actions

My eyes are opening!

My Servant Leadership journey has been a powerful one, this past week especially. On Friday I had the opportunity to spend the day with about 85 of the staff at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wis. This small private Catholic college blew me away as we started the day-long convocation. Fifteen of their staff members led the group in a Servant Leadership reflection, which had my eyes welling up as I stepped up on stage. The reflection lasted only 15 minutes but the quotes and sharing were powerful. I thought I would share some of the quotes that I heard.

Lau Tzu:

 ”A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.”

 John Quincy Adams:

 ”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are the leader.”

 Fr. Keith Clark:

 ”Next to the words ‘thank you,’ we believe the words ‘what do you think?’ are the most empowering words a leader can speak.”

 Joseph P. Chinnici, O.F.M.:

 ”I believe that when we can see all of this in the same field—then we will catch the ‘bug’… of being a Franciscan intellectual, and we will discover a voice, and we will learn to treasure – in a profound way – each other’s voice; because, no matter what the language, I sit and learn and teach and that way we become brothers and sisters together.”

 Although my presence there was to share the VOICE we all have as unique individuals through the lens of Servant Leadership, I left feeling, in the presence of those Servant Leaders, that I gained more than I had to give.

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Use “what do you think” in your conversations at least five times this week.

Insignificant moments can have so much significance!

I walked into a restaurant this past December with my wife, Danica. A woman noticed me as I walked in and grabbed my arm deliberately but compassionately. She said, “I’m sure you don’t remember me, but you made a huge positive impact on me 23 years ago!” My ears and attention perked up. “What did I do?” I said cautiously.

 As she introduced herself (I learned that her name was Gretchen), she brought me back to my junior year. I went to an all boys high school and she attended an all girls one. Our choirs joined for a big concert at the local cathedral. I just happened to be picked to stand near her; she was a freshman at the time. She explained that her father had passed away unexpectedly then and her life was torn apart by the tragedy. She said she had been feeling pretty bad about herself and her misfortune. She told me that I noticed her voice and said to her, “You have a very beautiful voice. You should try out for the swing choir at school.”

Gretchen told me that changed her. She tried out and made the swing choir her sophomore year and went on to become a schoolteacher. She told me she never forgot those few words that helped to bring out the musician in her. This seems like a pretty extreme story, but is it? How many lives can you change by your kind words and seemingly insignificant servant-like actions? I was lucky to have experienced this story again some 23 years later. You too are creating stories with your everyday decisions. Be aware of this as you go about your daily activities. The actions and words you choose today could be the difference for someone tomorrow!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Be nice!