Several years ago, I had to opportunity to co-teach a course
on servant leadership at my church.
Although the term had been popularized in business circles by Robert
Greenleaf, our study focused on the example and teachings of Jesus on becoming
a servant leader. Understanding the
roots of servant leadership in the life of Jesus was transformative.
Since then, the application of the servant leadership concept
in all areas of society has grown.
Business writer Ken Blanchard has aided this movement in many ways. His latest contribution is Servant Leadership in Action: How You Can Achieve Great Relationships and Results, a book co-edited with Renee Broadwell. The book is a collection of essays by over 40
contributors. The major topics include
Fundamentals of Servant Leadership, Elements of Servant Leadership, Lessons of
Servant Leadership, Exemplars of Servant Leadership, Putting Servant Leadership
to Work, and Servant Leader Turnarounds.
Since the contributors include some of the most widely known
writers and practitioners on the subject of servant leadership, one way to use
it is as an introduction to a particular writer. If you are interested in knowing more about
the philosophy of Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen,
Inc., who has become a popular guru in leadership, you can turn to the chapter
she contributed entitled “Serve the People.”
The same is true for Dave Ramsey, Erwin McManus, Laurie Beth Jones,
Patrick Lencioni, Brene Brown, and others.
As with most collections, the length, readability, and style
of selections varies widely. What could be seem as a weakness can also be a
strength since the reader has access to diverse perspectives on servant leadership
from people in many fields. This is not
the kind of book that one sits down and reads from beginning to end. This is more of a resource that one turns to
for encouragement, information, and inspiration as the need arises.
I was particularly taken with the section entitled Exemplars
of Servant Leadership. Writers in this
section provide leadership profiles of Jesus, activist Andrew Young, coach Pat
Summitt, theologian Dallas Willard, and non-profit leader Frances Hesselbein among
others. These are interesting and
inspirational reflections of servant leadership in action.
I recommend this as a “just in time” resource for those who
are attempting to implement servant leadership and are looking for succinct,
practical insights immediately. The
editors have assembled a useful volume.
Disclosure
of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or
publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade
Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
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