Where there is not community, trust, respect, ethical behavior are difficult for the young to learn and for the old to maintain.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A servant-leader prioritizes serving others before seeking to lead, demonstrating a profound commitment to support and uplift their team.
This quote emphasizes that true leadership stems from a genuine desire to serve others rather than a pursuit of authority or power. According to Robert K. Greenleaf, a servant-leader is someone who feels a natural inclination to help those around them, and this foundational intent shapes their leadership style. They lead with empathy and a focus on the well-being of their followers, which contrasts sharply with those who prioritize their own leadership status over the needs of others.
Themes
Servant LeadershipServiceLeadershipEmpathyTeam Support
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership workshop, emphasizing the importance of serving your team before seeking authority.
More from Robert K. Greenleaf
All quotes →On an important decision one rarely has 100% of the information needed for a good decision no matter how much one spends or how long one waits. And, if one waits too long, he has a different problem and has to start all over. This is the terrible dilemma of the hesitant decision maker.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
Faith is the choice of the nobler hypothesis.' Not the noblest, one never knows what that is. But the nobler, the best one can see when the choice is made.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
A Leader is one who ventures and takes the risks of going out ahead to show the way and whom others follow, voluntarily, because they are persuaded that the leader's path is the right one-for them, probably better than they could devise for themselves.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
The only test of leadership is that somebody follows.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
Leadership must first and foremost meet the needs of others.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
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The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds.
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