Serve to Be Great

Greed Becomes Peacefulness

Matt Tenney wanted to gain financial freedom before his 30th birthday. He initially went about it the wrong way. As an officer in the US Marine Corps, he initiated a plot to steal nearly $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 of Los Angeles to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.” After signing the final delivery documents, he purchased a one-way ticket to Brazil. On his way to the airport, the FBI arrested him.

“Taking little steps every day to empower others helps us to gradually become less focused on ourselves and more focused on serving others.”

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 to face himself as a criminal and realizing he could be sentenced to 70 to 80 years in jail, he prayed, “Please don’t let me wake up in the morning.”

“By making a habit out of doing the right thing at all times, we can gradually develop character that inspires those around us every day.”

To avoid the expense of a trial, the government offered Tenney a plea bargain: He pled guilty and served 5 ? years in jail. Being imprisoned turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After much anguish and contemplation, Tenney learned to practice “mindfulness,” a method of focusing only on the present without being distracted by random thoughts. He could attain peace of mind in the here and now, if he didn’t compare being in jail with his past life or focus on thoughts about the future. Tenney decided to live simply while in jail and to practice awareness training diligently, including long stretches of sitting silently. He dealt with constant noise and with being treated as if he “had no value in the world and never would.” He ultimately reached a state of serenity. Motivated to assist those around him, he helped other prisoners gain peace of mind as well.

“A person who offers innovative solutions internal to the organization can help create a significant competitive advantage that results in added value.”

Following his release in 2006, Tenney lived in a monastery for six weeks and nearly decided to be ordained. Ultimately, he recognized that, for him, life as a monk would be “taking the easy way out.” To fulfill his calling to help others, he realized he had to live “in the real world.” He spent time in Mexico setting up a summer school at a children’s shelter in Mazatlan. The project allowed him to “do the real work of simply loving the children” and helping them see their own value.

Servant Leadership

Tenney came back to America and co-founded the Gainesville, FL, chapter of the Kids Kicking 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 soon learned that many flourishing companies already see servant leadership as the foundation of their management beliefs. Roughly one-third of the firms on Fortune magazine’s annual list of the best 100 companies to work for say they “intentionally practice servant leadership.”

“If we want someone to take action on the ideas we share, it’s not enough to provide convincing arguments; we need to touch their hearts...we need to inspire them.”

For example, Southwest Airlines enjoys a stellar reputation for customer service and employee satisfaction. Former CEO Herb Kelleher set an example for the company’s managers with his active hands-on leadership, such as helping baggage handlers on Thanksgiving Day. Servant leadership is also a core value at Herschend Family Entertainment where CEO Joel Manby helps frontline employees who face difficult life circumstances. Kelleher and Manby believe that you have to love the people who work for you. Both define leadership as a commitment to others, not as a job title or measure of power. And both are practical executives. Research indicates a clear connection between servant leadership and improved business results.

“A great team culture is arguably the only sustainable competitive advantage that remains in the new economy.”

Next Jump, an e-commerce company, ceaselessly demonstrates loyalty to employees. Founder and CEO Charlie Kim devotes a wall in his office building to recognizing exceptional accomplishments of Next Jump’s people. He once closed his New York City office so everyone could attend a secretary’s wedding. The company offers healthy, free food 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 employees grow personally and professionally. The firm solicits ideas from employees to improve workers’ lives. In 2010, Next Jump responded to an employee request and began offering a complimentary weekly laundry service so staffers could enjoy more free time on the weekends. The company presents a $30,000 award to the employee voted “best servant leader” by his or her colleagues.

“Once you have the right people on your team, you also need to ensure that those people are fully engaged while they’re at work. Otherwise, that talent is wasted – along with a lot of money.”

Firms with strong cultures attract talented people but can hire very selectively and they excel at keeping employees engaged. In 2012, Next Jump hired only 35 people from thousands of 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 Decisions

Research by Dr. E. Ted Prince, founder of the Perth Leadership Institute, found a connection between managers’ behavior and their firms’ profitability. His data indicate that unconscious “cognitive biases” reflected in managers’ behavior can have a negative impact on their ability to make informed decisions. Most people function under cognitive biases that skew their perceptions and responses with potentially unfavorable financial, personal and professional consequences.

“Leaders who...focus on their own performance – instead of on how well they lead people – tend to micromanage, which erodes trust and crushes innovation.”

The two most significant cognitive biases, Prince says, are the “illusion of control” bias and the “status quo bias.” The first bias causes people to overestimate their influence. They often believe that spending lots of money can fix any problem, so many of their decisions reduce profitability. The status quo bias prevents leaders from undertaking innovative initiatives, even though research shows that innovation improves the bottom line. Managers who lack an innovative spark thwart the development of unique products and services. Innovation has 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 renown for his innovation than his creativity.

“There are many, many reasons, in addition to realizing the benefits of offering world-class service, why empowering people results in better outcomes.”

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 and might not work well with others. Big companies with strict bureaucratic hierarchies have trouble hanging onto innovative employees. However, organizations whose executives practice servant leadership create cultures that promote and nurture innovation. Google and software leader SAS – both highly innovative – are well known for their exceptional employee perks and impressive profits. Any firm can build an innovative culture if its leaders encourage employees to grow and welcome their ideas. By contrast, ego-driven leaders who micromanage and are insecure about sharing credit can destroy trust and stifle innovation. Empathetic leaders are sensitive to their employees’ needs and feelings; they know organizations function best when everyone contributes.

Here to Serve

The success of Zappos, the online shoe retailer, is a tribute to superb customer service. When Nick Swinmurn and “the great visionary entrepreneur Tony Hsieh” launched Zappos, Swinmurn wanted to duplicate and then improve upon consumers’ retail shopping experience. Zappos trains its phone representatives to stay on the phone with customers until each client is satisfied. A Zappos representative once spoke with a customer for 10 ? hours, even though the conversation wasn’t about the firm’s products. Word spread about the call, and Zappos received wide acclaim in the media for its customer service.

“Organizations that maintain great cultures...as they grow tend to hire for culture fit and train for skills.”

Even though most organizations acknowledge that exceptional customer service builds customer loyalty and a high return on investment, few practice it, and they suffer a penalty for 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, businesses make a grave error when they invest more in finding new customers than in pleasing current ones. Excellent customer service begins with happy, motivated staffers: Firms with sound work cultures rate higher in customer satisfaction. Empowered employees – encouraged to think independently and trust their instincts – are glad to serve their customers.

Serving and Caring

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

“Leading with a focus on serving others...help[s] an organization achieve sustainable success.”

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 business with your company. Firms can also take advantage of free publicity through blogs and such outlets as Twitter and Facebook. Acts of servant leadership strengthen your brand and frequently can result in positive word-of-mouth. In this way, your organization’s willingness to connect with your community can create a competitive advantage.

Learning to Lead

Servant leadership requires ongoing professional and personal growth. Servant leaders are eager to broaden their knowledge, and they’re open to learning opportunities. John Spence, a highly regarded international business consultant and lecturer, estimates that, in 20 years, he’s read roughly 2,000 books related to business and listened to hundreds more on audio. Yet the average college graduate doesn’t read even one business-related book a year. Reading a half-hour daily makes you a wiser leader who is better able to serve those around you. If you can’t afford to offer your staffers a training program, then teach a class or assemble a library of business books and have monthly meetings to discuss relevant topics.

“If we read more books on personal or professional development, we will really stand apart.”

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

Listen Up

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

“After spending my whole life looking outside myself for happiness, I learned firsthand that we ...have within us everything that we need to be happy.”

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

Live to Inspire

Outstanding leaders throughout history have achieved success largely because of their ability to inspire others. According to Start with Why author Simon Sinek, whose TED Talk has been viewed more than 15 million times, all great leaders articulate their vision and explain, “why they do what they do.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, spoke mostly about the cause of civil rights and his belief in racial equality; he seldom offered specific plans for bringing about change. Regardless of their industry or profession, effective leaders connect people to a pursuit or objective larger than themselves. Great leaders must stand by their principles in difficult situations. That’s easier to do when you know that you’re serving others and why.

Bentley Moore Executive

We hope that you found this summary both insightful and of use.

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About the Author

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