Servant Leader

Where are they now?

Where is that man who, when I was five, picked me up when I hit loose gravel on my bike, cleaned and bandaged my leg, and sent me on my way?

 Where is the girl who picked me out of a crowd and gave me a lollipop and a smile? Where is that person who helped my mother when I was born? The one who calmed and cared for me and my mom?

 Where is the nice lady who helped me get into the moving traffic lane when my lane had stopped?

 All of these people being kind and then where do they go? How many people wonder where you are? The nice person who held the door, raised the money, showed up to care? Be that person today. Be aware of how it makes others feel and you will be well taken care of yourself.

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Be THAT person—the Servant Leader.

The inconvenience of serving others

I bet you’ve been faced with a situation where someone needed help and you knew the right thing—or Servant Leader thing— to do was to offer your assistance, yet you didn’t. Likely you were faced with your own pile of work and were feeling overwhelmed yourself. That’s just reality.

But the thing we need to realize is that being a Servant Leader means we’re always “on call,” as Lary Kirchenbauer puts it:

To serve means you’re on call. It doesn’t mean that you must have an open door every minute of the day, but it does mean that you stand ready and willing to serve your troops, and recognize their needs don’t always come in handy doses delivered at a convenient time. The test of a true leader is the ability to be present, to be reliable and disciplined about how to serve her team, and her willingness to go the extra mile to make sure that she’s serving her team, when, and where needed […] Don’t get run over, lose money or make accommodations that are unreasonable. Bring a positive “service” attitude as your sidekick and be willing to go the extra mile to serve everyone in your universe.

Joe Kiedinger

Action Plan:  I challenge you this week to remain present and stand ready and willing to serve…even if it does come at the most inconvenient of times. That’s just the Servant Leader thing to do.

A Servant’s Journey

I was fascinated watching him play. “Get out of you,” I heard a voice say. I watched as he challenged me and how I loved him as he grew into a preteenager. “Get out of you,” I heard the voice say again. I was too busy judging him, pretending that his reality was my own. He became a teenager and I felt him drifting away. “Get out of you,” the voice said yet another time. I finally decided to listen to the voice.  As soon as I got out of me, I was finally able see my son for who he was. My eyes were open and I could finally be the dad he needed me to be.

Get out of yourself this week and begin to understand those around you: a spouse, a child, a co-worker or a friend. A Servant Leader sees people through their eyes. Join us and see again for the first time.

Joe Kiedinger

Share our time and talents

 Have you ever heard that quote by George Carlin? Paraphrasing somewhat, he once said, “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting…‘holy [cow]…what a ride!’” Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s how I want to live my life! It worries me to see folks these days who are afraid to try new things, share their opinions, and rock the boat a little. It seems that society has taught us to fly beneath the radar and go unnoticed because it’s safer to not take risks. But what kind of life is that?

 I go by the philosophy that we should be open and honest with everyone and share our ideas; that we harness the greatest creative power when we all work together. And being a Servant Leader sometimes means we need to step outside our comfort zone in order to serve others and contribute to the greater good. We need to share our time and talents in as many ways as possible, even if that means being slightly uncomfortable from time to time when trying new things.

 That’s why I started sharing my thoughts through the Prophit Marketing Road Show years back. I knew I had some fresh new ideas that were worth sharing with others so I jumped out onto the stage and shared them. If I hadn’t, I might really regret missing that opportunity.

 Personally, when I slide into the grave I want to know that I’ve enriched the lives of others and loved deeply those in my care.

 Joe Kiedinger

Action Plan: What risks are you willing to take?