My own philosophy as a leader grew out of experience, plus trial and error. When I discovered the servant leader concept some years ago, it was with a sense of recognition and affirmation. It gave a name to my own way of thinking, and I was delighted to learn more about it. (On a personal note, I grew up in Indiana, and the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership is located in Indianapolis. Maybe it’s a mid-western sensibility!) My new column this week in the North Bay Business Journal is on the subject of servant leadership. It will soon be posted on-line, and I’ll send you the link.

Food for Thought ~

One of the central tenets of the servant leader concept is that leaders are the stewards of their organization’s resources: human, material, and financial, as well as responsible to their customers, community and environment. I love this notion of being a steward. In Webster’s, the applicable definition reads: “a person morally responsible for the careful use of money, time, talents, or other resources, especially with respect to the principles or needs of a community or group.”

Question of the day ~

How does the mindset of being a steward influence you as a leader?