Philip B. Tedesco | Rhode Island Association of Realtors, State-Wide MLS CEO and Realtor Foundation: Rhode Island executive director
Success has 1,000 fathers and failure is, indeed, an orphan. Success may be elusive and successful leadership proves to be even more challenging. The most successful leaders that I have had the opportunity to work with have embraced the concept of “servant leadership.”
The concept may be thousands of years old, but its practice in management theory is more recent. In the 1970s, Robert Greenleaf suggested, “The great leader is seen as servant first.”
Servant leadership is both a philosophy and a practice. Rather than a “top-down” or traditional leadership model, the servant leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
To successfully execute this requires the trust and empowerment of the entire team. Servant leaders create a collegial working environment rather than a hierarchy by position or seniority. All ideas are valued regardless of their origin, and the entire team wins when the organization moves forward.
Valuing the efforts and ideas of everyone increases their dignity, self-worth and that individual’s overall satisfaction level both personally and professionally. The synergy created by servant leaders can be truly transformational … think Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa.
Servant leadership increases intrinsic motivation and truly brings out the best that team can collectively bring to the table, because everyone believes in the strategy and has a vested interest in the outcome.
“Leaders don’t create more followers, they create more leaders.” – Tom Peters