The Secret of leadership in five letters: S  E  R  V  E

(from Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller)

S is for See the future: envision and communication a compelling picture of a preferred future.

  1. What do I want to be true of the future?

  2. Why should anyone care?

  3. How will progress be measured?

E is for Engage and develop others: recruit and align people for the right job. Create environments where people bring vision to life.

  1. What invited my engagement in the past?

  2. Which of these factors are missing in those I lead?

  3. How can I help teams and individuals grow?

R is for Reinvent continuously: continuously focus on improvement.

  1. How do I need to change?

  2. Where do I want different outcomes?

  3. What organizational changes will accelerate progress?

V is for Value results and relationships: generate measurable results and cultivate great relationships.

  1. Which is my personal bias as a leader – results or relationships?

  2. How can I compensate for the area that’s not my personal strength?

  3. What happens if I don’t broaden my definition of success?

E is for Embody values: live fully aligned with stated values.

  1. What values do I want to drive behaviors in my organization?

  2. How can I communicate these values?

  3. What are my action communicating?

The ultimate question.

“Am I a serving leader of a self-serving leader?”