Servant Leadership

Robert Greenleaf (1904-1990)

• He lived the phrase "Servant Leadership"
• AT&T for 38 years as Human resources director.
• He wrote a book in 1970 called "The servant as leader"
• He believed for us to lead we need to do it from within current structures if the current structureswill allow us the freedom to explore possible positive changes in our communities: Business associations, schools,local and central government and so forth.

My thoughts

• An individual or organisation who promotes a positive change tends to provide leadership.
• I like Robert Greenleafs explanation of servant leadership:

  "A servant leader is a servant first it begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, serve first. Then conscious brings one to aspire to lead. He/She is sharply different to the leader first model perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.For such it will be a later choice to serve after leadership is established. The leader first and the servant first a two extreme types. Between them are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of nature. The difference manifests itself taken by the servant first to make sure the other peoples highest needs are taken into consideration. The best test and difficult to administer: Do those served grow as people; do they,while being served,become healthier,wiser,freer,autonomous,more likely to become servants themselves ?And, what is the least privileged in society,will they benefit or will they at least be at least not deprived"
• Often we are passive in our application of choices we are given via our work and in our communities.
• My understanding of the servant leader is that if we see the need for change or the need for positive development in a sphere where we have positive influence. We need to take to that situation with assertiveness.
• Read More at WWW.greenleaf.org

Frederick winslow Taylor (1865-1915)

• Renowned father of scientific management.
• Created time and motion studies.
• Had a passion for helping society be more efficient especially those who were under educated.
• He published a document that potrays alot of exciting theories in 1911. ( the principles of management)
• In the document he encourages Workers, Employers and Shareholders that to develop themselves financially there needs to be a decent pay for a decent days work.
• Workers were prone to be lazy.
• Employers were prone to be negligent of workers by not providing fair conditions and pay for a fair days work.
• Shareholders would invest on a per annum basis meaning companies could not invest for the long-term.
• One of the key supporters of his theories coined "Taylorism"was Henry Ford.
• Taylor made the point during the development of his theory of economics. If you do not share equitably the gains in development it will essentially cause as Adam Smith suggests:"Mental Mutilation" He believes it takes three-four years to create a team with the right attitudes.

Further thoughts about Economic Development

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

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  "An enquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations"his book was written in 1776. He explored seriously the economic development of nations.



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  I believe its core theme is the promotion of "Laissez-faire"economics. The dictionaries explanation of this word is: A doctrine which favours capitalist self interest,competition and natural consumer preferences.

My response

• The motivating factor for me about Adam Smith was his theory related to the splitting up of the tasks involved in making a needle. The outcome of which allowed the needle maker (business owner) to create more needles with the same amount of staff. (therefore more profit)

• Through my eyes Eighteenth century England struggled with its economy. The choices most business' and governments created were not sustainable environmentally nor more importantly socially and economically. People by nature follow their own self interest first then they maybe would think of their wider community (If stimulated by a value system that encourages community). Adam Smith wrote how the division of labour into specailist labour groups would result in "Mental Mutilation" his hope was that the "intervention of the government would prevent this" (what if the government does not have the money neither the management skill to fix this)

• Check it out at www.free-ebooks.net/economy