Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Recently, I partnered with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expert, Glen Guyton from GuyStar Enterprises, to help business executives better address racial inequality in their workplace and industry. MORE
On Saturday, USA Gymnastics announced the role of interim President and CEO will be filled by Mary Bono. In selecting Bono, USA Gymnastics joins an unfortunate list of companies failing to conduct a basic analysis of digital media , before making critical leadership decisions. At issue is at least one post where Ms. Bono attacked Nike, a sponsor of many United States gymnasts. Attacking Nike. In a September 7th tweet, Bono boasted about her opposition to the Nike brand. MORE
Jolly old Santa Claus has a reason to be so happy. After all, he only works one day a year and gets credit for all the gifts his elves made and the work his reindeer do. In return, what do the reindeer and elves get? Left over cookie crumbs, some carrots, and one hit movie vs. dozens for Saint Nick. Santa Claus is really a bad boss, here are several examples of his poor leadership behavior: Santa Claus the Bad Boss. Serves only one stakeholder group. Takes credit for other’s work. MORE
Infographic : 9 Tips for Working Remotely (Large version here ). Are you new to working from home or working remote? Have you considered the challenges and special needs of your remote employees? MORE
Are you looking for the top leadership experts to follow in 2015? Maybe you need a leadership development expert or public speaker. Or, maybe you’re focused on personal development and want to find the best content online to help you grow as a leader. Whether you need a leadership and management expert for yourself or your team, you’ll find someone great below. If you’re interested in the details behind the list, click here. MORE
For the first time in history, leaders can receive effective feedback from millions of people. Why is now a great time to be a leader? What makes today so different from prior centuries, or even decades? Technology delivered a leadership innovation called digital social media. Throughout history there have been many communication innovations, but digital media, and its child – social media, provide the greatest benefit to leaders. MORE
Are you a complainer or a contributor? The complainer likes to point out everything that is wrong. The contributor likes to change what is wrong. The complainer likes to talk. The contributor likes to take action. Complainers take from others. Contributors give to others. A complainer offers feed back. A contributor offers feed forward. A complainer says, “I could do better” A contributor does better. A complainer expects to be served. A contributor serves. MORE
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Academia may lack degree programs in leadership, but Texas A&M University does an excellent job at introducing incoming students to servant-leadership. Kimberly Morrison, a sophomore with Texas A&M’s Freshmen in Service and Hosting ( FISH ), explains the university’s many servant-leadership programs, in this interview. MORE
One of the hardest lessons I ever learned was that I couldn’t lead what I needed. I was reminded of this when I recently heard Ken Blanchard say, “Fear and self-doubt is an ego problem. Because you are focusing on yourself.” ” As a leader, you should be prepared to face your fears and self-doubts then dismiss them for what they are: a self-serving view. As a servant leader, you are called to serve others. MORE
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT (Selfless, Empathetic, Resolute, Virtuous, Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The first principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Selfless. If you’re not serving others, you’re not leading. This captures the selfless nature of leadership in a simple statement. MORE
Click here if you are unable to see the video. In Paradigm Flip , I introduced three types of listening in digital media for people leaders to monitor the online conversation about their business or non-profit and it’s industry: 1. Real Time: A real-time monitor streams content as it occurs in real-time online, from a specific source. Comprehensive: The comprehensive monitor captures new content, anywhere publicly available online, but runs in batches. MORE
Every high school senior has one goal in common when applying to college: displaying leadership qualities. Every higher learning institution has this as an “expectation” of applicants. Then, these same institutions all claim they develop students to be great leaders by the time they graduate. They may describe it in a different manner. They may even define leadership different. However, they all claim to be a great institution for building future leaders. MORE
Can I get 1 minute of your time? I’ve been running this blog to advocate servant leadership adoption and digital media action, for free, since 2008. In all that time, I never asked a favor. Today though, I have a favor to ask. It should only take a minute of your time. I want to continue spreading servant leadership adoption and digital media action, to help others succeed. You have a great opportunity to help me do this by voting on the Thinkers 50. MORE
Many people do not understand leadership. They think it is an achievement to reach, rather than a commitment to serve. So this scene from “The Princess Bride” is an appropriate meme. In this scene, Inigo Montoya tells his employer, Vizzini, “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means” [Share this post: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest ]. Here are some examples when people incorrectly label something as leadership. MORE
It was 2006. My CFO just fired the 4th person he hired, within a year of hiring them. Now, his entire team had turned over 3 times in as many years. Yet, the executive team felt he was getting positive results. In fact, on paper, he was. The organization was stronger than ever, from a fiscal perspective. However, the reputation of the organization and the lives of many employees were damaged. MORE
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT ( Selfless , Empathetic, Resolute, Virtuous, Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The second principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Empathetic. In order to lead people, you need to know what it feels like to walk a mile in their shoes. MORE
We can be really stupid leaders sometimes and that leads to being a bad boss. I can say this because I’ve done it. I still do it sometimes. I can be a bad boss and I bet you can too. Here’s how: 1. Focus on what your boss thinks of you more than what’s right for the organization. Take the big, “important” projects for yourself rather than provide them as opportunities for the team. MORE
Team size is a critical factor in the success or failure of an organization. Most organizations permit – or expect – too many direct reports for each team lead. This logic ignores the reality that good people leadership takes time and great people leadership requires more time. MORE
Heat map of percentage of institutions with leadership programs, in the United States, by state. Does anyone believe we have enough good leaders in politics? What about the workplace? I didn’t think so. MORE
Larry Spears. Larry Spears was the CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership for nearly two decades. He now runs the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership (Indianapolis), and serves as Servant-Leadership Scholar at Gonzaga University (Spokane). Larry is also the one who studied Greenleaf’s writings for years, extracted and shared the very popular 10 Characteristics of Servant-Leadership. A very humble man, he often points to Robert Greenleaf as the source of his message. MORE
You don’t have to be great to serve, but you must serve to be great. Jon Gordon If you want to be a great leader, you must serve. Jon Gordon got it right when he said this at the World LEADERS Conference. Service comes before greatness, but greatness is not a requirement to serve. I’ve said time and again, to lead you must serve because if you’re not serving others, you are self-serving and that’s not leadership. MORE
The servant-leadership community lost another great example and shepherd this week. Ken Melrose, former chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Company, passed away Sunday May 3, 2020. Ken was a passionate advocate for servant-leadership at Toro and beyond. MORE
Herb Kelleher, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Southwest Airlines , passed away today (January 3rd, 2019). Herb was among the greatest examples of servant-leadership in business. The man was a legend, yet remained humble, always shining the spotlight on his team. He lived life to it’s fullest and left a path for others to follow in his footsteps- however giant they may be. He inspired an entire generation of servant-leaders and left the world better than he found it. MORE
The great Shakespeare play, Romeo & Juliet has a famous line, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ” We often use this phrase to explain how names don’t really matter. I often hear the same excuse when organizations choose to call their leadership philosophy something different. They assure me, “it’s really servant-leadership, only with a different name” When I hear that, I always vomit a little in my mouth. MORE
Join Business & Racial Awareness: From Conversation to Action , today. Seats are limited. Sessions start Friday. About the Course. I grew up in very white suburbs. MORE
In times of tragedy and civil unrest, it is easy and common for companies to release position statements. It’s good for leaders to offer their support to communities in need. A positive message that says, “we stand with you” feels good. MORE
“Return on Relationship = ROI” -Ted Rubin & Kathryn Rose. I heard a lot about this book, “ Return on Relationship: Relationships are the new currency honor them, invest in them and start measuring your ROR ” but hadn’t read it yet. I wanted to, but it wasn’t available on audio, which put it way down on my book list. Then I bumped into Ted Rubin, one of the authors, at a conference. I picked up a copy that day and finished it the next. MORE
Ben Lichtenwalner presents Digital Media and the Future of Leadership at Hope College’s Critical Issues Symposium. Having difficulties viewing the video? Click here. Leadership is not easy, but digital media makes it easier than ever before. Whether or not you realize leverage this opportunity, there are major influencers who will. You must decide: are you going to sit on the sidelines? Or, are you going to use this opportunity to be a more effective servant leader ? MORE
Too often we hear – or maybe even say, “they’re in a leadership position “ At best, this is misleading. At worst, it’s flat out wrong. Your title makes you a manager. Your role makes you a leader. Positions for Managers. A title defines a management position. MORE
All I want for Christmas is Servant Leadership. Twas the night before Christmas, when all of the staff. Sat on Zoom hoping a leader would come, on their behalf. Tired of the power model still in the air, They hoped a servant-leader, soon would be there. MORE
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT ( Selfless , Empathetic , Resolute , Virtuous , Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The next principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Authentic. Authenticity is all about transparency. A great leader is the same in private as they are in public. MORE
A new study by Radiant Forest, LLC ranked all Fortune 500 companies and the top 500 of the INC 5,000, according to their online employee feedback scores. MORE
Tony Hsieh , an outstanding example of servant-leadership , the former CEO of Zappos and founder of LinkExchange, passed away Friday November 27th, 2020. He succumbed to injuries suffered during a house fire on November 18th, while visiting family for Thanksgiving. MORE
Welcome to 2020. Please don’t expect major corporations to grasp the concept of true diversity, unless you help. We see another example today, presented by Comcast’s subsidiary, NBC Universal, while launching the new streaming service, Peacock. What Happened. MORE
It took me too long to discover servant leadership. It’s taking too long for others to discover the concept as well. Simply put, servant leadership is authentic leadership. If you’re not serving others, you’re not leading. The problem is, most definitions of servant leadership are difficult to understand or share. Therefore, to increase awareness and advocacy I created a more simple definition, using the acronym S.E.R.V.A.N.T. MORE
Virtually everyone faces a new normal today. If you lead people, you face additional challenges. None of us have all the answers. Perhaps together though, we may develop great solutions. We’re here to help. Here is a list of recommendations from people leadership practitioners. MORE
Modern Servant Leader
DECEMBER 24, 2020
All I want for Christmas is Servant Leadership. Twas the night before Christmas, when all of the staff. Sat on Zoom hoping a leader would come, on their behalf. Tired of the power model still in the air, They hoped a servant-leader, soon would be there.
Modern Servant Leader
DECEMBER 1, 2020
Tony Hsieh , an outstanding example of servant-leadership , the former CEO of Zappos and founder of LinkExchange, passed away Friday November 27th, 2020. He succumbed to injuries suffered during a house fire on November 18th, while visiting family for Thanksgiving.
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Modern Servant Leader
MARCH 29, 2021
A new study by Radiant Forest, LLC ranked all Fortune 500 companies and the top 500 of the INC 5,000, according to their online employee feedback scores.
Modern Servant Leader
FEBRUARY 20, 2020
Team size is a critical factor in the success or failure of an organization. Most organizations permit – or expect – too many direct reports for each team lead. This logic ignores the reality that good people leadership takes time and great people leadership requires more time.
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Modern Servant Leader
APRIL 6, 2020
Virtually everyone faces a new normal today. If you lead people, you face additional challenges. None of us have all the answers. Perhaps together though, we may develop great solutions. We’re here to help. Here is a list of recommendations from people leadership practitioners.
Modern Servant Leader
JANUARY 5, 2020
Welcome to 2020. Please don’t expect major corporations to grasp the concept of true diversity, unless you help. We see another example today, presented by Comcast’s subsidiary, NBC Universal, while launching the new streaming service, Peacock. What Happened.
Modern Servant Leader
JUNE 5, 2020
In times of tragedy and civil unrest, it is easy and common for companies to release position statements. It’s good for leaders to offer their support to communities in need. A positive message that says, “we stand with you” feels good.
Modern Servant Leader
AUGUST 11, 2020
Recently, I partnered with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expert, Glen Guyton from GuyStar Enterprises, to help business executives better address racial inequality in their workplace and industry.
Modern Servant Leader
JULY 13, 2020
Join Business & Racial Awareness: From Conversation to Action , today. Seats are limited. Sessions start Friday. About the Course. I grew up in very white suburbs.
Modern Servant Leader
JANUARY 3, 2019
Herb Kelleher, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Southwest Airlines , passed away today (January 3rd, 2019). Herb was among the greatest examples of servant-leadership in business. The man was a legend, yet remained humble, always shining the spotlight on his team. He lived life to it’s fullest and left a path for others to follow in his footsteps- however giant they may be. He inspired an entire generation of servant-leaders and left the world better than he found it.
Advertisement
In 2021, many of your competitors will invest in talent development software. If you make the right decision, invest in the right software, and if your organization is willing to use it, you can realize five decisive competitive advantages. To see those advantages, download Paycor’s latest guide, 5 Reasons CFOs Invest in Talent Development.
Modern Servant Leader
APRIL 21, 2020
Heat map of percentage of institutions with leadership programs, in the United States, by state. Does anyone believe we have enough good leaders in politics? What about the workplace? I didn’t think so.
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Modern Servant Leader
JANUARY 13, 2020
Too often we hear – or maybe even say, “they’re in a leadership position “ At best, this is misleading. At worst, it’s flat out wrong. Your title makes you a manager. Your role makes you a leader. Positions for Managers. A title defines a management position.
Modern Servant Leader
JULY 30, 2018
Academia may lack degree programs in leadership, but Texas A&M University does an excellent job at introducing incoming students to servant-leadership. Kimberly Morrison, a sophomore with Texas A&M’s Freshmen in Service and Hosting ( FISH ), explains the university’s many servant-leadership programs, in this interview.
Modern Servant Leader
MARCH 17, 2020
Infographic : 9 Tips for Working Remotely (Large version here ). Are you new to working from home or working remote? Have you considered the challenges and special needs of your remote employees?
Modern Servant Leader
JUNE 15, 2018
Larry Spears. Larry Spears was the CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership for nearly two decades. He now runs the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership (Indianapolis), and serves as Servant-Leadership Scholar at Gonzaga University (Spokane). Larry is also the one who studied Greenleaf’s writings for years, extracted and shared the very popular 10 Characteristics of Servant-Leadership. A very humble man, he often points to Robert Greenleaf as the source of his message.
Advertisement
As an HR leader, your goal for talent development is to create an environment where everyone is motivated and supported to achieve a shared vision of success. By investing in the right software, you can realize five decisive competitive advantages. To see those advantages, download Paycor’s latest guide!
Modern Servant Leader
OCTOBER 15, 2018
On Saturday, USA Gymnastics announced the role of interim President and CEO will be filled by Mary Bono. In selecting Bono, USA Gymnastics joins an unfortunate list of companies failing to conduct a basic analysis of digital media , before making critical leadership decisions. At issue is at least one post where Ms. Bono attacked Nike, a sponsor of many United States gymnasts. Attacking Nike. In a September 7th tweet, Bono boasted about her opposition to the Nike brand.
Modern Servant Leader
AUGUST 24, 2015
Can I get 1 minute of your time? I’ve been running this blog to advocate servant leadership adoption and digital media action, for free, since 2008. In all that time, I never asked a favor. Today though, I have a favor to ask. It should only take a minute of your time. I want to continue spreading servant leadership adoption and digital media action, to help others succeed. You have a great opportunity to help me do this by voting on the Thinkers 50.
Modern Servant Leader
MARCH 23, 2015
You don’t have to be great to serve, but you must serve to be great. Jon Gordon If you want to be a great leader, you must serve. Jon Gordon got it right when he said this at the World LEADERS Conference. Service comes before greatness, but greatness is not a requirement to serve. I’ve said time and again, to lead you must serve because if you’re not serving others, you are self-serving and that’s not leadership.
Modern Servant Leader
APRIL 10, 2015
We can be really stupid leaders sometimes and that leads to being a bad boss. I can say this because I’ve done it. I still do it sometimes. I can be a bad boss and I bet you can too. Here’s how: 1. Focus on what your boss thinks of you more than what’s right for the organization. Take the big, “important” projects for yourself rather than provide them as opportunities for the team.
Advertisement
Building the ideal HR team doesn’t happen overnight—especially when CFOs have limited time, budget and resources. But our new guide can give you advice on where to start and key focus areas you need to know. Download our guide today!
Modern Servant Leader
MARCH 18, 2015
One of the hardest lessons I ever learned was that I couldn’t lead what I needed. I was reminded of this when I recently heard Ken Blanchard say, “Fear and self-doubt is an ego problem. Because you are focusing on yourself.” ” As a leader, you should be prepared to face your fears and self-doubts then dismiss them for what they are: a self-serving view. As a servant leader, you are called to serve others.
Modern Servant Leader
AUGUST 30, 2015
For the first time in history, leaders can receive effective feedback from millions of people. Why is now a great time to be a leader? What makes today so different from prior centuries, or even decades? Technology delivered a leadership innovation called digital social media. Throughout history there have been many communication innovations, but digital media, and its child – social media, provide the greatest benefit to leaders.
Modern Servant Leader
JANUARY 15, 2015
Are you looking for the top leadership experts to follow in 2015? Maybe you need a leadership development expert or public speaker. Or, maybe you’re focused on personal development and want to find the best content online to help you grow as a leader. Whether you need a leadership and management expert for yourself or your team, you’ll find someone great below. If you’re interested in the details behind the list, click here.
Modern Servant Leader
DECEMBER 15, 2014
Jolly old Santa Claus has a reason to be so happy. After all, he only works one day a year and gets credit for all the gifts his elves made and the work his reindeer do. In return, what do the reindeer and elves get? Left over cookie crumbs, some carrots, and one hit movie vs. dozens for Saint Nick. Santa Claus is really a bad boss, here are several examples of his poor leadership behavior: Santa Claus the Bad Boss. Serves only one stakeholder group. Takes credit for other’s work.
Advertisement
Building the ideal HR team doesn’t happen overnight—especially when you have limited time, budget and resources. But our new guide can give you advice on where to start and key focus areas you need to know. Download our guide today!
Modern Servant Leader
DECEMBER 29, 2014
Many people do not understand leadership. They think it is an achievement to reach, rather than a commitment to serve. So this scene from “The Princess Bride” is an appropriate meme. In this scene, Inigo Montoya tells his employer, Vizzini, “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means” [Share this post: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest ]. Here are some examples when people incorrectly label something as leadership.
Modern Servant Leader
APRIL 23, 2015
Click here if you are unable to see the video. In Paradigm Flip , I introduced three types of listening in digital media for people leaders to monitor the online conversation about their business or non-profit and it’s industry: 1. Real Time: A real-time monitor streams content as it occurs in real-time online, from a specific source. Comprehensive: The comprehensive monitor captures new content, anywhere publicly available online, but runs in batches.
Modern Servant Leader
APRIL 3, 2015
Every high school senior has one goal in common when applying to college: displaying leadership qualities. Every higher learning institution has this as an “expectation” of applicants. Then, these same institutions all claim they develop students to be great leaders by the time they graduate. They may describe it in a different manner. They may even define leadership different. However, they all claim to be a great institution for building future leaders.
Modern Servant Leader
OCTOBER 17, 2014
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT (Selfless, Empathetic, Resolute, Virtuous, Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The first principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Selfless. If you’re not serving others, you’re not leading. This captures the selfless nature of leadership in a simple statement.
Advertisement
HR leaders are on the frontlines of a mental health crisis, but the topic can still be taboo—or at least something that’s only talked about reluctantly. What can HR do to help? Download our latest guide to learn the 4 ways you can support the mental health of your employees and identify warning signs of burnout.
Modern Servant Leader
OCTOBER 10, 2014
It took me too long to discover servant leadership. It’s taking too long for others to discover the concept as well. Simply put, servant leadership is authentic leadership. If you’re not serving others, you’re not leading. The problem is, most definitions of servant leadership are difficult to understand or share. Therefore, to increase awareness and advocacy I created a more simple definition, using the acronym S.E.R.V.A.N.T.
Modern Servant Leader
DECEMBER 11, 2014
Ben Lichtenwalner presents Digital Media and the Future of Leadership at Hope College’s Critical Issues Symposium. Having difficulties viewing the video? Click here. Leadership is not easy, but digital media makes it easier than ever before. Whether or not you realize leverage this opportunity, there are major influencers who will. You must decide: are you going to sit on the sidelines? Or, are you going to use this opportunity to be a more effective servant leader ?
Modern Servant Leader
AUGUST 25, 2014
“Return on Relationship = ROI” -Ted Rubin & Kathryn Rose. I heard a lot about this book, “ Return on Relationship: Relationships are the new currency honor them, invest in them and start measuring your ROR ” but hadn’t read it yet. I wanted to, but it wasn’t available on audio, which put it way down on my book list. Then I bumped into Ted Rubin, one of the authors, at a conference. I picked up a copy that day and finished it the next.
Modern Servant Leader
NOVEMBER 6, 2018
The great Shakespeare play, Romeo & Juliet has a famous line, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ” We often use this phrase to explain how names don’t really matter. I often hear the same excuse when organizations choose to call their leadership philosophy something different. They assure me, “it’s really servant-leadership, only with a different name” When I hear that, I always vomit a little in my mouth.
Advertisement
HR leaders are on the frontlines of a mental health crisis, but the topic can still be taboo—or at least something that’s only talked about reluctantly. What can HR do to help? Download our latest guide to learn the 4 ways you can support the mental health of your employees and identify warning signs of burnout.
Modern Servant Leader
SEPTEMBER 3, 2014
Are you a complainer or a contributor? The complainer likes to point out everything that is wrong. The contributor likes to change what is wrong. The complainer likes to talk. The contributor likes to take action. Complainers take from others. Contributors give to others. A complainer offers feed back. A contributor offers feed forward. A complainer says, “I could do better” A contributor does better. A complainer expects to be served. A contributor serves.
Modern Servant Leader
NOVEMBER 12, 2014
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT ( Selfless , Empathetic , Resolute , Virtuous , Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The next principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Authentic. Authenticity is all about transparency. A great leader is the same in private as they are in public.
Modern Servant Leader
OCTOBER 24, 2014
Background: This post is part of a series defining the principles of Servant Leadership via the acronym SERVANT ( Selfless , Empathetic, Resolute, Virtuous, Authentic, Needful and Thorough). For more, visit the overview at this link or sign up for the free online course, Servant Leadership 101. The second principle in the SERVANT Leadership acronym is Empathetic. In order to lead people, you need to know what it feels like to walk a mile in their shoes.
Modern Servant Leader
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
It was 2006. My CFO just fired the 4th person he hired, within a year of hiring them. Now, his entire team had turned over 3 times in as many years. Yet, the executive team felt he was getting positive results. In fact, on paper, he was. The organization was stronger than ever, from a fiscal perspective. However, the reputation of the organization and the lives of many employees were damaged.
Advertisement
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