DOs & DON’Ts of Servant Leadership Discussion

Visit the “Competitive Advantages” page of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership website at https://www.greenleaf.org/winning-workplaces/workplace-resources/research-studies/competitive-advantages/ and review the articles indicating ways that servant leadership helps organizations gain competitive advantage. Using that information along with the Topic Materials, discuss how servant leadership contributes to competitive advantage in contemporary organizations. Provide specific industry examples of companies that have thrived as servant leaders.

One of the challenges often faced by nonprofit organizations is financial viability. Consider how the service leadership model can make a nonprofit organization competitive in ways that are not profit driven. In your post, discuss whether or not the value the nonprofit provides to the community and the greater good is professionally appealing enough to make you want to explore as a career opportunity despite the fact that in many cases than the personal and financial gains offered by nonprofits may not match what is available in for-profit organizations.

RESOURCES

Electronic Resource

1. “Servant Leadership” – Serve to Be Great

Read “‘Servant Leadership’ – Serve to Be Great,” located on the Intellisource website (2015). DOs & DON’Ts of Servant Leadership Discussion

http://www.intellisource.com/2015/02/servant-leadership-serve-great/

2. 1 Little-Known Advantage Most Investors Miss

Read “1 Little-Known Advantage Most Investors Miss,” by Lomax, located on The Motley Fool website (2014).

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/10/23/1-little-known-advantage-most-investors-miss.aspx

3. At Their Service

Read “At Their Service,” by Drake, located on the Smart CEO website (2013).

https://web.archive.org/web/20160610105450/http://www.smartceo.com/wawas-ceo-servant-leadership/

4. DOs & DON’Ts of Servant Leadership

Read “DOs & DON’Ts of Servant Leadership,” located on the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center website (2015).

http://ritzcarltonleadershipcenter.com/2015/09/dos-donts-of-servant-leadership/

5. Leadership Expert Simon Sinek on Putting Others First

View “Leadership Expert Simon Sinek on Putting Others First,” located on the YouTube website (2014).

6. Servant Leadership Sustains Competitive US Manufacturing Advantage

Read “Servant Leadership Sustains Competitive US Manufacturing Advantage,” by Martin, located on the Industry Today website (2012).

http://industrytoday.com/article_view.asp?ArticleID=we385

7. Servant Leadership: A Path to High Performance

Read “Servant Leadership: A Path to High Performance,” by Hess, from The Washington Post (2013).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/servant-leadership-a-path-to-high-performance/2013/04/26/435e58b2-a7b8-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

Website

1. America’s Worst Charities

The America’s Worst Charities website can be used to conduct research for the topic assignment.

http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/worst-charities/

2. Charity Navigator

The Charity Navigator website can be used to conduct research for the topic assignment.

https://www.charitynavigator.org/

3. Charity Watch

The Top Rated Charities page of the Charity Watch website can be used to conduct research for the topic assignment.

https://www.charitywatch.org/top-rated-charities

4. Competitive Advantages

Review the Competitive Advantages page of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership website to locate servant leadership articles.

https://www.greenleaf.org/winning-workplaces/workplace-resources/research-studies/competitive-advantages/

5. TopNonprofits

The Top 100 Nonprofits on the Web page of the TopNonprofits website can be used to conduct research for the topic assignment.

https://topnonprofits.com/lists/best-nonprofits-on-the-web/

Unit 3

Think about how your personal values correlate with the principles of servant leadership. How can you draw on values and servant leadership principles to better establish your followership to better serve those you lead professionally and personally?

Suppose you go to work for an organization that you discover does not align with your personal values. You are in a leadership role and you are not in a position to leave the job. How do you ethically represent the company without compromising your own beliefs? What is the deal breaker for you? How does ethically representing the company demonstrate your ability to be a servant leader?

RESOURCES

Electronic Resource

1. As a Servant Leader, You Can Change the World Commencement Address

Read “‘As a Servant Leader, You Can Change the World’ Commencement Address,” by George, located on the Bill George website (2013).

http://www.billgeorge.org/page/as-a-servant-leader-you-can-change-the-world

2. Chick-fil-A Founder Was Embodiment of Servant Leader Philosophy

Read “Chick-fil-A Founder Was Embodiment of Servant Leader Philosophy,” by Oswald, located on the HR Hero website (2014).

http://blogs.hrhero.com/oswaldletters/2014/09/15/chick-fil-a-founder-was-embodiment-of-servant-leader-philosophy/

3. Leading as a Servant

Read “Leading as a Servant,” by Krakowski, from Entrepreneur (2014).

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231242

4. Serving More Than the Bottom Line

Read “Serving More Than the Bottom Line,” by Brodsky, located on the Human Resource Executive Online website (2015).

http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=534358775

5. The Business of Consciousness

Read “The Business of Consciousness,” by McEllin, located on the Examiner website (2013).

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/business-consciousness-steve-mcellin-mba

Unit 4

Think about the principles of servant leadership and provide two examples of specific ways you can apply them in your current work environment, as member of a community group or organization with which you are involved, or in your personal life. Discuss the specific servant leadership principles you would apply, the methods you would use to apply the principles, and the results you would anticipate seeing as a result of implementing these servant leadership principles.

Conduct research about a biblical figure such as Moses, David, Paul, Joseph, Esther, or Nehemiah to learn about how the biblical leader exemplified servant leadership and see how the principles of servant leadership transcend time and place. Think about the contemporary leader you are researching for the Topic 4 assignment, and discuss the similarities you see between the biblical servant leader and the contemporary servant leader. Provide specific examples to illustrate the similarities you have identified and include discussion about what you think makes the principles of servant leadership applicable regardless of time or place. DOs & DON’Ts of Servant Leadership Discussion

RESOURCES

6. ‘Servant’ Leadership Style Is Best for Bosses

Read “‘Servant’ Leadership Style Is Best for Bosses,” by Brooks, located on the Business News Daily website (2015).

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7964-best-leadership-style.html

7. 10 Tips on How IT Leaders Can Develop a Service-Oriented Perspective

Read “10 Tips on How IT Leaders Can Develop a Service-Oriented Perspective,” by Tennant, located on the IT Business Edge website (2014).