servant leadership

As a natural compliment, COR has embraced Servant Leadership as a leadership philosophy. Like Gentle Teaching, Servant Leadership is a shift in the way that we view our role within an organization, and the principles and practices that are required to fulfill our primary role as leaders — to grow and develop people in an open and inclusive environment that allows the opportunity to be one’s best self.

The interconnectedness between Gentle Teaching and Servant Leadership ensures that the system of values and beliefs that make COR unique flow seamlessly. Through an intentional belief that regardless of what level of the organization that we are positioned, the role that we play collectively in serving others is one that creates open and inclusive environments for all.

❝The servant-leader is a servant first… it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.❞

A key aspect of Servant Leadership manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-leader to ensure the priority needs of others are being served. Although this can be difficult, a servant leader will be able to positively answer these questions:

Are those served by my leadership growing as people?
Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servant leaders?
What is the effect of my leadership on the team?
How does my leadership impact the support received by the people served; are they benefiting and growing as individuals?

Servant Leadership challenges the notion of the traditional leader as a stand-alone hero. Instead, servant-leaders focus on a holistic team approach focused around the following values:

building a shared vision
effective self-management
encouraging interdependence
learning from mistakes
encouraging creativity from all
questioning assumptions and being open to being questioned
promoting shared trust
embracing humility

key elements of servant leadership

Listening Receptively to What Others Have to Say

Leaders have traditionally been valued for their communication and decision making skills. Although these are important skills for a servant-leader, they need to be reinforced by a deep commitment to listening intently to others.

“The servant-leader seeks to identify the will of a group and helps to clarify that will. He or she listens receptively to what is being said and unsaid.”

Listening also encompasses getting in touch with one’s own inner voice. Listening, coupled with periods of reflection, are essential to the growth and well being of the servant-leader. Practicing the art of contemplation and self reflection is essential to the servant-leader.

Acceptance of Others and Having Empathy for Them

Acceptance

People need to be accepted and recognized for their unique selves. One assumes the good intentions of others and does not reject them as people, even when the servant-leader may be forced to refuse to accept certain behaviors or performance issues.

Empathy

The servant-leader strives to understand and empathize with others and the place they have come from; specifically, where they are at in the present moment. Understanding each persons needs is essential. The most successful servant-leaders are those who have become skilled empathetic listeners.

Foresight & Intuition

Foresight

The ability to foresee the likely outcome of a situation. Foresight is a characteristic that enables the servant-leader to understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision for the future.

Intuition

Being instinctively aware of something before it occurs. The servant-leader develops an intuition for the needs of those he or she serves and how to respond in situations that arise.

Awareness & Perception

Awareness

General awareness, and especially self-awareness, strengthens the servant-leader. Awareness helps one in understanding issues involving ethics, power and values. It lends itself to being able to view most situations from a more integrated, holistic position. Through self awareness and the use of ones skills of perception, the servant-leader can make decisions that are best for the group.

Having Highly Developed Powers of Persuasion

Persuasion

Another characteristic of a servant-leader is the reliance on persuasion, rather than on one’s positional authority, in making decisions. The servant-leader seeks to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular element offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant-leadership. The servant-leader is effective at building consensus within groups.

An Ability to Conceptualize and to Communicate Concepts

Conceptualization

Servant-leaders seek to nurture their abilities to dream great dreams. The ability to look at a problem from a conceptualizing perspective means that one must think beyond day-to-day realities. For many leaders, this is a characteristic that requires discipline and practice. The traditional leader is consumed by the need to achieve short-term operational goals. The leader who wishes to also be a servant-leader must stretch his or her thinking to encompass broader-based conceptual thinking. Servant-leaders are called to seek a delicate balance between conceptual thinking and a day-to-day operational approach.

An Ability to Exert a Healing Influence Upon Individuals & Organizations

Healing

The healing of relationships is a powerful force for transformation and integration. One of the great strengths of servant-leadership is the potential for healing one’s self and one’s relationship with others. Many people have broken spirits and have suffered from a variety of emotional hurts. Although this is a part of being human, servant-leaders recognize that they have an opportunity to help make whole those with whom they come in contact.

Building Community in the Workplace

Building Community

The servant-leader recognizes that community is all-around us; we can invite community into our homes and places of work, or venture out into our neighborhoods and broader community. This awareness causes the servant-leader to seek to identify opportunities for connection and to build community among those we serve and work together with. Servant Leadership suggests that true community is where we journey!

Recognition that Servant Leadership Begins with the Desire to Change Oneself

As in Gentle Teaching, this requires people to first reflect on, and then begin to change themselves. Once that process has begun, it then becomes possible to practice Servant Leadership at a team or organizational level.

Commitment to the Growth of People

Servant-leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, the servant-leader is deeply committed to the growth of each and every individual within his or her team. The servant-leader recognizes the tremendous responsibility to do everything in his or her power to nurture the personal and professional growth of team members.