©SHRM Servant Leadership: The Key to Fostering Community and Teamwork Tom Darrow April 30, 2009 SHRM Staffing Management Conference & Exposition

©SHRM 2009 Tom Darrow Founder and Principal of Talent Connections, LLC and Career Spa, LLC >Talent Connections, Inc. 500 company in 2007 and years in HR/Recruiting 10 years with Price Waterhouse and Andersen Consulting BBA in Accounting, University of Notre Dame Past President, SHRM-Atlanta ( ) >Grew by 1,000 (60%) members to 2,600 members >Won 2 Pinnacle Awards SHRM Georgia State Council President-Elect Member, Advisory Council, SHRM Foundation Board Former Member, SHRM Staffing Management Expert Panel Resides in Roswell, GA with wife Anne 2

©SHRM 2009 Why? Why do we have a topic on Servant Leadership at a Staffing Conference? 3

©SHRM 2009 Leadership What is the root cause of most challenges in companies today? A. Lack of technology B. Lack of available cash C. Lack of leadership D. Lack of efficient processes or strategies Are effective leaders born or made? 4

©SHRM 2009 Leadership Styles Heroic - unplanned crisis Courageous – bold Authentic - transparent Laissez Faire – hands off Autocratic – top down Participative – empowerment Situational – changes Emergent – new leader Transactional – by the rules 5

©SHRM 2009 Leadership Styles Transformational – change agent Strategic – competitive Team – collaboration Facilitative – consensus Cross cultural – diversity/inclusion Coaching – teach and train Level 5 – good to great Servant – others first 6

©SHRM 2009 Servant Leadership Robert K. Greenleaf is credited with introducing the concept in 1970 Definition: “Servant Leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve; to serve first.” Robert K. Greenleaf Ultimate test: Do those served grow as persons; become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? 7

©SHRM 2009 The power of servant-leadership Lies in one’s ability to combine the best of being a leader with the best of being a servant Not something you do, but something you are About creating the right environment to get the best out of people and unleash their true potential 8

©SHRM 2009 Servant-leadership, paradox? “Servant” and “leader” usually thought of as opposites >Both logical and intuitive >The process of balancing the two concepts is not either/or, but both/and 9 ServantLeader

©SHRM 2009 What is servant leadership? The need for a better approach to leadership, that puts serving others first >Employees, customers, community True leadership, unlike management is not just a set of skills and learned behaviors. What you do as a leader depends on who you are. Through your behavior, people can determine who you are. 10

©SHRM 2009 Who do you most admire? 11

©SHRM 2009 Who are servant leaders? The servant-leader is a servant first Servant leaders are hard working Servant leadership is a conscious choice Servant leaders aren’t just legally compliant, they are ethically sound and morally aware Servant leaders care for people; not control people Servant leaders build a community at work 12

©SHRM 2009 The characteristics of servant leaders Authentic Vulnerable Accepting Present Useful Let’s investigate each one… 13

©SHRM 2009 Authentic Be who you are Honor what is good in people Don’t tell people what they want to hear…tell them the truth Communicate bad news…not just good news 14

©SHRM 2009 Vulnerable Be honest with your feelings in the context of work Be open about your feelings and concerns >Employee performance reviews >Your performance >Admit mistakes Be courageous! >“Courage Goes to Work”, Bill Treasurer 15

©SHRM 2009 Accepting Abandon notion of winners and losers Don’t just say that mistakes are ok, celebrate them! Trust on good faith without requiring others earn it first Don’t micromanage subordinates Re-define success 16

©SHRM 2009 Be Present Notice what you are thinking and feeling Concentrate on the task at hand…even when chaos reigns Give others your full attention 17

©SHRM 2009 Be Useful Listen first Perform your core responsibilities to a high level; then you will have earned the right to be given more >The Theology of the Hammer, Millard Fuller Be a resource for others Don’t do for people what they are capable of doing themselves 18

©SHRM 2009 More characteristics of servant leaders Empathy Listening Healing Awareness Persuasion Commitment Conceptualization Foresight Stewardship Building Community 19

©SHRM 2009 SERVE S …See the Future E …Engage and Develop People R …Reinvent Continuously V …Value Results and Relationships E …Embody the Values Source: “Leading at a Higher Level”, Ken Blanchard 20

©SHRM 2009 The Impact of Servant Leadership Servant-leadership principles are being applied by a wide variety of people working for-profit, non-profit, churches, universities, health care organizations, and foundations Servant-leadership impacts the health and effectiveness of your organization and community It builds trust between you and the employees It results in loyalty to the leader and the organization 21

©SHRM 2009 In practice Starbucks >Workshops >Activities >Employees join the Starbucks team because of their core purpose, great people and customers Chick-fil-A >Spiritually focused >Corporate Purpose: To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. >Closed on Sundays >Truett Cathy’s acts of forgiveness 22

©SHRM 2009 Simple Advice Build relationships at every opportunity. The results could be endless. Allow time for good ideas to emerge. It is not change people fear; it is loss. Meaningful communication is critical. No amount of , faxes, text messages can equal the value of face-to-face meetings. 23

©SHRM 2009 Servant Leadership at Work Focus on you first, your team second and the company third Volunteer to help in other departments Be an innovative business partner; not just order taker Seek to train company leaders in the art and practice of servant leadership 24

©SHRM 2009 Servant Leadership in the Profession Give back to the HR/Recruiting Profession Mentor someone Help those who are in transition Become a leader in a professional organization >SHRM Staffing Management Affiliate Staffing Management expert panel Local Chapter >Local recruiting organization 25

©SHRM 2009 Servant Leadership in the Profession Share what you have learned >Speak >Write >Webinars 26

©SHRM 2009 Servant Leadership in the Community Volunteer in a significant role with a significant organization Mentor Church/ministry Neighborhood 27

©SHRM 2009 How do you become a servant leader? By studying and practicing servant leadership skills Study >Reading, observations >Lessons, workshops, conferences >Discuss 28

©SHRM 2009 Concluding thoughts How will you use what you have learned today and become more proactive in your leadership development? Will you strive to be a servant leader? What will it take to cultivate a genuine desire to serve? Remember the first sentence in “A Purpose Driven Life” 29

©SHRM 2009 Homework Get to know yourself Assessments Research servant leadership concepts Commit to be a servant leader Secure a mentor Seek feedback to assess your progress 30

©SHRM 2009 Thank you! Tom Darrow Founder and Principal Talent Connections, LLC and Career Spa, LLC 175 Inverness Approach Roswell, GA ext