August 16, 2008 at 4:02 pm (history, productivity)
Several years ago Apple Computers began to use “think different” as an advertising slogan. Though grammatically awkward (”different” is being used as an adverb, and should therefore use the -ly ending), it is certainly a good motto for leaders. The phrase also describes one of George Washington’s key leadership principles. Besides his concern for posterity and his ability to accept and renounce executive power at-will, George Washington exhibited the ability to “think different.”
Washington’s refusal to play by the standard rules of European warfare helped his rag-tag army survive and eventually overcome the threat of the British Army. However his ability to “think different” predates the Revolutionary War. His entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated itself in how he managed his Virginia plantation. At the time, Virginia planters typically relied on tobacco, which was to be sold in English markets. Washington felt that he never received a good return from England on his tobacco crops, so in 1766 he ventured into other crops. These ventures included successfully growing wheat, milling it himself, and selling it locally. He also harvested fish from the Potomac and produced clothing for his workers.
Though traditional methods may seem safe, they are not always best for you or for those you lead. Those who truly want to lead others (and themselves) to new successes must “think different.” The first step in learning to “think different” is to consider the areas of your life that are bound by tradition. Tradition in itself is certainly not a bad thing, but an unreflective submission to tradition will keep individuals from discovering their full potential.
IDEA LEADER: In what ways are you bound by tradition? What are three particular ways you can “think different” this week?
Photo: Diego Medrano
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August 16, 2008 at 2:44 pm (religion, servant leadership, women)
For an interesting article about a muslim woman striving to be a servant leader who empowers other women, please click here.
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July 20, 2008 at 3:41 am (posterity, servant leadership)
Another motivating factor for Washington was a concern for posterity. He knew that he was making history, and he wanted to do it right. Some critics may accuse him of being too concerned with how future generations would view him, but considering how he was blazing new leadership territory in a likewise new nation, I think his concerns were legitimate.
In his
farewell address, Washington not only states that he will not seek another term as president, but he offers advice to the nation that he believes is crucial to its success. Note the emphasis on the success of the nation rather than his personal success. He could easily have written a farewell address that was entirely self-laudatory, but that was not his focus.
IDEA LEADER: When you think about your organization and its future, are you more concerned about your personal reputation or the success of your organization? How can you appropriately concern yourself with both?
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July 13, 2008 at 2:53 am (history, values, vision)
Washington’s approach to executive power may have seemed novel in his day (King George III was quoted as saying that if Washington could voluntarily resign his power, “he would be the greatest man in the world.”). However, his refusal of a tyrant’s crown had historical referents. Both of these referents originate in the Roman world.
Washington’s favorite play was Addison’s Cato . He even had it performed during that terrible winter at Valley Forge. In the play, Cato is an embodiment of republican virtue, and an enemy of the tyrant Julius Caesar. Cato is willing to resist Caesar’s despotic rule – even if it means taking his own life.
During Washington’s lifetime, he was compared to Cincinnatus. According to the historian Livy, Cincinnatus was twice given the power of a despot in order to save Rome from her military enemies. Twice Cincinnatus was able to repel the foreign threat and then willingly return to his plow. Like Washington, he served his country in its time of need and then resigned from executive power.
Since I teach at a classical school, I have high regard for the classical tradition, and I am thrilled to see the connection with Washington. Yet there is something here for leaders to glean: leaders benefit from historic role models. Don’t become so consumed with being “cutting edge” that you forget what is “classical.”
IDEA LEADER: Which historical heroes influence you? Why? How can you share their stories with those you lead?
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July 8, 2008 at 1:17 am (servant leadership, values, vision)
Why would a popular and successful executive willingly resign his position when everyone expected him to keep his power? Why do it twice? We’ll explore this question for the next several weeks.
George Washington twice resigned his executive power: first when he resigned his position as commander and chief of the continental army and second when he chose not to seek a third term as President (he still got 2 electoral votes in the 1796 election).
Shortly before Washington resigned his military command, a group of soldiers wanted to march on congress in response to unresolved grievances. After quelling that near-rebellion, he rode to the continental congress, meeting in Maryland, to surrender his sword. He was met by huge cheering crowds in three different cities – in a scene not unlike the triumph processions of Roman military generals.
Washington could easily have become a military dictator. The English revolution that preceded him by less than 200 years ended with such. Why didn’t Washington follow that path?
There are a variety of reasons. One of those was his ability to pick up and lay down executive power at will. Even more impressive, he could lay down this power and not be diminished in any way. In fact, his decision to resign his military command made him even more heroic. I believe in this act Washington demonstrated something of the character that Christ discussed when he said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
IDEA LEADER: Not only were Washington’s executive positions full of authoritative power, but they were also symbols of status. What status symbols could you give up to enhance your leadership? How would your organization benefit if you shared power with others?
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March 9, 2008 at 2:12 am (elections, government, servant leadership)
Robert Greenleaf provides a fantastic test for servant leadership:
“Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And what is the effect on the least privileged of society; will he or she benefit, or, at least, will he or she not be further deprived?” (”The Servant as Leader,” 1991, p. 7).
As I ponder the election season before us, I am looking for a candidate who can somehow espouse these values in a practical political platform. But perhaps I am asking too much. Is it even possible that a large institution (in this case, the federal government) can effectively (1) facilitate a society that encourages freedom, (2) provide incentives for us to serve each other, and (3) ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are not left to fend for themselves?
Hopefully this election season will answer that question affirmatively.
IDEA LEADER: What does servant leadership look like in a political candidate? Which candidate best represents these values?
Photo: Sanja Gjenero
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January 21, 2008 at 2:58 am (attitude, perspective, servant leadership)
If it really is true that everyone can be a leader, then the next logical question is “where should I lead?” This question deals with leadership context.
Though all are leaders, not all are equally gifted for every situation. Sometimes in our pursuit of status we may pursue leadership opportunities that don’t match our gifts. We can easily become a fish out of water, with the natural result that we gasp desperately for air.
Let me propose a simple test. If a good leader never asks people to do more than he is willing to do, then ask, “What am I willing to do?” In the pursuit of excellence, in what area are you willing to push yourself the most? If you discover that you are willing to make the biggest sacrifices for your current context, then congratulations! You seem to have found your leadership-calling (at least for the present).
IDEA LEADER: In what areas of industry or personal life am I willing to make the most sacrifices for the sake of excellence? Does this match what I am currently doing?
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January 11, 2008 at 10:16 pm (communication, perspective, servant leadership)
Though my New Year’s resolutions aren’t yet official (other than to stop procrastinating, which I’ll start working on tomorrow), I have completed my New Year’s Evaluation.
Every semester I ask my students to evaluate my teaching, and this year I used a particularly simple evaluation: stop, start, continue. Students wrote out what they thought I should stop doing, what I should start doing, and what I should continue doing. Knowing what to continue is particularly helpful.
Stop, start, continue provides 360-degree feedback because I also completed a self-evaluation before asking my students to evaluate me. Interestingly, some of the things I felt that I needed to stop or start were not mentioned by my students, so those things may not be issues after all.
If you have not made resolutions this year, why not try a stop, start, continue evaluation? If you are bold enough, have those you lead do the same as an evaluation of your leadership.
IDEA LEADER: It seems to be human nature to focus on what we should stop or start, but what do you need to continue doing as an effective servant-leader?
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