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The Disruptive Power of Servant Leadership

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On the journey of work sanctification, Catholic professionals focus on three dimensions: God, people and us. A learning path helping every leader to inspire and empower by serving. A style combining the humbleness of wisdom which is a rare characteristic on the personal and professional levels. Those who have it and apply it are more likely to be changemakers within their communities. Their philosophy will be well-rooted and their managing vision is disruptive. Hence, playing it safe is a very risky strategy in a fast-changing world. To win big, organizations of all sizes must shift toward more flexible, networked structures in order to remain competitive, especially in the aftermath of market turbulence caused by Covid-19 ambiguity, inflation and armed conflicts repercussions.

Are you aware of the pressing obstacles? Are your strategies clear and inclusive? Is your team enriched with servant leadership values? How are you, as leader, watering the seeds of your prospective successors? The answers will bring you to a full circle rotating around the core concept of the era: Disruption.

Once achieved, the new dynamics of autonomy and alignment enable a positive shift in an organization's relationship with its employees and teams.

David Cobb is a talent management, innovation, and leadership author, speaker, and lecturer. His thoughts on the subject have been distilled into a model dubbed the 'Broken Triangle.'

The model depicts a company that communicates its goals and encourages collaborative efforts to achieve them.

1. Collaborative effort is valued over individual effort.

2. Individuals are encouraged to learn that cooperative work leads to personal fulfillment.

3. Individual rewards are based on group effort contributions.

4. There is no other way to contribute to company goals than through collaborative work.

5. There is no other way to receive recognition or reward than through cooperative working groups.

Of course, managers and rules are still necessary. The world has not changed significantly. Managers, however, become enablers rather than enforcers in more flexible organizational structures. They transform into people who remove impediments rather than creating them through bureaucratic practices.

Thus, by prohibiting debate and collaboration, we create a distorted vision and a limiting approach, which reduces cognitive diversity and increases supremacy. And, while some leadership thinkers lack ambition and remain fixated on outdated ideology, the majority, to their credit, are looking to advance their outlook. Servant leadership has been coined centuries ago by practice as documented in the Bible and scriptures because He who wants to become your leader…must first be your servant.

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