Ken Blanchard - Servant Leadership

London Business Forum

19 May 201703:11

Summary

TLDRThe speaker emphasizes the urgent need for servant leadership in a world marred by self-serving leaders. They advocate for leaders who prioritize serving others and influencing positively. Effective leadership involves clear goals, timely praise for achievements, and constructive redirection when necessary. The speaker also highlights the importance of intentional daily reflection on one's actions and the distinction between success, which is often self-centered, and significance, which is about generosity, service, and loving relationships.

Takeaways

🌏 The world needs servant leaders who prioritize serving others before leading.
🤝 Leadership is an influence process, and everyone is a leader in some aspect of their life.
💭 Effective leaders are good human beings who genuinely care about others, listen more than they speak, and help people succeed.
🎯 Clear goals are essential for leadership; they provide direction and purpose for those being led.
👀 Leaders should 'wander around' to observe and praise team members when they do something right, reinforcing positive behavior.
🔄 When performance issues arise, leaders should provide constructive feedback through 'one-minute redirects' to help get back on track.
📓 Leaders should reflect on their day with intent, noting what they did well and areas for improvement in a journal.
🚫 Avoid the 'rat race' mentality, which can lead to a focus on success at the expense of significance.
💰 Success is often measured by money, recognition, power, and status, but it's significance that truly matters in the long run.
🤲 Significance is found in generosity—giving time, talent, and resources to others without expecting anything in return.
❤️ Loving relationships and service to others are the true measures of a life well-lived, as they are what we carry with us beyond life.

Q & A

What is the speaker's view on the current state of world leadership?
-The speaker believes that the world is in desperate need of different leadership, criticizing self-serving leaders who have caused detriment to people in every sector of society globally.
What type of leadership is the speaker advocating for?
-The speaker advocates for 'servant leadership,' where leaders serve first and lead second, emphasizing a caring and heart-driven approach.
According to the speaker, what makes an effective leader?
-Effective leaders, as described by the speaker, are good human beings who care about others, listen more than they talk, and aim to help people win.
What are the three key aspects of being a leader or a manager mentioned in the script?
-The three key aspects are: having clear goals, wandering around to catch people doing something right and giving them praise, and using one-minute redirects when performance isn't as expected.
Why is it important to have clear goals for effective leadership?
-Clear goals are essential because they allow people to know what they are trying to accomplish, which is the starting point of all good performance.
What is the significance of 'wandering around' in the context of leadership?
-It refers to leaders observing their team to catch them doing something right, which then allows them to provide immediate praise and acknowledgment, boosting morale and performance.
Can you explain the concept of 'one-minute praising' as mentioned in the script?
-'One-minute praising' is a leadership technique where a leader quickly acknowledges and praises an individual for doing something right, expressing how it impacts them positively.
What is the purpose of 'one-minute redirect' in leadership?
-The 'one-minute redirect' is used when an individual's performance is not meeting expectations. It involves a constructive conversation to help the person get back on track with the leader's support.
How does the speaker suggest a leader should start their day?
-The speaker suggests that a leader should start their day slowly, with intent, by considering their schedule and how they want to be seen that day.
What is the difference between success and significance according to the speaker?
-Success is associated with money, recognition, power, and status, while significance is about generosity, service, and loving relationships, focusing on what one can give to others rather than what one can gain.
What does the speaker imply about the rat race and its consequences?
-The speaker implies that even if one wins the rat race, they are still caught in a cycle that doesn't necessarily lead to fulfillment, suggesting a preference for a more intentional and meaningful approach to life and leadership.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of relationships and generosity in life?
-The speaker views relationships and generosity as more important than power and status, suggesting that love and service define the significance of one's life and are what remains with the soul after death.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Need for Servant Leadership

This paragraph emphasizes the urgent need for a shift in leadership paradigms towards servant leadership. It critiques self-serving leaders who have negatively impacted society and calls for individuals who prioritize service over self-interest. The speaker discusses the influence process inherent in leadership and the importance of being a good human being, characterized by care and listening. Effective leaders are those who help others succeed, indicating that leadership is not just about managing but also about nurturing and supporting others.

🎯 Essential Aspects of Leadership and Management

The paragraph outlines three key aspects of being an effective leader or manager. Firstly, it stresses the importance of having clear goals as the foundation for good performance. Secondly, it suggests that leaders should actively seek out and praise individuals when they perform well, providing a positive reinforcement mechanism. Thirdly, it introduces the concept of 'one-minute redirect', a method for addressing underperformance in a constructive manner. The speaker also highlights the importance of intentionality in a leader's daily routine, including reflecting on one's actions and setting goals for improvement.

🏁 The Rat Race and the Quest for Significance

In this paragraph, the speaker contrasts the superficiality of success, which is often associated with material wealth and recognition, with the deeper value of significance. The latter is achieved through generosity, service, and loving relationships. The speaker argues that while success can be fleeting and self-centered, significance is enduring and community-oriented. The focus is on the legacy of love and service one leaves behind, rather than on personal gain or status.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a philosophy where leaders prioritize the needs of others, especially their team members, over their own interests. It is a leadership style that emphasizes service to others, sharing power, putting the good of the group first, and helping people develop and perform as highly as possible. In the script, the speaker advocates for servant leaders who are there to serve first and lead second, which is a direct contrast to self-serving leaders who have caused harm to society.

💡Influence

Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. In the context of the video, the speaker suggests that leadership is an influence process, meaning that everyone is a leader in some way as they are all influencing others in their lives. This concept is fundamental to understanding the speaker's view on the pervasive nature of leadership and its impact on society.

💡Clear Goals

Clear goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that provide a roadmap for success. The speaker mentions that all good performance starts with clear goals, emphasizing their importance for guiding individuals and teams towards a shared vision. The script illustrates this by stating that if one wants to make a difference in people's lives, they need to know what they are trying to accomplish.

💡One Minute Praising

One Minute Praising is a management technique where a leader provides immediate, positive feedback to an employee for doing something right. The speaker in the script suggests that once goals are clear, leaders should look for opportunities to catch people doing things right and acknowledge their efforts, which can boost morale and performance. This technique is part of the speaker's broader approach to effective leadership.

💡One Minute Redirect

One Minute Redirect is a management strategy where a leader addresses an issue with an employee's performance in a constructive and timely manner. The speaker explains that if performance isn't going as expected, leaders should engage in a redirect, which involves observing the performance, seeking agreement on the issue, and offering help to get back on track. This concept is used to illustrate the proactive and supportive nature of effective leadership.

💡Intentionality

Intentionality refers to the quality of being deliberate and purposeful in one's actions. The speaker advises entering each day with a sense of intent, considering how one wants to be seen and what impact they want to have. This concept is linked to the idea of being a good manager, where one's behavior is more intentional and not merely a reaction to the pressures of the 'rat race'.

💡Rat Race

The rat race is a metaphor for the unending, competitive struggle of modern life, often associated with the pursuit of material success at the expense of personal fulfillment. The speaker criticizes the rat race, suggesting that even winning it does not change the nature of the pursuit. This term is used to contrast the hollow victory of success with the deeper significance of a life lived with purpose and generosity.

💡Success

Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. In the script, success is discussed in terms of material gains such as money, recognition, power, and status. The speaker contrasts this with significance, implying that while success is often externally defined, significance comes from internal fulfillment and the positive impact one has on others.

💡Significance

Significance refers to the importance or meaning of something in the larger scheme of things. The speaker argues that focusing on significance, as opposed to success, leads to a life of generosity, service, and loving relationships. This concept is central to the video's message, suggesting that true value comes from how one contributes to the world and the connections they make.

💡Generosity

Generosity is the quality of being willing to give in a selfless way, often in terms of time, talent, or resources. The speaker posits generosity as the opposite of making money, suggesting that giving to others is a key component of living a significant life. This term is used to emphasize the value of selfless contribution over personal gain.

💡Loving Relationships

Loving relationships are deep, emotional connections with others that provide support, joy, and a sense of belonging. The speaker contrasts power and status with loving relationships, implying that the latter is a more meaningful and enduring form of wealth. This concept is integral to the video's theme, highlighting the importance of personal connections in achieving a life of significance.

Highlights

The world is in desperate need of a different leadership role model, moving away from self-serving leaders.

The call for servant leadership: Leaders who serve first and lead second are what society needs.

Leadership is an influence process, and everyone is a leader in various aspects of their lives.

The most effective leaders are good human beings who care about people and listen more than they talk.

Effective leadership involves helping others win, which requires a caring heart.

Clear goals are essential for good performance; they provide direction for everyone involved.

Leaders should acknowledge and praise good performance through 'one-minute praising' to reinforce positive behavior.

When performance deviates from expectations, leaders should use a 'one-minute redirect' to help get back on track.

Effective leaders start their day with intent, reflecting on how they want to be perceived and what they aim to achieve.

At the end of the day, leaders should journal their praisings and redirections to assess their progress and set goals.

A good manager is intentional in their behavior, avoiding the distractions of the 'rat race'.

The distinction between success and significance: Success is often tied to money, recognition, power, and status.

Significance, on the other hand, is linked to generosity, service, and loving relationships.

True significance is achieved through generosity of time, talent, treasure, and touch, rather than the pursuit of money.

When life is over, what matters most is the love you gave and received, as that's what remains in your soul.