Meaning in Leadership

FINDING MEANING THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

By Don Page

A paper presented in the Servant Leadership Symposium at the International Conference on Searching for Meaning in the New Millennium, July 13-16, 2000, Vancouver, BC

The thesis of this paper is that meaning producing workplaces are most likely to develop in organizations committed to servant leadership. For some employees, meaning may be found under virtually any kind of leadership style, but most will find that a servant led organization will offer the best atmosphere in which employees can find true meaning in their places of employment.

I SHALL BEGIN BY EXPLAINING WHAT I MEAN BY SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE AND THEN RELATE IT TO MEANINGFUL WORK.

Leaders of all organizations need to be focusing on the creation of meaningful work for their employees or volunteers. Job satisfaction is not the same as meaningful work. Job satisfaction means that needs and expectations are met according to certain agreed upon standards. In a meaningful workplace the emphasis is more on personal and corporate mission fulfilment and possibilities for making a difference in the world. The evidence is overwhelming that in the present working world, employees, and especially the younger ones upon whom the future rests, want to find meaningful work in which they have a sense of contributing to a larger good in society than merely their own sustenance.

To begin with we have to discard some of the assumptions that have been the bases upon which people have been employed in the past. Here are some examples of the old assumptions that must be discarded:

Employees can primarily be motivated to do good work through material rewards, whether they be regular raises and promotions, job security, or healthy pensions; These hard won rewards will provide the means for buying satisfaction in life outside of one's job; Employees must be moulded or trained to fit into an organization because at heart they dislike work; Care of the human spirit is irrelevant when it comes to producing profits and organizational growth; Businesses should not become involved in community activities, that is a diversion away from work when community spirit is for volunteers who work outside of their regular jobs; Spontaneity and creativity are traits for leaders, not employees; Employees will not take positive initiatives on their own unless cajoled into them by leaders; Employees want to be told what to do rather than participate in the decision-making; In a world of constant change, employers can no longer promise lifetime employment in exchange for a person's loyal service. Employees will put up with destructive relationships for the sake of retaining their jobs; That great things are accomplished by larger-than-life individuals shouting commands, giving directions and inspiring the troops; Good people leave organizations once they have reached a certain level of economic sufficiency because they want more and to contribute less; Rules more than values determine success; Managers should not get involved with employees or empathize with their feelings. Businesses that take time to care about their employees will not do well on the profit side of the ledger. Evidence abounds from many sources that today's employees want to derive meaning in life through their work. (FN See the extensive report on the "Meaning at Work Project" by Tom Terez in his book, 22 Keys to Creating a Meaningful Workplace. Adams Media, 2000.) With many of the traditional places from which meaning in life has been derived from in the past now being eclipsed by the time and energy being put into work, we find that schools, families, civic communities, churches and temples are no longer the fundamental source of meaning and support that they once where to many people. While various kinds of support groups have risen to meet specific needs, there is still a fundamental yearning for a workplace that is humane, provides community, and promotes a sense of a higher purpose. (FN Jay A.Conger and Associates. Spirit at Work San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1994. 2-3.) That workplace is also changing.

"For the past 100 years," write Hyler Bracey and Warren Smith, the "gospel of growth" led us to believe that the large corporation would take care of us. Our parents and grandparents showed up for work, did what they were told, and agreed not to complain about boredom, bureaucracy, or the fact that their employers might be exploiting them. They were rewarded for this obedience with regular raises and promotions, job security, and a healthy pension. Any satisfaction in life was bought off the job with these hard-won rewards. Today, people are no longer willing to just do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. We all need money and job security, but large, hierarchical organizations can no longer guarantee these benefits. Mergers, downsizings, global competition, and other forces limit a firm's ability to be provider and protector.

And so our social contract is changing because we found it wanting. . . . People are no longer content to be cogs in the wheel. They want to know that their work makes a difference. (FN Hyler Bracey and Warren Smith. "The New Contract" Executive Excellence May 2000. 1.)

"In many ways the crisis in business today is a crisis of meaning" writes Karl Albrecht in his book The Northbound Train: Finding the Purpose, Setting the Direction, Shaping the Destiny of Your Organization.

People aren't sure of themselves because they no longer understand the why behind the what. They no longer have the sense that things are well defined and that hard work will lead to success. More and more people have feelings of doubt and uncertainty about the future of their organizations, and consequently about their own careers and futures. More and more organizations and their people are in a crisis of meaning . . . .Those who would aspire to leadership roles in this new environment must not underestimate the depth of this human need for meaning. It is a most fundamental human craving, an appetite that will not go away. (FN Karl Albrecht, The Northbound Train: Finding the Purpose, Setting the Direction, Shaping the Destiny of Your Organization. (New York, NY: AMACOM, 1994) 22.

According to a study of several hundred executives in California conducted more than a decade ago by industrial psychologist, Richard Hagberg, people expect to find their worth affirmed at their place of work. "Twenty years ago not even five percent of our population expected to develop their potential and find satisfaction through work. Today 40 percent of employees believe they have a fundamental right to self-fulfillment, to developing and using their intellectual and creative abilities to the fullest in their workplace. They believe they are worth as much to the company as their managers are, and they expect to perform meaningful work." (FN Cited by Kate Ludeman in "From Work Ethic to Worth Ethic" Executive Excellence (November 1989) 1.) They want to create truly worthy products and services for others.

Today, most workers want to be part of something significant where they can do what they deem to be important work. They want to experience new opportunities, to grow, to relate well to other people whom they respect and trust and to learn from them. Most of all, they want to know that their work has a purpose that has or will make a positive difference in society. This creates meaning in their own lives by satisfactorily answering for themselves those fundamental questions of Who am I?, Why I am here?, What difference do I make?, and Where I am going? (FN James Vaughan. "Vision and Meaning. Executive Excellence (May 5, 2000) 2. Tom Terez found that purpose was the foremost key to what workers wanted in a meaningful workplace. Tom Terez, "Meaningful Work" Executive Excellence (February 1999) 1.)

Such people are energized by an attractive vision that they are prepared to pour themselves into accomplishing. That vision must go beyond this quarter's profits to embrace value being added to society. The late Noble Prize winning physicist, Richard Feynman has described how during the Manhattan Project the introduction of meaning into one's work transformed how the work was done. During the Second World War, Feynman was supervising a group of highly educated technicians who had been assembled in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to do energy calculations on primitive computers. The technicians were deliberately not told what they were working on or the significance of their calculations. They did what they were ordered to do slowly and poorly. Being frustrated with the lack of progress being made, Feynman persuaded his superiors to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the atomic bomb project. Once they learned how important it was to build the bomb before the enemy did and how vital their work was for the project's success, the workplace was completely transformed. They willingly worked overtime, invented new programs, and made sure their calculations were accurate. Feynman calculated that the technicians worked nearly 10 times as fast after their task had been imbued with meaning. (FN Cited in Warren Bennis. "Rethinking Leadership" Executive Excellence (February 1998) 3.

A modern day example of this can be found among the municipal workers of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, whose lacklustre performance brought about a change in management which began to articulate a vision for Scottsdale becoming a "world-class" city in which people served to make it a better place to live and work. When every worker was given the opportunity to creatively do something that contributed to the overall cause of making Scottsdale into the envisioned world-class city, the new service ethic transformed the way business was done and brought meaning into the lives of the city employees. (FN The story can be found in Robert H. Waterman, Jr. "Causes and Commitment" in John A Shotgren, ed., Skyhooks for Leadership. New York, NY: AMACOM, 1999. 195-99.

Today's workers are no longer content to be mere cogs in the corporate wheel. They want to know that they are critical to making a difference through their work. They want to find mentors, leaders, friends and colleagues at work and not just bosses and co-workers. They yearn to be heard and understood more than to always be right. They want to be acknowledged for the 'greatness' within them. Under-utilised and undervalued workers want to be appreciated for what they do and who they are. They want to know that their talents, experiences and abilities are appreciated. They want to be able to take a risk in order to make work better rather than be chastised for trying and failing. And they are willing to learn from their mistakes when given an opportunity to do so. (FN Hyler Bracey and Warren Smith. "The New Contract" in Executive Excellence (December 1992) 1-2.) Ideas, innovation, and imagination are the basis of intellectual capital that are in short supply in many organizations. Even the most mundane work can be imbued with meaning by great leaders and by sharing even tedious tasks within a context of an inspirational mission, people will be anxious to play their part in the overall accomplishment of a worthy objective. That objective is more important than making profits. Profits are seen as a means to advancing the larger and more meaningful objective rather than a value around which employees can rally to work hard.

Competition and greed have too often placed an undue emphasis in larger enterprises on productivity with a corresponding loss of a sense of meaningful work by the producers. The case of General Electric is illustrative in this regard. GE managers were surprised to learn that at one point it cost $3.50 to fix a product defect in the factory and $60 to fix that same product in the home. Their emphasis had been on production volume. In order to reach production targets, workers would sometimes substitute faulty parts knowing that they could reach their targets and not have to be concerned about after servicing requirements. As they sacrificed quality they lost interest in their work as being meaningful. Worker absenteeism increased and so did the incidence of broken time clocks, dirty restrooms, and general MALaise. Workers had no pride in what they did and looked elsewhere for meaning in life. Turning this culture around was not easy but absolutely critical for survival and a healthy corporate future. (FN Robert H. Waterman, Jr. "Causes and Commitment" in John A. Shtogren, ed., Skyhooks for Leadership: A New Framework That Brings Together Five Decase of Thought -- From Maslow to Senge. New York, NY: AMACOM, 1999. 182-83.)

Recognizing that there has to be both form and substance in creating meaning in the workplace, many progressive organizations have sought to capture the essence of meaning in the core value statements that flow from the mission of the organization. Not only will a worthwhile set of corporate values that are upheld throughout the organization provide personal motivation and inspiration that leads to active involvement, their pursuit provides personal meaning for the employees. Charles Garfield notes that: If a company hopes to thrive in an era that demands the full participation and partnership of all workers, it must be committed to an explicit set of values. Values are the overarching principles to which an organization and its members dedicate themselves. They are the foundation on which the organization is built, the underlying philosophy that guides such things as how employees are treated; how "outsiders" such as suppliers, customers, and distributors are viewed; whether and how environmental and other societal issues are addressed; how much of the budget is devoted to education and training; how profits are shared; how growth will take place; how quality is defined; and what benefits employees receive. Values shape the corporate culture and determine the environment in which employees operate and how the organization interacts with outsiders." (FN Charles Garfield, "Worthy Missions Motivate" Executive Excellence (November 1995) 1-2.)

One of the contributing factors to the ability of the Levi Strauss company to adapt so well to changing circumstances, when consumers no longer wanted just blue jeans, is based on the fact that its employees have developed a meaningful set of corporate values that have been embodied in their "Aspirations Statement." It is reproduced here as an example of a statement of meaningful work that its employees and leaders collectively drafted and are now striving for.

We all want a company that our people are proud of and committed to, where all employees have an opportunity to contribute, learn, grow, and advance based on merit, not politics or background. We want our people to feel respected, treated fairly, listened to, and involved. Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors. When we describe the kind of Levi Strauss & Co. we want in the future, what we are talking about is building on the foundation we have inherited: affirming the best of our company's traditions, closing gaps that may exist between principles and practices, and updating some of our values to reflect contemporary circumstances. What type of leadership is necessary to make our Aspirations a Reality? New, Behaviors: Leadership that exemplifies directness, openness to influence, commitment to the success of others, willingness to acknowledge our own contributions to problems, personal accountability, teamwork, and trust. Not only must we model these behaviors but we must coach others to adopt them. Diversity: Leadership that values a diverse work force (age, sex, ethnic group, etc.) at all levels of the organization, diversity in experience, and diversity in perspectives. We have committed to taking full advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of all our people and to promoting a greater diversity in positions of influence. Differing points of view will be sought; diversity will be valued and honesty rewarded, not suppressed. Recognition: Leadership that provides greater recognition -- both financial and psychic -- for individuals and teams that contribute to our success. Recognition must be given to all who contribute: those who create and innovate and also those who continually support the day-to-day business requirements. Ethical Management Practices. Leadership that epitomizes the stated standards of ethical behavior. We must provide clarity about our expectations and must enforce these standards through the corporation. Communications: Leadership that is clear about company, unit, and individual goals and performance. People must know what is expected of them and receive timely, honest feedback on their performance and career aspirations. Empowerment: Leadership that increases the authority and responsibility of those closest to our products and customers. By actively pushing responsibility, trust, and recognition into the organization, we can harness and release the capabilities of all our people. (FN)

Leaders in today's organizations have not only to articulate an attractive cause around which people will rally, they have to build commitment to that cause if meaning is to be realized in it. Commitment has to come from across the board or from all levels and divisions in the organization. But it is something that can most often be built only on a person-by-person basis. In today's society, where the needs for individual rights and freedoms prevail in people's thinking, the notion of commitment to an organization seems to many to be strangely out of date. People are suspicious of causes, especially those sponsored or promoted by business or governments, and prefer to keep their options open rather than make a lasting commitment to most anything. Yet at the same time, as the five sociologists who wrote Habits of the Heart noted, combined with this deep desire for autonomy and self-reliance is "an equally deep conviction that life has no meaning unless shared with others in the context of community. . . . We deeply feel the emptiness of a life without sustaining social commitments. Yet we are hesitant to articulate our sense that we need one another as much as we need to stand alone, for fear that if we did we would lose our independence altogether." (FN p191 cited in Skyhooks) As we have seen from volunteerism in the non-profit sector of society, the cause must be presented in such a way as to so capture the imagination of the individual that this reluctance is overcome for the sake of the greater good. "Successful organizations have a mission that transcends the goal of making profits," writes Charles Garfield, "they seek to contribute to society in some unique way, to add their own distinct value to the world in which they operate." (FN Charles Garfield, "Worthy Missions Motivate" Executive Excellence (November 1995) 1.) Or in the words of organizational guru, Charles Handy, "The companies that survive the longest are the ones that work out what they uniquely can give to the world -- not just growth or money but their excellence, their respect for others, or their ability to make people happy." (Charles Handy "The Search for Meaning" in Frances Hesselbein and Paul M. Cohen, edits., Leader to Leader: Enduring Insights on Leadership from the Drucker Foundation's Award-Winning Journal. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999. 126.) Few people find that the pursuit of profit provides long term meaning in life nor does it inspire loyalty and dedication among followers unless they find themselves in a short-term survival mode. Businesses have much to learn from the non-profit sector on how to motivate people to give meaningful and passionate service to an endeavour that excites them. When meaning is added to work we find that people are recharged and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to obtain and sustain that sense of personally fulfilling meaning. "The vision must have meaning," writes William Turner, the chairman of the Executive Committee of Synovus Financial Corporation. "because man cannot live without meaning. The vision must be holistic and congruent, encompassing the church, the family, the community, and the institution. If it doesn't, values and priorities will conflict." (FN William B. Turner. A Journey Toward Servant Leadership. Macon, Georgia: Smyth and Helwys, 2000. 83.) This is why Synovus and so many other organizations use their corporate structure to contribute to society beyond their own businesses. "The creation of the foundations [for community service] was the beginning of servant-leadership in our company," wrote its CEO William Turner, "I believe a servant leader should meet the needs of the people who work with him -- at work, at home, and in the community." William B. Turner. A Journey Toward Servant Leadership. Macon, Georgia: Smyth and Helwys, 2000. 139.)

Some examples of such meaningful activities are found in the contribution that Southwest Airlines makes to Ronald McDonald Houses, The Body Shop's contribution to environmental causes, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream to peace projects, Wal Mart's contribution to helping disabled children. This is not just name buying philanthropy of the past - it now involves employees in active voluntary service outside of normal working hours. Southwest Airlines desire to give people who would not otherwise be able to do so, the opportunity to travel and experience new things and build meaning into their lives through visits to relatives. (FN Herb Kelleher "The Best Lesson in Leadership" in Frances Hesselbein and Paul M. Cohen, edits., Leader to Leader: Enduring Insights on Leadership from the Drucker Foundation's Award-Winning Journal. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999. 47.)

Perhaps it is no coincidence that this move to a greater emphasis on meaning is taking place at the same time as there is a radical change in the conception of good leadership in the western world. Images of leaders as powerful individuals who were invested with great personal authority and who took charge and directed events largely in their own way to see that things got done, has given way to a new paradigm of equally powerful but more diffuse leadership. In this new scenario, leaders are found at all levels of the organization and they influence others through the crafting of a vision and core values that are realized through empowering and connecting to others. They are motivated to serve others not for their own benefit but for the benefit of those being served and upon whom they must rely for the fulfilment of their organization's dreams or mission. As one author has noted: "Highly skilled, will-educated workers increasingly demand more autonomy in work, more satisfaction from work, and more meaningful engagement at work. Those leaders who understand and are sensitive to the need for meaning, and who value environments that help workers realize their potential, are likely to be more in tune with the new environment than are those who are insensitive to these trends." (FN Winston E. Gooden, "Confidence Under Pressure: How Faith Supports Risk Taking in Robert Banks and Kimberly Powell, eds., Faith in Leadership" How Leaders Live Out Their Faith In Their Work And Why It Matters. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 47.) One of the fundamental keys to competitive advantage in the years ahead will be the capacity of leaders to construct the social architecture that will generate meaning in the workplace. (FN Or as Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles said in their book, Gung Ho, you have to learn the secrets to having enthusiastic employees and they are found in the secret of the squirrel in doing something meaningful, the secret of the beaver in doing your work the right way and the secret of the goose in cheering each other on to accomplish the goal. (FN Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. Gung Ho) One thing is clear, everyone wants to find greater meaning in their workplace. Business consultant Tom Terez began a "Meaning At Work Project" in 1997 to discover what workers meant by seeking meaning in their places of work. For this study, he conducted extensive interviews through 15 focus groups made up of people from all walks of life whose collective work experience was over 3,000 years. What he encountered was "an almost desperate eagerness to talk about meaning in the workplace." (FN . Tom Terez, "Meaningful Work" Executive Excellence (February 1999) 2.) Not surprisingly, he also discovered that meaningful work had 22 different meanings with different degrees of importance for different people. (HANDOUT) In the left hand column are Terez's keys to meaning. The first five are the ones most often cited followed by a second tier of five and then another 12 in alphabetic order of still important meaning keys that were less often cited. In the right hand column is the equivalent quality of a servant-leader. The servant-leadership keys have been drawn from publications by the author and the Greenleaf Center. (FN See Don Page and T.P. Wong. "A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Servant-Leadership" in Senyo B-S.K. Adjibolosoo, edit., The Human Factor in Shaping the Course of History and Development. New York, NY: University Press of America, 2000. 74-76. In this article the author contrasts servant-leadership with command or domineering selfish leadership. See also Larry Spears "Servant-Leadership and the Greenleaf Legacy" in "Reflections on Leadership: How Robert K. Greenleaf's Theory of Servant-Leadership Influenced Today's Top Management Thinkers. New York, NY: John Wiley, 1995. 4-7. In this article, Spears lists the ten key elements of servant-leadership.)

Meaning Keys Servant-Leadership Keys 1) Purpose - The mission of the organization must have a larger purpose--something beyond producing goods or services or even being the best. Employees want to feel instinctively that their work is making a positive difference. A Servant-leader's primary objective is to serve others. Servant-leaders seek to serve the well-being of others through their goals and work, through which they make a positive difference in society. 2) Ownership - Employees want to view themselves as having a part in shaping how their work is to be done. In servant-led organizations, employees want to be consulted and included in decision making as partners in the enterprise. 3) Fit - Once employees know how they and their work fit into the larger mission of the organization they are more willing to put forth their best efforts. Servant-leaders are visionaries as they serve others to accomplish that agreed upon vision. 4) Oneness - When there is a prevailing sense that "we're all in this together," working relationships become more collaborative. Servant-leadership is based on teamwork in which contributing to the collective effort rather than position is important. 5) Relationship building - The workplace should offer ways to build healthy interpersonal relationships that foster loyalty to the institution and its team members in promoting their collective efforts. Servant-leadership is based on collective teamwork and is often referred to as relational leadership. Community building is integral to servant-leadership being successful. Leadership requires followers and that leads to inter-personal relationships being built. 6) Service - Employees enjoy learning from and helping one another. This can be fostered through formal mentoring or training programs or more informal on-the-spot coaching or assisting with a project. Servant-leaders are committed to equipping and investing in the lives of their employees so that these employees can advance to their full potential. 7) Equality - All people in the organization are considered to be equally important regardless of their position and treated as such. In servant-leadership, responsibilities are more important than the perks of positional entitlement. The servant-leader is first among equals. 8) Validation - Employees can see for themselves the impact of their work and be affirmed for it. The servant-leader encourages input and feedback and shares credit for the results. 9) Invention - Risk-taking in the name of innovation is encouraged and failures are the price of learning rather than the reason for dismissal. The servant-leader welcomes open discussion on means for improvement and learning from one's mistakes. 10) Personal development - People are able to reach their full potential through learning and expanded job opportunities. Taking people to a higher level is at the heart of servant-leadership. 11) Acknowledgement - Employees are recognized for their efforts and successes through genuine appreciation. Praise is generously given to others for their accomplishments. The servant-leader focuses on the "we" and not the "I" of who gets credit for what. 12) Balance - Employers respect the fact that there's life beyond work when making assignments. The service ethic is an attitude that prevails and must be given expression in all of one's life and not just on the job. 13) Challenge - The workplace is seen as an opportunity to take on challenges for those who want them. Serving others has no limits so there are always new opportunities to serve others in meeting their needs, many of which will be unexpected, thereby creating a challenge for those who respond. 14) Dialogue - There is an ongoing, honest, and constructive dialogue involving people at all levels of the organization as well as significant suppliers and customers. Information is shared and listening receptively is a hall mark of servant-leadership. The servant-leader seeks first to understand and then to be understood. 15) Direction - There is a compelling vision that draws people into a common direction. Organizational visions and missions are arrived at through discussions so that all are on board with the direction to be taken 16) Flexibility - Good judgement is used in applying rules. Values are more important than rules in motivating employees in the right direction because values are rooted in meaning. 16) Informality - An open-door policy is practised by everyone and protocol is not seen as a stumbling block. Servant-leaders are regularly seen interacting with others and maintain an open door atmosphere for developing and encouraging others. In serving, there is no hierarchy that impedes communication in all directions. 17) Relevance - Red tape does not take people away from engaging in relevant activities. Servant-leaders build on trust and values more than protocol to reach their goals. There is always an altruistic motive involved in servant-leadership. 18) Respect - Employees show respect for one another regardless of their rank or title. Authority is based on influence from within through encouragement, inspiration, motivation and persuasion that are rooted in respect for the other person being served. 20) Self-identity - Individuality is encouraged and the organization respects the need of people to have their own space in which to work. One can only serve others out of a healthy self-respect. Respect for the person and their diversity is at the heart of understanding whom one serves. 21) Support - Employees are given the resources (information, time, funding, experience, learning opportunities, tools, etc.) they need to succeed in their work. The task of the servant-leader is to provide all of the means whereby others can reach their potential through the ongoing development of the collective mission. 22) Worth - Employees are genuinely valued and their interests are taken into account when decisions are made. Decisions are collectively arrived at. The antithesis of servant-leadership is self-seeking top-down leadership. Acceptance and empathy are at the core of servant-leadership.

Servant-leadership is most often contrasted with varieties of the traditional top down model of leadership that has dominated throughout the history of most societies. But there are also buried within cultures that have emphasized holistic, co-operative, communal, intuitive, caring, and spiritual values the seeds of servant-leadership. The yearning for meaning can be best satisfied within servant-leadership because of its primary focus on serving others rather than self so that they may feel good about themselves and grow to their fullest potential. In too many organizations, management has created a sterile and passionless environment. Strategies, budgets and business plans are without life and meaning. Improvement programs such as total quality, customer service, reengineering, empowerment, teams, or the introduction of new technology lack the spirit to enable the objective to be reached. A paternalistic pat on the back or motivational hype will not suffice to get people energized for the long haul and even praise is often misdirected. (FN Richard Farson. Management of the Absurd: Paradoxes in Leadership. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1996. 64-67.) Because servant-leadership begins from the inside out as a caring and serving attitude of the heart, it can bring more lasting meaning into life than other leadership styles. Personal meaning is ultimately a feeling rather than a cognitive response. Meaning does not flow from beating the competition but in progressively raising the level of society. When the organization's vision, mission, values, strategic niche, aspirations, purpose and goals are directed to that end, then true meaning is realized. Personal fulfilment comes not from seeking it but as a by-product of serving a higher purpose beyond one's own interests.

The connection of meaning to servant-leadership is through the attitude of serving and who or what we serve. Management Professor Charles Watson at Miami University has written that "Living is most exciting and most worthwhile and satisfying when our aims are not to please ourselves primarily, but instead when we struggle boldly in the service of something greater, having genuine merit. The good life is achieved by serving others in valuable ways." (FN Charles Watson. "The Meaning of Service" Executive Excellence (November 1992) 1.) When a person works to serve others they become less self-centred and more concerned with the well-being of others into whose development they pour themselves. James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, describe the characteristics of contemporary leaders whom they find are looked up to:

Leaders we admire do not place themselves at the center; they place others there. They do not seek the attention of people; they give it to others. They do not focus on satisfying their own aims and desires; they look for ways to respond to the needs and interests of their constituents. They are not self-centered; they concentrate on the constituent. . . . Leaders serve a purpose and the people who have made it possible for them to lead . . . . In serving a purpose, leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves; instead, they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they choose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team, but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks. (italics added)(James Kouzes and Barry Posner, Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993) 185.)

However important are material accomplishments, they do not bring long-term satisfaction. They just beg for more in order to feel good for a short time and then another need will emerge to capture one's attention. True meaning comes in serving others and rejoicing in their well-being to which one has contributed. (FN This truth is revealed through the impact that serving Tex Rhoden had on the life of the CEO of The W. C. Bradley Company, later part of the Synovus Financial Corporation. See William B. Turner. A Journey Toward Servant Leadership. Macon, Georgia: Smyth and Helwys, 2000. 130-32 and 157 in which we see how being a servant to Tex Rhoden enabled Tex to become a servant to others. On his journey to servant-leadership, Turner was greatly influenced by his mentoring father and grandfather and the writing of Robert K. Greenleaf on Servant-Leadership and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.)

When we focus on the cause being served, our work becomes a calling which transcends ourselves and the economic value of our work. It is this sense of calling into which we invest our lives and our interests, abilities and horizons enlarge our significance. Henry Ford visualized a future in which doctors could more quickly get to their ailing patients. The tyranny of distance would enable people to travel further and more often. The co-founder of Holiday Inns, William Walton, was on a crusade to enable travellers to have a comfortable home away from home in which to find refreshment. This was the secret of the 20th century's most remarkable entrepreneur, Konosuke Matsushita who realized that "If a corporation could somehow be made meaningful like a religion, people would be both more satisfied and more productive." (FN John P. Kotter. Matsushita Leadership: Lessons from the 20th Century's most Remarkable Entrepreneur. New York, NY: Free Press, 1997 110. See also page 120.) "The mission of a manufacturer should be," he wrote in his autobiography, "to overcome poverty, to relieve society as a whole from misery, and bring it wealth." (FN Konosuke Matsushita. Quest for Prosperity. (Kyoto: PHP Institute, 1988) 202.) He was committed to seeing his profits improve the quality of people's lives and especially the plight of children.

What sets serving leaders apart from others? Sheila Murray Bethel in her book Making a Difference: 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader writes: It is not how much education you have, how much money they make, where they come form, or who they know. It's not their age, sex, or occupation. It's their awareness of the needs of others, their awareness of the challenges they face. It's their enthusiasm for improving things and creating new opportunities. They have a passion for a cause, or they want to give something back to society. They've reaped the rewards of serving others. In looking for ways to make a difference, they have tapped their personal power and leadership potential. . . . To make a difference we must be willing to serve. Real service has a high value. If we contribute our time, emotions, energy, and effort, we can have real impact on people and problems. When we contribute to the well-being of others, our joy and fulfilment are immeasurable. As President George Bush said when he addressed a group of college students in St. Louis, "From now on, any definition of a successful life must include serving others." . . . . The philosophy of history's leaders who have had a positive effect on our world has been one of service. It is invariably the servant-leaders who have advanced mankind. (FN Sheila Murray Bethel. Making a Difference: 12 (FN Sheila Murray Bethel. Making a Difference: 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader. (New York, NY: Berkley Books, 1990) 11, and 16-17.)

Where do we find meaning and servant-leadership combined in a modern organization that is judged to be successful? In the last two years Fortune magazine has named as the best company to work for Synovus Financial Corporation (2000) and Southwest Airlines. Both have thousands of employees who have found meaning through serving under servant-leaders.

The Synovus Financial Corporation with headquarters in Columbus, Georgia, focuses its corporate ethos around living the values, sharing the vision, managing the vision and making others successful. The last one involves practicing servant leadership and its related values of coaching for optimum performance, facilitating individual development, being accessible and creating opportunities for team members. Its personnel development philosophy is rooted in its desire to "become the employer of choice in every market we serve. Creating a great workplace is the foundation of every Synovus strategy. Team member enthusiasm yields higher productivity and profitability." (FN Information about the Synovus Financial Corporation's policies and philosophies are found in ****and William B. Turner. A Journey Toward Servant Leadership. Macon, Georgia: Smyth and Helwys, 2000.) "I am convinced," writes William Turner as chairman of the Executive Committee of Synovus Financial Corporation, "that servant leadership will be the way to manage in the future, not only because it brings personal fulfilment to everyone in the organization, including the boss, but also because it can deal with change quickly and effectively." William B. Turner. A Journey Toward Servant Leadership. Macon, Georgia: Smyth and Helwys, 2000. 150.)

Southwest Airlines has broken all airline industry records in the 1990s for service, expansion and employee satisfaction and productivity. Here meaning is found in serving customers and their needs as well as taking care of its employees as a matter of priority. It never relies on positional authority to get the job done. Employees believe that the airline exists to serve a purpose to which everyone is committed. Even to the point of some personal pain and sacrifice, employees have come to realize that their own needs will be met not by pursuing self-interest but in serving the cause of serving the travelling public. In the words of one of its Executive Vice Presidents, "Southwest is a cause, not a career. We offer people a chance to better themselves, not to be robots. When you trust people until they show they shouldn't be trusted, people respond." (FN SWA handout) Or as its President and CEO, Herb Kelleher describes it, "We are not looking for blind obedience. We are looking for people who, on their own initiative, want to be doing what they are doing because they consider it a worthy objective. I have always believed that the best leader is the best server." For Herb Kelleher, "Leadership is being a faithful, devoted, hard-working servant of the people you lead and participating with them in the agonies as well as the ecstasies of life." (FN Frieberg p 311) Southwest's employees have found meaning in serving others as they see themselves as leaders who are making a significant difference in the lives of their customers. FN Freiberg 312. This theme is also seen in the stories of employees that appear in the corporate newsletter, LUV Lines.) At Southwest, "leadership is the practice of helping people envision, and then participate in, creating a better world than the world they came into." (FN Freiberg 315) They care for the whole person and not just the employee who is on the job. For example, through the Southwest Employees Catastrophic Assistance Charity, Southwest employees have raised by their own efforts outside of their work, enough funds to help significantly employees who have suffered serious illnesses, deaths in the family, or accidents. Less than optimal working conditions and challenges can be accepted without loss or disappointment when something good is going to be accomplished that brings satisfaction to our human souls. Meaning is embodied in Herb Kelleher's words to his employees: When you're sitting around with your grandchildren, I want you to be able to tell them that being connected to Southwest Airlines was one of the finest things that ever happened to you in your entire life. I want you to be able to say, "Southwest Airlines ennobled and enriched my life; it made me better, and bigger, and stronger than I ever could have been alone." And if, indeed, that happens with your grandchildren, then that will be the greatest contribution that I could have made to Southwest Airlines and to its future." (FN Freiberg 318)

While there have been developed several tests for measuring servant-leadership, the measuring stick most often used is Greenleaf's original one: "do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?" (FN Robert K. Greenleaf quoted in Larry C. Spears " Tracing the Growing Impact of Servant-Leadership" in Insights on Leadership: Service, Stewardship, Spirit, and Servant-Leadership. New York, NY: John Wiley, 1998. 1.) When these goals are realized, then meaning is to be found in one's life and employment. True happiness does not come to those who seek after it but as a by-product for those who serve others and by doing so lift them to a higher level of satisfaction and meaning in life. Because servant-leadership is foremost an attitude of the heart, its fulfilment brings true meaning to those who practice or experience it. Good servant-leaders are those whose primary purpose for leading is to serve others by investing in their development and meaningful well-being for the benefit of the common good.

Abstract

FINDING MEANING THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

By Don Page

The thesis of this paper is that meaning producing workplaces are most likely to develop in organizations committed to servant leadership. For some employees, meaning may be found under virtually any kind of leadership style, but most will find that a servant led organization will offer the best atmosphere in which employees can find true meaning in their places of employment. Tom Terez's 22 keys to meaningful work are matched with the qualities of servant leadership to show how servant-leaders foster a working culture that produces meaning. Examples of this combination are found in Fortune's best companies in America to work for in 1999 and 2000. The gauge most often used for measuring servant-leadership is the one used by the father of modern day thinking on servant-leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf, "Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?" When these goals are realized, then meaning is to be found in one's life and employment. True happiness does not come to those who seek after it in material things or pay rates beyond what is fair and just, but as a by-product for those who serve others and by doing so lift them to a higher level of satisfaction and meaning in life. Because servant-leadership is an attitude of a serving heart, its fulfilment brings true meaning to those who practice or experience it. Thus it is found that good servant-leaders are those whose primary purpose for leading an organization is to serve others by investing in their development and meaningful well-being for the benefit of the common good.

FINDING MEANING THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

By Don Page

Business consultant Tom Terez began a "Meaning At Work Project" in 1997 to discover what workers meant by seeking meaning in their places of work. For this study, he conducted extensive interviews through 15 focus groups made up of people from all walks of life whose collective work experience was over 3,000 years. What he encountered was "an almost desperate eagerness to talk about meaning in the workplace." (Tom Terez, "Meaningful Work" Executive Excellence (February 1999) 2.) Not surprisingly, he also discovered that meaningful work had 22 different meanings with different degrees of importance for different people. In the left hand column are Terez's keys to meaning. The first five are the ones most often cited followed by a second tier of five and then another 12 in alphabetic order of still important meaning keys that were less often cited. In the right hand column is the equivalent quality of a servant-leader. The servant-leadership keys have been drawn from publications by the author and the Greenleaf Center. (FN See Don Page and T.P. Wong. "A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Servant-Leadership" in Senyo B-S.K. Adjibolosoo, edit., The Human Factor in Shaping the Course of History and Development. New York, NY: University Press of America, 2000. 74-76. In this article the author contrasts servant-leadership with command or domineering selfish leadership. See also Larry Spears "Servant-Leadership and the Greenleaf Legacy" in "Reflections on Leadership: How Robert K. Greenleaf's Theory of Servant-Leadership Influenced Today's Top Management Thinkers. New York, NY: John Wiley, 1995. 4-7. In this article, Spears lists the ten key elements of servant-leadership.

1. Purpose - The mission of the organization must have a larger purpose--something beyond producing goods or services or even being the best. Employees want to feel instinctively that their work is making a positive difference.

   A Servant-leader's primary objective is to serve others. Servant-leaders seek to serve the well-being of others through their goals and work, through which they make a positive difference in society.

2. Ownership - Employees want to view themselves as having a part in shaping how their work is to be done.

   In servant-led organizations, employees want to be consulted and included in decision making as partners in the enterprise.

3. Fit - Once employees know how they and their work fit into the larger mission of the organization they are more willing to put forth their best efforts.

   Servant-leaders are visionaries as they serve others to accomplish that agreed upon vision.

4. Oneness - When there is a prevailing sense that "we're all in this together," working relationships become more collaborative.

   Servant-leadership is based on teamwork in which contributing to the collective effort rather than position is important.

5. Relationship building - The workplace should offer ways to build healthy interpersonal relationships that foster loyalty to the institution and its team members in promoting their collective efforts.
   
6. Servant-leadership is based on collective teamwork and is often referred to as relational leadership. Community building is integral to servant-leadership being successful. Leadership requires followers and that leads to inter-personal relationships being built.
   
7. Service - Employees enjoy learning from and helping one another. This can be fostered through formal mentoring or training programs or more informal on-the-spot coaching or assisting with a project. Servant-leaders are committed to equipping and investing in the lives of their employees so that these employees can advance to their full potential.
   
8. Equality - All people in the organization are considered to be equally important regardless of their position and treated as such.

   In servant-leadership, responsibilities are more important than the perks of positional entitlement. The servant-leader is first among equals.

9. Validation - Employees can see for themselves the impact of their work and be affirmed for it.

   The servant-leader encourages input and feedback and shares credit for the results.

10. Invention - Risk-taking in the name of innovation is encouraged and failures are the price of learning rather than the reason for dismissal.

    The servant-leader welcomes open discussion on means for improvement and learning from one's mistakes.

11. Personal development - People are able to reach their full potential through learning and expanded job opportunities.

    Taking people to a higher level is at the heart of servant-leadership.

12. Acknowledgement - Employees are recognized for their efforts and successes through genuine appreciation.

    Praise is generously given to others for their accomplishments. The servant-leader focuses on the "we" and not the "I" of who gets credit for what.

13. Balance - Employers respect the fact that there's life beyond work when making assignments.

    The service ethic is an attitude that prevails and must be given expression in all of one's life and not just on the job.

14. Challenge - The workplace is seen as an opportunity to take on challenges for those who want them.

    Serving others has no limits so there are always new opportunities to serve others in meeting their needs, many of which will be unexpected, thereby creating a challenge for those who respond.

15. Dialogue - There is an ongoing, honest, and constructive dialogue involving people at all levels of the organization as well as significant suppliers and customers.

    Information is shared and listening receptively is a hall mark of servant-leadership. The servant-leader seeks first to understand and then to be understood.

16. Direction - There is a compelling vision that draws people into a common direction.

    Organizational visions and missions are arrived at through discussions so that all are on board with the direction to be taken

17. Flexibility - Good judgement is used in applying rules.

    Values are more important than rules in motivating employees in the right direction because values are rooted in meaning.

18. Informality - An open-door policy is practised by everyone and protocol is not seen as a stumbling block.

    Servant-leaders are regularly seen interacting with others and maintain an open door atmosphere for developing and encouraging others. In serving, there is no hierarchy that impedes communication in all directions.

19. Relevance - Red tape does not take people away from engaging in relevant activities.

    Servant-leaders build on trust and values more than protocol to reach their goals. There is always an altruistic motive involved in servant-leadership.

20. Respect - Employees show respect for one another regardless of their rank or title.

    Authority is based on influence from within through encouragement, inspiration, motivation and persuasion that are rooted in respect for the other person being served.

21. Self-identity - Individuality is encouraged and the organization respects the need of people to have their own space in which to work.

    One can only serve others out of a healthy self-respect. Respect for the person and their diversity is at the heart of understanding whom one serves.

22. Support - Employees are given the resources (information, time, funding, experience, learning opportunities, tools, etc.) they need to succeed in their work.

    The task of the servant-leader is to provide all of the means whereby others can reach their potential through the ongoing development of the collective mission.

    
    

    Worth - Employees are genuinely valued and their interests are taken into account when decisions are made.

    Decisions are collectively arrived at. The antithesis of servant-leadership is self-seeking top-down leadership. Acceptance and empathy are at the core of servant-leadership.

SOME OLD WORK ASSUMPTIONS THAT MUST BE DISCARDED

Employees can primarily be motivated to do good work through material rewards, whether they be regular raises and promotions, job security, or healthy pensions; These hard won rewards will provide the means for buying satisfaction in life outside of one's job; Employees must be moulded or trained to fit into an organization because at heart they dislike work; Care of the human spirit is irrelevant when it comes to producing profits and organizational growth; Businesses should not become involved in community activities, that is a diversion away from work when community spirit is for volunteers who work outside of their regular jobs; Spontaneity and creativity are traits for leaders, not employees; Employees will not take positive initiatives on their own unless cajoled into them by leaders; Employees want to be told what to do rather than participate in the decision-making; In a world of constant change, employers can no longer promise lifetime employment in exchange for a person's loyal service. Employees will put up with destructive relationships for the sake of retaining their jobs; That great things are accomplished by larger-than-life individuals shouting commands, giving directions and inspiring the troops; Good people leave organizations once they have reached a certain level of economic sufficiency because they want more and to contribute less; Rules more than values determine success; Managers should not get involved with employees or empathize with their feelings. Businesses that take time to care about their employees will not do well on the profit side of the ledger.