mary Oliver notes that great poets begin to use the right words and sounds because they have read great poetry and writing over and over and over, giving them the ability to produce the right words and sounds through instinct (as well as the hard work they out into their writing).  I believe this is also true of leadership - creating vision, building team, and making decisions are all a result of the years of experience one has put into their craft of leadership, and it often begins with what one reads.  My reading list over this past year included more Shakespeare and poetry than ever before, as well as a number of  more in-depth books on how to run a university. 
• it's all about having the right people in place: as a corollary to "team is everything," this maxim is a reminder that leaders are always looking for (and pushing others in the organization to look for) the right people in the right seat on the bus (kudos to Jim Collins and his book Good to Great for ingraining this concept into all of our heads).  As Collins puts it "first who, then what."  This concept is very difficult for type A leaders to not only understand, but to enact in an ongoing manner.  Leaders want to get things done and not worry about who will get those things done.  Having the right people in place relieves the leader from having to worry about getting things done because the right people will have already done the right things.

That's my list of leadership lessons learned for 2017...next week I will look back at my top five books of 2017 and how they have shaped my thinking about leadership over the past year.

a prayer for leaders

As a part of my regular devotional life, I use a prayer book that was originally composed in 1936 by John Baillie, a Scottish theologian raised in the Calvinist tradition.  These prayers (which I have been using for over five years) direct my days and thoughts, especially as I consider them in terms of my vocation as President at Concordia University Texas.  This past Tuesday's prayer especially struck me as one that leaders should regularly pray as it speaks to that which we do and those with whom we do our work. My prayer is that it will speak to the reader of this page in a special way today and well into the future.

Blessed be Thou, most gracious God, that again Thou hast brought light out of darkness and caused the morning to appear.  Blessed be Thou that Thou didst send me forth, in health and vigor, to the duties and doings of another day.  Go with me, I beseech Thee, through all the sunlit hours, and so protect me from every evil way that, when evening comes, I need not hide my head in shame.

O Thou who has graciously called me to be Thy servant, I would hold myself in readiness today for Thy least word of command.  Give me the spirit, I pray Thee, to keep myself in continual training for the punctual fulfillment of Thy most holy will.

   Let me keep the edges of my mind keen:

   Let me keep my thinking straight and true:

   Let me keep my passions in control:

   Let me keep my will active:

   Let me keep my body fit and healthy:

   Let me remember Him whose meat it was to do the will of Him that sent Him.

O Lord of the vineyard, I beg Thy blessings upon all who truly desire to serve Thee by being diligent and faithful in their several callings, bearing their due share of the world's burden, and going about their daily tasks in all simplicity and uprightness of heart.

   For all who tend flocks or till the soil:

   For all who work in factories or mines:

   For all who buy and sell in the marketplace:

   For all who labor with their brains:

   For all who labor with their pens:

   For all who tend the hearth:

                                     Dear Lord I pray.

In Thy great mercy save us all from the temptations that severally beset us, and bring us to everlasting life, by the power of Thy holy cross.  Amen.

5 attributes of a strong team

This past week, during our executive team's offsite, I witnessed a group of people who not only work well together but also are able to deliver on results.  After a year of being together in the current configuration, something has happened that has made this team strong, resilient, and what Patrick Lencioni would call "highly functioning."  Since that meeting on Tuesday, I have been thinking about what it is that makes this team work and what has led to other teams work so well which I have led or been a member of.  Here are my conclusions to what makes this particular team (and what might  make other teams) function in an effective manner:

1. an acknowledgement of one's own strengths and deficits...using the Birkman Profile for the past two plus years has made each of us all too aware of who we are and what makes us tick.  Beyond acknowledging our own behaviors, we work to manage those behaviors and improve  in areas that might hold back our own performance or the team's perfomance.  We keep visiting these behaviors at every offsite meeting just to remind ourselves of who we are and how we behave.
2. an acknowledgement of each other's strengths and deficits...as we explore our own behaviors, so we get to know the behaviors of each other.  Our coach (who attends each of the offsite meetings with us) helps us discover new insights about each other.  The more we know about each other, and the more we accept each other as we are, the more we can support each other and fill in the gaps for each other...and of course, we can do that because we are confident that fellow team members are working to improve on their own strengths and deficits.
3. an unwavering commitment to working with each other...no member on the team does their work in a silo, knowing that to get the most information (and the right information) they need to talk together, plan together, and collaborate on the work they do together.  This is not always easy as people can be physically scattered, time is often short, and each member of the team has their own team to worry about.  Regular check-ins and weekly meetings help to foster this behavior, but it is the unwavering commitment of each team member toward this behavior that really makes this happen.
4. a commitment to getting better as a team...at the end of each quarterly offsite, we ask ourselves how we are better as a team than we were eight hours earlier; we are willing to be all in with the team exercises our coach puts us through; we commit to act fully in agreement when decisions are made; we keep reading about and exploring what makes a team better; and we do regular evaluations of ourselves as a team.  We noted at the end of this week's offsite that this is not something we should take for granted and that we will need to be ever vigilant to those items that could derail us as a team.
5. the ability to hold each other and the team accountable to results...at the end of the day, it is results that matter.  The ability to execute decisions is the pinnacle of a highly functioning team, something that is not easy to come by.  The use of dashboards...the charts, graphs, and emails that remind us how we are doing...the regular check-ins that are about what we have accomplished...the commitment to ask hard questions when results are not reached - all of these help us to hold each other and the team accountable to results.

The work of these types of teams often goes unseen throughout the organization.  It is work done behind closed doors or offsite...it is work done with the trust and confidence of each other...it is work done that can expose one's deficits...it is work done that, given the opportunity, many people would rather not do.  And, at the end of the day, it is work done that brings deep satisfaction and great meaning to one's vocation.  I am thankful to have this type of team and look forward to working with them for a long time.

the process of decision making

I wrote this blog one year ago this week...it is still one of my favorites. 

“The leader facilitates a decision making process by which those involved feel good about the decision making process”

This thought came to me as I was driving to Concordia's service of commencement this past Saturday (who knows from where these ideas originate).  It struck me that when a group of people are brought together for a decision to be made, there will be times (probably more often than not) when some of the group members disagree with the decision...perhaps even disagree violently.  The leader's role is not to get everyone to agree...the leader's role is to facilitate a decision making process by which those involved feel good about the decision making process.  That's not always easy, and it may take more art than skill.  Here are a few thoughts on how one might be able to make this happen on a more regular basis:

• before the process begins, be sure that the right people are in the room...it is probably better to err on the side of too many people around the table rather than missing someone who needs to be there
• articulate the problem very clearly so people know exactly what the issue is on which they are deciding...clarity around problem solving saves time and keeps the group focused
• ask good questions...before entering the room, be sure that the right questions have been articulated and that the leader does not have pre-conceived answers they already want to hear
• be sure everyone has a chance to speak...bring out everyone's ideas, especially those who tend to be more quiet
• do not let a certain voice or opinion dominate...when people are passionate about something, they want to speak to it (and often believe that if they speak loud and long enough they will get their way)
• ask clarifying questions...be sure that you and the others around the table understand what is being said and WHY certain ideas are being stated
• have a common understanding about who is making the decision and how that decision will be made...is it the leader's decision; the decision of another person in the group; is it through a vote or consensus?
• do not leave the room until everyone understands what decision has been made (or when it will be made)...again, getting clarity around this helps to send the same message forward
• follow up with major dissenters and influential voices...very few people need to get their way all the time AND most people want to know that they were heard.  Those who get a little more attention from the leader after the decision has been made are more apt to be supportive as the decision is rolled out
• enter into the conversation with the attitude that you as a leader do not always have the right answer to the issue at hand...being humble throughout the decision making process will go a long way toward helping others feel good about the decision making process

Leaders who understand and practice this concept can help to build a strong constructive culture where people are free to speak up, teams work collaboratively, and team members feel good about the decision making process - whether they agree with the decision or not.