LEADING FROM THE SHADOWS

I had an interesting conversation with a former neighbor that caused me to reflect on my career.  While at dinner last weekend, my wife and I encountered a couple we had not seen in many years.  After talking about the children and grandchildren the conversation shifted, and to our mutual surprise Joe and I discovered that retirement was our new venue .  Joe is a successful and respected attorney who retired as a partner in one of the largest law firms in the area. His wife asked if I regretted never having held the “Number 1” position at Governor Mifflin, as I retired as the Assistant Superintendent.  I simply smiled and responded that as I reflected on my career, I focused on what I accomplished, not what I did not attain.

Later that same week I came across a post by Skip Prichard, Leading From the Shadows. Prichard revisits the idea of Servant Leadership, but with a unique twist.  The post is an interview with Richard Hytner, author of Consiglieri:  Leading From the Shadows.  It gives an interesting perspective on servant leadership with which I identified. Even the great and powerful Oz had someone behind the curtain. Thought you would enjoy.

In a similar vein, a colleague recently invited me to attend an event that would enable me to “network” with some local business owners and professionals.  What does networking mean to you?  For many, it is an opportunity to meet others, learn, and expand their professional and business contacts. In the post, Main Street:  Building “Servant” Networks Redefines Thinking,  Don Daake asks us to consider replacing the word, “networking” with “netweaving”, and consider these experiences as opportunities to ask, “What can I do for you?”, without having the expectation of getting anything in return.  He leaves us with three suggestions to become a better servant leader and netweaver:

  1. Figure out what value you bring to others and what you are good at.
  2. With a servant attitude, deliberately seek to create/build a network where one does not currently exist.
  3. Be prepared to let others help you!

Have a great week and let me know how I can serve you

Embrace the Challenge