We are all under new pressure toproduce more for less money—andin less time. Ultimately, this cannot bedone unless bosses are able to—in serviceof their organization—bring out the bestin their people.
That is the essence of servant-leadership,the management philosophy originallyoutlined by organizational expert RobertGreenleaf in the 1970s. It’s a philosophywhose time has truly come.
The mission statement of TDIndustries,a regular on Fortune’s list of 100 BestCompanies to Work for in America,prioritizes “intense ‘people development’efforts, includingsubstantial training budgets.”
When an error at Motorola caused$100,000 in damages to equipment, noheads rolled; instead, the responsibleemployee was encouraged to developa system based on what he’d learned;all told, Motorola saved more than amillion dollars.
When Sematech, the InternationalInstitute for Semiconductors, joinedwith competitors like Intel, AMD,Siemens, and Sony, the result wassmarter and better business for all, viashared innovation and communication.
For such progressive companies, mereinstitutional power is no longer enough.Their secret is the empowerment thatservant-leadership provides, and it canmake the difference between the successof your organization and its downfall.
With
Servant-Leadership Across Cultures
,you’ll come to understand how andwhy doing the right thing pays off foreveryone—not just for your business partners,but for the world.