What Condoleezza Rice and Bono Have in Common?

One grew up in the segregated city of Birmingham, Alabama; the other grew up in Protestant-Catholic divided North Dublin, Ireland.  One is a black woman with extraordinary parents; the other is a white male who lost his mother at the age of 14. One has never married; the other has been married since 1982 and has four children. Both, however, are musicians–one for pleasure and the other for pay.  And both have changed the world by living for the sake of others.

I had the privilege to meet and then later hear Condoleezza Rice speak on “service, compassion, and philanthropy” at a packed dinner gathering recently at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.  The gathering was designed to support one of the most successful non-profit organizations that is conquering the issue of homelessness, North County Solutions for Change. Condoleezza Rice’s talk to the spellbound audience of business leaders, sponsors, and friends of Solutions for Change wasn’t lengthy.  It wasn’t long, but it was profound.  As the 66^th Secretary of State of the United States, Rice was the second woman and first African American woman to hold the office. Her words reflected her experience, her education, and her passion for servant leadership.  I realized I was listening to a true servant leader.

Bono comes from “across the pond,” wears his famous shades, and has a notable flair for getting people’s attention.  His fame is international, his band U2 fills stadiums around the world, and his heart, like Condoleezza Rice, goes out to the fatherless, the impoverished, and the abused.  He doesn’t hold a PhD in Soviet Studies like Dr. Rice, but he has spoken at Harvard University.  Bono has never held political office, yet presidents and prime ministers around the world have spoken to him about the issues of hunger. Both Bono and Rice are committed to justice.  Both, although radically different in backgrounds and personalities, are servant leaders.

So the next time someone tells you that servant leaders are soft and all cut from the same cloth, tell them about Rice and Bono. Robert Greenleaf, the father of modern day servant leadership, would say they passed the test as genuine servant leaders.  In his influential essay on “The Servant as Leader,” Greenleaf writes, “The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons?  Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?  And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be deprived?”

It doesn’t matter your age, your position, your gender, or your religious convictions–you can become a servant leader.  All you need to do to change your world is to start living for the sake of others.

Dr. Tony Baron,
President, Servant Leadership Institute

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The American Dream!

I love football. The scars on my knees and the arthritis within them prove it. Why else would I have subjected myself to constant pounding by men who weighed 50-100 pounds more than I, with their sole goal to make me part of the green landscape? I remember as a kid, my dream was to throw passes like Joe Namath and run as fast as Lance Alworth. Now, the only passes I receive are discounts at movie theaters and restaurants. Oh, well.

So this week a huge smile crossed my face when I read that Jesse Holley, a 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound backup wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys caught his first career pass that went for 77 yards to help the Cowboys come from behind to beat the 49ers. It wasn’t that he was from the Cowboys that made me happy. In fact, I was rooting for the 49ers. What made me happy was that Holley just two years ago was working as a security guard and selling cell phones inNorth Carolina. He was fulfilling his dream to play in the NFL, and he did it because of reality TV.

Reality TV, really? Yep, really! You see, Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin had an idea with Spike TV (sorry, haven’t seen Spike TV on my channel) and the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, to do a reality show called 4^th and Long featuring NFL wannabes competing against each other for a shot to be on the Cowboys’ 80-man training camp roster. After strenuous workouts and football battles, Holley won. “There’s no way I’d ever be there right now without that show,” Holley said.

Well, Holley’s moment came this Sunday. After two years of being cut from training camp after the show, Holley became the fifth receiver for the Cowboys. Fifth receiver means “no catches, no yards, and lots of special teams.” That was all true until Sunday, when wide receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin got hurt. Holley’s dream to be in the NFL just got bigger!

After Holley had sat on the bench for three quarters, Head Coach Jason Garrett called him into the game. Imagine how you would feel in that situation! Holley was probably hyperventilating, perspiring, and had forgotten every play in the playbook because of his nervousness. 

The game went into overtime.  Tony Romo, the All-Pro quarterback for the Cowboys, took possession and looked over the defensive scheme. When the play started, the defensive safety bit on the play-action, and Holley was open. As Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes, “Romo found him. Perfect throw, easy catch.” Wow, 77 yards!

How does this apply to servant leaders? Well, I have several takeaways from this story.

•  Servant leaders never know when opportunities come up, so they are always prepared.

Holley, as a security guard and cell phone salesman, never got out of shape from his college days inNorth Carolina. Working for money and working out for himself, Jesse Holley didn’t even know if there would be an opportunity, but he still prepared. Servant leaders spend their lives preparing themselves emotionally, physically, spiritually, and professionally for moments of opportunity to be a greater influence on others.

• Servant leaders know that when the opportunity does come, they will have to work even harder to achieve their goals.

Opportunityprovides a way to success, but it is not success. Success only comes when you have achieved the results. The first principle has to do with process; this second principle has to do with results.  Servant leaders are equally concerned with the way we do things and the end result of our efforts.

• Servant leaders know they can fall away from humility quickly and think they have all the answers when there is some level of success, so they are constantly learning to move beyond success to significance.

 Yes, it was a perfect throw by Romo and an easy catch by Holley. But it could have been a 78- yard touchdown pass, instead of a 77-yard reception that led to the winning field goal. At the five yard line, Holley did a little showboating—you know, strutting his stuff. The 49ers defender nearly decapitated him at the one yard line. No touchdown, no ESPN classic moment, and a little lecture by the Cowboys wide receiver coach filled with words I can’t say in this blog.

Right opportunities come rarely, so preparation plus performance minus pride are the ingredients necessary to turn dreams into reality!

Tony Baron

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When Emotions Trump Reality

The recent stock market drop, along with the Standard & Poor’s rating downgrade of the United States, reminded me again how emotions often will trump reality.  It doesn’t take an expert to realize that our human tendency is to sell when we are fearful and buy when we are not. In the corporate world, the two greatest emotions that distort reality are anger and fear.

Anger in the workplace, regardless of industry type, is very common and happens at all levels within the company.  In all my years of working with corporations, I have never met an executive who didn’t initially justify his or her anger because of perceived or real unmet expectations.  And when the anger has been visibly displayed in voice, tone, or behavior, I have never met an executive who has benefited himself/herself, or the company he or she may represent.  That’s right . . . never!

Please don’t misunderstand; the emotion of anger is real and, at few times really justified.  But how we deal with our anger is more important to the psyche of the individual, group, or organization.

 The damaging impact of anger, provoked or not, always distorts what is real.  Anger damages trust, inflames speculations, incites rumors, hinders performance, and creates distance.  Blowing off steam may seem like a good idea
at that time (and you may truly feel better shortly afterwards), but you have left carcasses of good will on the assembly floor.

How do you deal with anger?  First, acknowledge to yourself that you are angry.  If you have an explosive track record with anger, recognize that most of your anger has been accumulating over a number of issues, usually professional and
personal.  If your emotional and physical resources are low, you are more apt to let loose your emotions.  Write down, before talking out, your anger at others.  Get a piece of paper and write, “:I am angry because . . . (you fill in the blank). Exhaust the possibilities of your anger.  Circle the one, two, or three that ring true to you.  Then write down the facts about that person or that department before the reason for your anger.  What is true about their commitment to the company or their commitment to you?  What ways have they helped you in the past? Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.  Before a meeting, ask someone you trust, someone more measured in words and who understands you, to say what needs to be said without the emotion.  I am not denying unmet expectations; I am simply suggesting a better way to handle anger as a Servant Leader. 

But the emotion of fear can be just as damaging to the organization or team as anger.  Fear often paralyzes your decision making process and disables your ability to make the necessary but tough decisions.  Most fear happens because you
are afraid of losing something or someone. Fear creates anxiety like picnics draw ants.  Fear wakes you up in the middle of the night or sometimes even prevents you from going to sleep.  Fear often isolates you from the right kind
of people you need to help you.

What can you do about fear?  First, face the fear, and don’t run from it.  Name it and claim it.  By doing this one act, you will reduce the inflated power of fear. Secondly, after identifying the fear, examine the terrific possibilities if you are able to overcome this fear. Thirdly, create a sounding board with others, to help you discern rational fear from irrational fear.  Finally, develop an attitude of gratitude for people and projects.  Realize that most fear is simply a wisp of fog covering the mountain of trust.

Servant Leaders are not hypocrites when they get angry or fearful; they are just imperfect (human).  Hypocrites, by definition, are people who play a role with the intent of deceiving others into believing they are someone they are not. Servant Leaders get angry, but they learn to deal with it appropriately. Servant Leaders even get fearful at times, but they seek to live with faith and in peace.  Servant Leaders get real.

By the way, do you really believe that the Isle of Man (AAA+ rating) is a better investment than the AA+  United States of America?  Come on, let’s get over our anger and our fear and deal with reality!

Tony Baron

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The Power Behind Servant Leadership

With the myriad of leadership books available today, one wonders if anyone can truly comprehend what it takes to be a leader in our fast changing, highly skeptical, postmodern business world.  Based on my readings, there are two types of leadership books available.

 One type of leadership book is based on the heroic leader, usually highly profiled and often publicized in terms of a monetary track record of success.  These books often emphasize the leader’s entrepreneurial qualities, independent spirit, and dogged determination in overcoming personal and professional obstacles.  If written right, these books often can inspire the reader.  If written in a more self-serving way, these books can often deflate the reader in acknowledging they can never match up to the deeds of the writer.

The other kind of leadership book is more principled-centered than people- centered.  This kind of leadership book will focus on universal truths that will help the reader apply these principles in their context.  These books, if written right, will provide supportive examples in corporate life of organizations and individuals following these precepts successfully.  If written more abstractly, these books will provide more “bumper-sticker” material than boardroom insights.

Of course, there are many books that blur the lines between heroic and principled-centered.  Most experts define leadership simply as “influence.”  But all of us know that the power of influence can have both positive and negative impact.  By this simple definition, Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, and Saddam Hussein would be considered leaders along with Abraham Lincoln, Lee Iacocca, Jack Welch, and Nelson Mandela. I am not going to fight with this definition of leadership as much as I am going to put a defining marker between good leadership and bad leadership.  At the risk of seeming judgmental about this, I am simply being discerning between what is healthy and unhealthy for human beings and their institutions.

As one who is committed to Servant Leadership, my defining marker is moral authority.  The right kind of leadership is more about moral authority than positional authority.  Moral authority, in this context, stands apart from any religious implications.

Let me explain.  There is no question that positional authority has tremendous power to influence, but moral authority will have deeper impact and greater longevity with more positive results.  If you combine the two, positional authority with moral authority, people will follow you, even at great personal risk.

There are four dimensions to moral authority. First of all, the essence of moral authority is sacrifice.  Sacrifice is the willingness to curb one’s self-interest for the sake of others.  Secondly, the genius of moral authority is that it inspires us to become part of a cause worthy of our commitment and greater than ourselves.  Followers ask this question first, “what is wanted of me?” instead of “what is in it for me?” Thirdly, the energy of moral authority is that the process and results are always inseparable: ends and means are joined at the hip.  Finally, the measurement of moral authority is a mutual trust between leader and followers.

Friends, I have just described servant leadership.  The reason such great past leaders as Mahatma Gandhi, John R.W. Stott, and Martin Luther King Jr. have large, vibrant followers far beyond their lifetimes is that they had moral authority.  Influential current leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Ken Blanchard, Dan Cathy, and Ken Melrose are on course to leave a similar enduring legacy.  In essence, all of them are examples of a true Servant Leader. All were imperfect servants who served for the sake of others, sacrificing themselves for something that is greater than themselves, asking the right questions, acting the right way, and creating a trust level that was unsurpassed in traditional forms of leadership.

Moral authority is the power behind servant leadership.

Tony Baron

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The Seduction of Power

This is a story about sex and power, so I know you will read the entire blog!  By the way of full disclosure, I am all for sex and power . . . only in the right context of marriage and never when those two words are used together.  The recent stories of the former Mr. Universe and just-past Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and previous IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s sexual transgressions only remind us of the dangerous and messy cocktail blend of sex and power.  We have seen these indiscretions in the past.  Have you read some of the exploits of other American leaders?

• Thomas Jefferson
• Benjamin Franklin
• John F. Kennedy
• Lyndon B. Johnson
• Bill Clinton
• Newt Gingrich
• John Edwards

Of course, sex and power is nothing new.  Many of the Roman Caeser’s used their power to have sex with other Senator’s wives, commit incest with their sisters, and underage boys.  The mixture of sex and power is not just reserved to political institutions, but is evident in religious circles, corporate boardrooms, and celebrity engagements.  Truly consensual sex between adults can never really happen when there is a significant disparity of economic, social, or emotional power.  One party, no matter the age, is just too dependent on the other!

Perhaps the 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, really understood the seductive trance of sex and power when he wrote, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”  Power breeds entitlement if not checked with humility, mercy, kindness, grace, and love.  This is how you can keep your power (at whatever level) in control:

1. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not.
2. Don’t presume a flattering position for yourself in any respect.
3. Don’t push to override the will of others in the context of your life’s work.

Our power is a sacred gift given to us so that we can use it for the benefit of others.  Power was designed for leaders to make this world a better place.  Leaders are value-added assets, not weapons of mass destruction.  Servant leaders may love sex, but they will never mix it with power.  See I told you that you would read the entire blog!

Tony Baron

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