The subversive power of servant leadership | Ian Fuhr | TEDxJohannesburg

Summary

The 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

00:00

🚀 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.

05:02

🌏 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.

10:02

🤝 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.

Keywords

💡Entrepreneurial Ventures

Entrepreneurial ventures refer to new business endeavors typically involving innovation, risk, and the pursuit of profit. In the script, the speaker discusses their life journey, which has been a series of entrepreneurial ventures in various industries, emphasizing the courage to start businesses in unfamiliar markets.

💡Virgin Territory

In the context of the video, 'virgin territory' signifies a new or unexplored market or industry. The speaker points out the advantage of starting a business in such an environment, where there are no preconceived notions or established norms to limit one's approach.

💡Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy where the main goal of the leader is to serve others, especially their team members, rather than focusing on their own power or status. The speaker highlights the power of servant leadership as a crucial lesson learned from their experiences, emphasizing the importance of serving people to achieve business success.

💡Purpose of Work

The purpose of work, as discussed in the script, is not merely to make money but to serve others. The speaker challenges the common belief that work is solely for financial gain and instead posits that a focus on service can lead to financial success.

💡Soweto Uprisings

The Soweto Uprisings refer to a series of protests by students in Soweto, South Africa, in 1976 against the apartheid regime's policies. The speaker mentions this historical event as the backdrop to their first business venture, illustrating the socio-political challenges they faced.

💡Apartheid

Apartheid was a policy of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. The script references the impact of apartheid on the speaker's business and personal life, showing how it influenced their understanding of the importance of respecting and serving all people.

💡Customer Service Policy

A customer service policy outlines how a business intends to interact with its customers, including handling returns and complaints. The speaker discusses their company's customer service policy, which is designed to be flexible and customer-friendly, reflecting the company's commitment to serving its customers.

💡Moral Authority

Moral authority is the influence or power that comes from being perceived as ethical and trustworthy. The speaker talks about the need for a servant leader to earn moral authority to lead others effectively, creating a safe space for open communication and truth-telling.

💡Higher Purpose

A higher purpose is a fundamental reason or goal that transcends immediate objectives and provides a sense of direction or meaning. The speaker describes changing their company's vision to a higher purpose of serving and improving the lives of staff and customers, which resonates more deeply with their team.

💡Dignity and Respect

Dignity and respect are fundamental aspects of treating individuals with worth and consideration. The speaker emphasizes the importance of providing dignity and respect to employees as part of servant leadership, which in turn fosters a positive work environment and motivates staff to serve customers well.

💡Inspire vs. Motivate

While motivation is often seen as pushing people towards a goal, inspiration is about uplifting and igniting their inner drive. The speaker differentiates between the two, stating that servant leaders inspire rather than motivate, creating an environment where employees are self-motivated.

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