serve to be great

To purchase personal subscriptions or corporate solutions, visit our website at www.getAbstract.com, send an email to [email protected], or call us at our US office (1-877-778-6627) or at our Swiss office(+41-41-367-5151). getAbstract is an Internet-based knowledge rating service and publisher of book abstracts. getAbstract maintains complete editorial responsibility for all parts of this abstract. getAbstractacknowledges the copyrights of authors and publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this abstract may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, photocopying or otherwise –without prior written permission of getAbstract Ltd. (Switzerland).

1 of 5

Serve to Be GreatLeadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery,and a Boardroom Matt TenneyJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2014224 pages[@]

Rating9 Applicability

8 Innovation

8 Style9

FocusLeadership & Management

Strategy

Sales & Marketing

Finance

Human Resources

IT, Production & Logistics

Career & Self-Development

Small Business

Economics & Politics

Industries

Global Business

Concepts & Trends

Take-Aways• The enduring management message Matt Tenney learned through prison, a monastery

and corporate experience was the value of “servant leadership.”

• Leadership means commitment to others, not a job title or a measure of power.

• Empathetic leaders are sensitive to employees’ needs and feelings; they know theircompanies succeed when everyone feels valued and can contribute.

• A supportive culture engages workers, reduces turnover and draws talented people.

• Leaders who listen more than they talk create an empowered workforce.

• Unconscious cognitive biases can exert an adverse influence on your decisions.

• For example, the “status quo bias” prevents leaders from undertaking innovativeinitiatives, even though innovation improves the bottom line.

• To make good decisions, distinguish between your “wants” and your “needs.”

• If you can’t afford a training program, then teach a class or assemble a library ofbusiness books and hold monthly meetings to discuss relevant topics.

• The online firm Next Jump demonstrates unceasing loyalty to its employees andheavily rewards servant leadership. The result: an unusually low 1% turnover rate.

This summary is restricted to the personal use of John Judin ([email protected])

LoginContext[cu=165118,asp=696,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2014-10-29 06:48:14 CET

Book: getab.li/22458

http://getab.li/22458

Serve to Be Great getAbstract © 2014 2 of 5

getabstract

Relevancegetabstract

getabstractWhat You Will LearnIn this summary, you will learn:r1) Why your commitment to other people defines how effective you can be asa leader, 2) How you can become a servant leader and 3) How your organization can achieve greatness throughfollowing the “servant leadership” style.

getabstractReview“Servant leadership” means doing everything you can to improve the lives of those around you. Many successfulorganizations practice servant leadership, thanks to visionary CEOs who recognize and celebrate the value of theiremployees. In this mix of an autobiography and an executive handbook, Matt Tenney will convince you that servantleadership is the only sensible option for contemporary leaders seeking to maximize their organization’s potential.The author explains why executives and managers who want to improve the bottom line should set aside their egosand focus on empowering their people. Tenney offers unique insight, advice and inspiration – hard won from hisexperience in prison, a monastery and the boardroom – as he builds a watertight case for the servant-leadershipmanagement philosophy. getAbstract strongly recommends his ideas and methods to leaders at every level and thoseaspiring to lead.

getabstractgetabstract

Summarygetabstract

getabstract

getabstract“Taking little stepsevery day to empowerothers helps us togradually become lessfocused on ourselvesand more focused onserving others.”

getabstract

getabstract“By making a habitout of doing the rightthing at all times, wecan gradually developcharacter that inspiresthose around us everyday.”

getabstract

Greed Becomes PeacefulnessMatt Tenney wanted to gain financial freedom before his 30th birthday. He initially wentabout it the wrong way. As an officer in the US Marine Corps, he initiated a plot to stealnearly $3 million in cash from the Corps by forging a fake procurement transaction. He“arranged the unauthorized delivery of $2.79 million from the Federal Reserve Bank ofLos Angeles to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.” After signing the final deliverydocuments, he purchased a one-way ticket to Brazil. On his way to the airport, the FBIarrested him.

He spent six months in the brig, in solitary confinement 22 hours a day. He was devastated:He had dishonored the Marines, wasted his life and humiliated his family. Barely able toface himself as a criminal and realizing he could be sentenced to 70 to 80 years in jail, heprayed, “Please don’t let me wake up in the morning.”

To avoid the expense of a trial, the government offered Tenney a plea bargain: He pledguilty and served five and a half years in jail. Being imprisoned turned out to be a blessing indisguise. After much anguish and contemplation, Tenney learned to practice “mindfulness,”a method of focusing only on the present without being distracted by random thoughts. Hecould attain peace of mind in the here and now, if he didn’t compare being in jail with hispast life or focus on thoughts about the future. Tenney decided to live simply while in jailand to practice awareness training diligently, including long stretches of sitting silently. Hedealt with constant noise and with being treated as if he “had no value in the world andnever would.” He ultimately reached a state of serenity. Motivated to assist those aroundhim, he helped other prisoners gain peace of mind as well.

Following his release in 2006, Tenney lived in a monastery for six weeks and nearly decidedto be ordained. Ultimately, he recognized that, for him, life as a monk would be “taking




getabstract“A person whooffers innovativesolutions internal tothe organization canhelp create a significantcompetitive advantagethat results in addedvalue.”

getabstract

getabstract“If we want someoneto take action on theideas we share, it’snot enough to provideconvincing arguments;we need to touch theirhearts...we need toinspire them.”

getabstract

getabstract“A great team cultureis arguably the onlysustainable competitiveadvantage that remainsin the new economy.”

getabstract

getabstract“Once you have theright people on yourteam, you also need toensure that those peopleare fully engagedwhile they’re at work.Otherwise, that talent iswasted – along with alot of money.”

getabstract

the easy way out.” To fulfill his calling to help others, he realized he had to live “in thereal world.” He spent time in Mexico setting up a summer school at a children’s shelter inMazatlan. The project allowed him to “do the real work of simply loving the children” andhelping them see their own value.

Servant LeadershipTenney came back to America and co-founded the Gainesville, FL, chapter of the KidsKicking Cancer organization, which helps afflicted youngsters. In considering his next path,he began to wonder how to engage businesses in formally helping other people. He soonlearned that many flourishing companies already see servant leadership as the foundation oftheir management beliefs. Roughly one-third of the firms on Fortune magazine’s annual listof the best 100 companies to work for say they “intentionally practice servant leadership.”

For example, Southwest Airlines enjoys a stellar reputation for customer service andemployee satisfaction. Former CEO Herb Kelleher set an example for the company’smanagers with his active hands-on leadership, such as helping baggage handlers onThanksgiving Day. Servant leadership is also a core value at Herschend FamilyEntertainment where CEO Joel Manby helps frontline employees who face difficult lifecircumstances. Kelleher and Manby believe that you have to love the people who workfor you. Both define leadership as a commitment to others, not as a job title or measure ofpower. And both are practical executives. Research indicates a clear connection betweenservant leadership and improved business results.

Next Jump, an e-commerce company, ceaselessly demonstrates loyalty to employees.Founder and CEO Charlie Kim devotes a wall in his office building to recognizingexceptional accomplishments of Next Jump’s people. He once closed his New York Cityoffice so everyone could attend a secretary’s wedding. The company offers healthy, freefood to employees and underwrites an employee gym offering trainers and assorted classes.Next Jump brings in outside experts to teach a variety of subjects to help employeesgrow personally and professionally. The firm solicits ideas from employees to improveworkers’ lives. In 2010, Next Jump responded to an employee request and began offeringa complimentary weekly laundry service so staffers could enjoy more free time on theweekends. The company presents a $30,000 award to the employee voted “best servantleader” by his or her colleagues.

Firms with strong cultures attract talented people but can hire very selectively and they excelat keeping employees engaged. In 2012, Next Jump hired only 35 people from thousandsof applicants. Its turnover rate is around 1%, compared with its industry’s average of 22%and its employees regularly reject offers from competitors for hefty increases in salary.

Beware of Biases that Affect DecisionsResearch by Dr. E. Ted Prince, founder of the Perth Leadership Institute, found aconnection between managers’ behavior and their firms’ profitability. His data indicate thatunconscious “cognitive biases” reflected in managers’ behavior can have a negative impacton their ability to make informed decisions. Most people function under cognitive biasesthat skew their perceptions and responses with potentially unfavorable financial, personaland professional consequences.

The two most significant cognitive biases, Prince says, are the “illusion of control” bias andthe “status quo bias.” The first bias causes people to overestimate their influence. They oftenbelieve that spending lots of money can fix any problem, so many of their decisions reduce




getabstract“A company that’sknown for servingand caring for thecommunity around itis a company that ismore likely to attractthe right kind oftalented people who areessential for achievingsuccess.”

getabstract

getabstract“Leaders who...focuson their ownperformance – insteadof on how well theylead people tend tomicromanage, whicherodes trust andcrushes innovation.”

getabstract

getabstract“There are many,many reasons, inaddition to realizingthe benefits of offeringworld-class service,why empoweringpeople results in betteroutcomes.”

getabstract

getabstract“Organizationsthat maintain greatcultures...as they growtend to hire for culturefit and train for skills.”

getabstract

profitability. The status quo bias prevents leaders from undertaking innovative initiatives,even though research shows that innovation improves the bottom line. Managers who lackan innovative spark thwart the development of unique products and services. Innovationhas little to do with creativity, but a lot to do with having the discipline, vision and know-how to execute an idea. For example, Microsoft founder Bill Gates enjoys greater renownfor his innovation than his creativity.

Innovation benefits every organization but often innovative people require special handling.Because they are usually immune to the status quo bias, innovators flout the rules andmight not work well with others. Big companies with strict bureaucratic hierarchies havetrouble hanging onto innovative employees. However, organizations whose executivespractice servant leadership create cultures that promote and nurture innovation. Googleand software leader SAS – both highly innovative – are well known for their exceptionalemployee perks and impressive profits. Any firm can build an innovative culture if itsleaders encourage employees to grow and welcome their ideas. By contrast, ego-drivenleaders who micromanage and are insecure about sharing credit can destroy trust and stifleinnovation. Empathetic leaders are sensitive to their employees’ needs and feelings; theyknow organizations function best when everyone contributes.

Here to ServeThe success of Zappos, the online shoe retailer, is a tribute to superb customer service.When Nick Swinmurn and “the great visionary entrepreneur Tony Hsieh” launchedZappos, Swinmurn wanted to duplicate and then improve upon consumers’ retail shoppingexperience. Zappos trains its phone representatives to stay on the phone with customersuntil each client is satisfied. A Zappos representative once spoke with a customer for ten anda half hours, even though the conversation wasn’t about the firm’s products. Word spreadabout the call, and Zappos received wide acclaim in the media for its customer service.

Even though most organizations acknowledge that exceptional customer service buildscustomer loyalty and a high return on investment, few practice it, and they suffer a penaltyfor that neglect. Poor service is a greater factor in losing customers than price competition,since satisfied customers will pay higher prices for extraordinary service. In fact, businessesmake a grave error when they invest more in finding new customers than in pleasing currentones. Excellent customer service begins with happy, motivated staffers: Firms with soundwork cultures rate higher in customer satisfaction. Empowered employees – encouraged tothink independently and trust their instincts – are glad to serve their customers.

Serving and CaringIn the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, tens of thousands of workers in the New Jersey andNew York areas were out of work and had no income. Employees in Next Jump’s New Yorkoffice contributed 10% of their paychecks for one pay period to assist the hourly workerswhose businesses they frequented. Willingness to help others is one criterion for gettinga job at Next Jump, where the service culture attracts talented, like-minded staffers andreinforces teamwork.

Social media outlets are powerful tools for sharing such inspirational stories and messages.Kind, considerate acts resonate strongly and may influence potential clients to do businesswith your company. Firms can also take advantage of free publicity through blogs andsuch outlets as Twitter and Facebook. Acts of servant leadership strengthen your brand andfrequently can result in positive word-of-mouth. In this way, your organization’s willingnessto connect with your community can create a competitive advantage.




getabstract“Leading with afocus on servingothers...help[s] anorganization achievesustainable success.”

getabstract

getabstract“If we read morebooks on personalor professionaldevelopment, we willreally stand apart.”

getabstract

getabstract“After spending mywhole life lookingoutside myself forhappiness, I learnedfirsthand that we ...havewithin us everythingthat we need to behappy.”

getabstract

Learning to LeadServant leadership requires ongoing professional and personal growth. Servant leadersare eager to broaden their knowledge, and they’re open to learning opportunities. JohnSpence, a highly regarded international business consultant and lecturer, estimates that, in20 years, he’s read roughly 2,000 books related to business and listened to hundreds moreon audio. Yet the average college graduate doesn’t read even one business-related book ayear. Reading a half-hour daily makes you a wiser leader who is better able to serve thosearound you. If you can’t afford to offer your staffers a training program, then teach a class orassemble a library of business books and have monthly meetings to discuss relevant topics.

Weigh the decisions you make according to how they affect your ability to serve. Learningto differentiate between your “wants” and “needs” can guide you to the right decisions.Establish expectations and accountability for your employees to help them maximize theiroutput and realize their potential. Treating people nicely can mean nothing more than asimple smile – or being willing to listen to someone who’s a little down – and can make adifference in that staffer’s life. Whatever your managerial rank is, each employee interactionoffers the opportunity to have a positive, negative or neutral effect; you don’t need a titleto be a servant leader.

Listen UpIn The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey emphasizes theimportance of being sure you understand what others are saying before you interject yourthoughts and opinions into a conversation. Leaders who talk less and listen more createa more empowered workforce. Allow those around you to express their ideas before youspeak. Ted Prince of the Perth Leadership Institute believes that leaders should speak atmost “10% of the time – primarily to ask questions.” You need maximum feedback to reachworthy solutions. Expressing your opinion too soon can stifle honest responses.

Leaders find it easier to make decisions when their organizations operate under clearlydefined core values. These values lay the foundation of any successful enterprise anddetermine the way forward. Decisions or actions that potentially violate your company’score values are never viable options. Core values give employees the confidence to actindependently without seeking their boss’s approval for every action. They realize that theywould not have been hired unless their boss respected their decision-making capabilities.

Live to InspireOutstanding leaders throughout history have achieved success largely because of theirability to inspire others. According to Start with Why author Simon Sinek, whose TED Talkhas been viewed more than 15 million times, all great leaders articulate their vision andexplain, “why they do what they do.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, spoke mostlyabout the cause of civil rights and his belief in racial equality; he seldom offered specificplans for bringing about change. Regardless of their industry or profession, effective leadersconnect people to a pursuit or objective larger than themselves. Great leaders must standby their principles in difficult situations. That’s easier to do when you know that you’reserving others and why.

getabstractgetabstract

About the Authorgetabstract

getabstractMatt Tenney is a frequent speaker and a consultant with the Perth Leadership Institute.



serve to be great

Documents