The subversive power of servant leadership | Ian Fuhr | TEDxJohannesburg
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on their entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of servant leadership and the lessons learned from various ventures. They discuss the initial misconception of work being solely for monetary gain, the challenges of navigating socio-political environments, and the shift in management style from a traditional power role to one that serves and respects employees. The speaker also highlights the significance of understanding and accepting differences, creating a conducive work environment, and the evolution of their definition of success from material wealth to making a difference in others' lives.
Takeaways
- 🚀 The speaker emphasizes the value of entering new industries with a fresh perspective, free from the conventional wisdom that can sometimes hinder innovation.
- 🌟 The concept of servant leadership is a central theme, with the speaker advocating for putting service before reward and prioritizing people over profit.
- 🤔 The purpose of work, according to the speaker, is to serve others, not to make money, challenging the common belief that work is solely for financial gain.
- 🧐 The speaker's life experiences, particularly in the military and his early business ventures, taught him about the importance of understanding and respecting differences among people.
- 🔄 A pivotal moment in the speaker's life was learning that employees' socio-political environments significantly impact their work and should not be ignored by leaders.
- 🎶 The music industry exposed the speaker to the struggles beyond borders and the importance of standing up against racial discrimination in personal and professional settings.
- 💅 Entering the beauty industry taught the speaker about the need to shift focus from pleasing bosses to truly serving customers, which is crucial for business success.
- 🤝 Servant leaders do not motivate people; instead, they inspire them by creating a supportive and respectful work environment that encourages self-motivation.
- 💡 The speaker believes that the most important person in a business is not the customer but the employee who serves the customer, highlighting the importance of employee well-being.
- 📜 A customer service policy should be flexible and customer-friendly, as demonstrated by the speaker's example of a no-questions-asked return policy.
- 🌱 Success, for the speaker, has evolved from material wealth to making a positive difference in other people's lives, reflecting a deeper understanding of purpose and impact.
Q & A
What is the main advantage of starting a business in a new industry according to the speaker?
-The main advantage is that you're not yet influenced by the conventional wisdom of that industry, allowing for a fresh perspective without preconceived notions of pitfalls and dangers.
What does the speaker believe is the true purpose of work?
-The speaker believes the purpose of work is to serve people, not to make money, and that serving well will naturally lead to financial success.
How did the speaker's experience in the Air Force challenge his early beliefs about being 'chosen'?
-In the Air Force, he encountered a different group of people who also believed they were the chosen ones, leading him to question the concept of chosen or superior people and learn the importance of accepting and respecting differences.
What was a significant lesson the speaker learned from his mentor Ralph's actions?
-He learned that one cannot ignore the socio-political environment in which employees live and that it significantly impacts their perspectives and actions.
How did the speaker's encounter with racial discrimination in Middleburg affect his views on customer service?
-It made him realize the importance of treating all customers equally and with respect, regardless of their race, and motivated him to ensure his business practices reflected these values.
What is the speaker's philosophy on the role of leaders in a business?
-The speaker believes in servant leadership, where leaders serve their staff, who in turn serve the customers, creating a supportive and respectful environment.
What does the speaker suggest is the key to motivating staff?
-The key is to inspire people by creating a conducive working environment that includes fair pay, training, development, tools, encouragement, support, freedom of thought, and respect.
How does the speaker's view on success differ from his early days?
-In his early days, success was about money, power, and influence. Now, it's about making a positive difference in other people's lives.
What was the original vision of the speaker's business in 2005, and how did it change?
-The original vision was to become the number one leading chain in South Africa of Beauty Salons. It changed to a higher purpose of serving and improving the lives of staff and customers.
What is the speaker's approach to customer service, as illustrated by the returns policy?
-The speaker's approach is extremely customer-friendly, allowing for no-fuss returns regardless of the condition of the product or the reason for the return, emphasizing a welcoming and understanding policy.
What does the speaker consider the most important person in a business, and why?
-The speaker considers the person serving the customer as the most important, as they are the ones directly impacting the customer experience and are key to the business's success.
Outlines
🚀 Embracing Entrepreneurship and Servant Leadership
The speaker reflects on their entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the benefits of venturing into new industries without preconceived notions. They advocate for servant leadership, where the purpose of work is to serve others rather than merely make money. The speaker shares their experience of conducting induction training programs, challenging the conventional belief that work is solely for monetary gain. They recount their childhood belief of being part of a 'chosen people,' only to confront this notion through various life experiences, including military service and business ventures. A pivotal moment was the realization of the socio-political struggles of their employees during the Soweto uprisings, which significantly influenced their management style and understanding of the importance of respecting and serving others.
🌏 Lessons in Socio-Political Awareness and Management Transformation
This paragraph delves into the speaker's realization of the importance of understanding the socio-political environment affecting employees. They recount their ventures into the music industry, where they encountered racial discrimination and the harsh realities of apartheid. A specific incident in Middleburg highlights the indignities faced by black individuals, prompting a change in the speaker's approach to management. The narrative then shifts to the beauty industry, where the speaker observes a disconnect between employee focus on pleasing bosses versus customers. The speaker introduces the concept of servant-leadership in this context, emphasizing the need for leaders to serve their staff, who in turn serve the customers. They outline the importance of creating a motivating work environment that respects and dignifies employees, ultimately leading to better service and business success.
🤝 The Essence of Servant Leadership and a Higher Purpose
The final paragraph focuses on the speaker's philosophy of servant leadership, where the emphasis is on serving the staff who, in turn, serve the customers. They discuss the importance of a customer service policy that encourages flexibility and understanding, reflecting a business culture that values the individual's freedom and dignity. The speaker argues that the most critical aspect of business is the staff serving the customers, not the customers themselves. They share their vision for their business, which initially centered on becoming a leading chain but evolved to focus on serving and improving the lives of both staff and customers. The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of moral authority in leadership, creating a safe space for open communication, and the privilege of touching lives through service.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Entrepreneurial Ventures
💡Virgin Territory
💡Servant Leadership
💡Purpose of Work
💡Soweto Uprisings
💡Apartheid
💡Customer Service Policy
💡Moral Authority
💡Higher Purpose
💡Dignity and Respect
💡Inspire vs. Motivate
Highlights
Starting new businesses in unfamiliar industries allows avoiding the pitfalls of conventional wisdom.
The power of servant leadership is crucial for successful entrepreneurship.
The purpose of work is to serve people, not just to make money.
Service should come before reward and people before profit.
Learning the importance of servant leadership from early life experiences.
The realization that there is no superior or chosen people, and the importance of respecting differences.
Facing challenges in communication and gaining credibility in a racially diverse work environment.
Understanding the socio-political impact on employees' lives and adjusting management style accordingly.
The experience of working with exiled South African musicians and the politicized world beyond borders.
A powerful lesson on not ignoring the socio-political environment that employees live in.
The importance of creating a working environment that allows people to motivate themselves.
Servant leaders inspire people and create an environment for self-motivation.
The significance of treating employees with dignity and respect to foster a positive work culture.
The customer service policy that emphasizes no-fuss returns and a customer-centric approach.
The realization that the most important person in a business is the one serving the customer.
The shift in perspective on success from material wealth to making a difference in others' lives.
Changing the company vision to focus on serving and improving the lives of staff and customers.
The importance of earning moral authority to lead people to places they may never have gone by themselves.
Creating a safe place for open communication and truth-telling without fear of victimization or judgment.
The ultimate goal of servant leadership: serving the people who are serving others.
Transcripts
so my life's journey has been a series
of entrepreneurial ventures each one of
which was started in a new industry or a
new market with which I was totally
unfamiliar at the time the advantage of
starting a new business in virgin
territory is that you're not yet
contaminated by the conventional wisdom
of that industry you don't yet have a
map which will show you the pitfalls and
the dangers you don't have and the X
that marks the spot for the hidden
treasure the issue about this is that
over the years I've learned many many
lessons and each one of those was about
starting a new company in the new
environment and and there was none more
important than the power of servant
leadership servant leadership
I have run all the induction training
programs myself for all the staff that
have joined our company over the years
and each time I ask a simple question
what is the purpose of work and most
people will say well is to make money
and I say that's wrong okay the purpose
of work is not to make man if you've
come to make money here you've come to
the wrong place the purpose of work is
to serve to serve people and if you get
that right well then you can become a
servant leader you don't go into
business to make money you go into
business to serve people and if you and
if you can then serve them well you will
make lots and lots of money I think you
should always put service before reward
and people before profit which is
critical I think my life experiences
have taught me a lot about servant
leadership but I'd like to take you back
to my school as a young boy in the
Jewish school we
I had the notion that we the Jews were
the chosen people of God with witches
which is pretty cool if you're young and
you're naive and you're pretty special
and you're better than everyone else and
that's great
but then unfortunately I went to the
army or to the Air Force rather and it
was very different there because then I
met another group of people and gay
white afrikaans-speaking males and I
felt from hero to zero in fact they told
me that they were the chosen people of
God it was not cool for a 17 year old
young boy to have to ask some really
tough questions like who's doing the
choosing here and why is he so confused
so you learn a very powerful lesson that
there is no such thing as a chosen or a
superior people were all just different
and the sooner we learn to accept and
respect and tolerate our differences the
better off our world would be so in 1976
in the midst of the Soweto uprisings
against the apartheid regime I opened my
first business I was 22 years old and it
was a retail discount store the problem
was there I met another group of people
for the first time and they were all
black black customers black staff and I
then I had huge problems trying to try
to communicate and to relate to these
people
and I just couldn't bring myself to earn
any sort of credibility or respect from
them I was just simply too young and too
white so I listened to the help of my
mentor who came to my aid and he tried
to help me with communication issues
with my staff but sadly one day I
discovered that Ralph was found handing
out pamphlets that were promoting a
consumer boycott of white owned stores
and we were a wife down store and he was
ending out the pamphlet and this was my
store worker
so I called him in and I was I spoke to
him like a father and I said what have
you done you know how can you do this to
me and he said you know what I enjoy
working here in and I thank you for the
opportunity but at the end of the day
when I got home my life is like hell I
get harassed by the police every single
day and I don't know from one day to the
next if I myself my family or my friends
might be arrested for some other
ridiculous apartheid law and then he
said calmly I would do it again because
for me it freedom first and work second
and I'm so sorry
well that was another powerful lesson
for me that you cannot ignore the
socio-political environment in which
your employees have to live so I went
out there and I made it my business to
understand the living conditions about
people and also the impact of apartheid
on their lives and it changed my
management style from the old
traditional power role that's in I'm
your boss and you must respect and serve
me too I am your servant and I will
respect and serve you then I went into
the music business one more time with
feeling and I I was fortunate enough to
work with some iconic exiled South
African musicians later on bukata
Semenya and Hugh Masekela fantastic
musicians and there I was exposed to
another world the politicized world
beyond our borders and the struggle out
there and there I had a guy that I
worked with Stanley and cosy he was our
promotions manager and we used to travel
around South Africa promoting the music
and one day we found ourselves in
Middleburg in the old eastern truant
ville looking for a place to have lunch
he so we've got in there but we can't
find a place to have lunch because
nobody will take black people which was
really embarrassing and awkward for me
and eventually we were forced to sit in
our car in a Roadhouse and have lunch
the way that comes up and we all
two hamburgers and two coatings it was
all fine up until then and he comes back
yeah with two hamburgers and two
coatings but one of the hamburgers is on
a plate and the other ones on a paper
plate one of the cold drinks is in a
glass and the other ones in a little
polystyrene half torn cup sustained he
was older than me I thought well I'll
just give him the plate and the glass
and I'll eat off of the of the paper
material much to the dismay of the owner
of this establishment who was so far
right you have to send out a search
party to find it the so so we decided
enough is enough I mean the guy's
shouting there about black people eating
off his plates so we decided to get out
and do something I was dressed in my
jeans and techies as always Stanley had
a jacket and tie on that day so we
reversed the roads and I went up to the
races and I played the humble rural
African servant as any other low Berber
and he looked at me and then Stanley
stepped up to the plate straightened his
jacket pulled up his time pointed a
finger in his face is it don't you ever
treat my white boy like that again
and so to the beauty industry where were
the benefit of ignorance I stepped into
a woman's world which was also fun and
nice and-and-and and exhilarating and
exciting a highly educational cook
before all of that I thought that a
Brazilian was a person who lived in
Brazil and that Hollywood was the place
they made movies but now with the
benefit of hindsight and wisdom I know
that they're actually bikini waxes the
important thing about that was the
industry was the same as most others
where the employees were trying to just
please their bosses or all about
pleasing the bus and not so much about
the customer and the problem there is
that in a typical organization you have
your big boss you have your stars member
and you have your customer and if the
staff member is forever bowing and
groveling and scraping in front of the
boss which part of his Anatomy is facing
the customer enough said so we as
servant-leadership release is a little
different in Atlas in that the leaders
have to serve their staff you have to
serve their customers and that's pretty
much how it works people ask me how do
you motivate all your staff well I don't
think I really motivate anybody quite
frankly servant leaders do not motivate
people they inspire people and more
importantly what they try and do is do
to try and create a working environment
which is conducive to people motivating
themselves and how do you do that well
you pay people well you give them great
training and development you give them
the tools that they need you give them
encouragement and support you give them
freedom of thought and most importantly
dignity and respect so next time you
write a referral letter about Mavis in
the admin department and say well Mavis
has been working for us for five years
say rather I've been working for May
for five years and through my help I
believe she'd become a great employee
who put service before he would I would
also employ her if I was you we have a
customer service policy and that's
important in our industry to have a
great customer service policy so that
your people can go out there and deliver
magical service so this is our returns
policy hmm so it says you know when you
bring back your product it says so
you've changed your mind that's cool we
still love you bring it back no fuss no
slip no ID no passport no and the breech
birth certificate no mother's marriage
documents if it's empty damaged half
used it's not your vibe anymore or you
just need the money for movies instead
no problem or the packaging just clashes
with your bathroom or you made a
terrible mistake whatever it is bring
back anything especially your business
so contrary to popular belief the most
important person in your business is not
your customer it's the person who is
serving the customer that's the person
that is most important and I think the
problem with that is if you're the only
one that's being served by your staff
then you are there any customer you care
about that's a problem that's a recipe
for failure and what about success then
what does that mean well for me in the
old days my early days when I was young
and naive so class was about money and
power and influence and lifestyle and
and fast cars and fast women and was
fast everything basically now with the
benefit of hindsight and wisdom and
experience and the gray hair that comes
with it it's now about making a
difference in other people's lives
that's what it is
okay our vision in 2005 was about
becoming the number one leading chain in
South Africa of Beauty Salons the
problem was none of my staff could
relate to that they didn't care we were
number one or number 100 all they wanted
was to be to be inspired to be neat
to feel worthy and to be part of
something bigger than themselves so we
changed that and we created a new vision
or what we call our higher purpose and
that is simply to serve and improve the
lives of our staff and our customers so
in our business the people out there who
are doing the treatments the beauty
therapists and the nail technicians they
see themselves as more than that they
see themselves as out there helping
people to feel good about themselves
they feel they are touching the lives of
people on a daily basis and that's no
longer a job it's a privilege and if you
want to be a great servant leader you
need to earn the moral authority to lead
people to places that they may never
have gone by themselves mm-hmm you need
to create a place of safety where people
can speak freely without fear of
victimization and where they can speak
the truth without blame or judgment at
the end of the day serve the people who
are serving the people thank you very
much
you
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