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Motorcycle Book Store > Motorcycle books beginning with S
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Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness 25th Anniversary Edition |
Author: Robert K. Greenleaf
Published: 2002-11 |
List price: $24.95
Our price: $16.47
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Usually ships in 24 hours
As of: December 03rd, 2008 03:33:32 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Shipping time
Shipping time was very expedient with regular shipping. The seller is obviously great with customer service and shipped my book out right away.
 Great leadership book!
I initially read this book for a class to learn about to leadership. As someone new in the non-profit workforce I found this to be surprisingly helpful. I am always wary of books that try an educate on how to be something, but this book was well worth the read. I learned quite a bit on how I could use my current leadership skills and develop them into becoming a servant leader. Greenleaf references many other thoughts and people, which breaks up any dryness that the typical book on leadership has. Most of the people he references have accomplish a great task, and really shows how servant leadership works. It also helps you realize that this is a process, that you can't reader the book and instantly become a servant leader. He explains how you must learn to be a servant first, so that later on you can develop into a leader. I especially suggest this book if you are like me, starting in an entry level position with the hopes of becoming a part of the higher up management. This is a good buy, and amazon has a great price for it too!
The Pattern of Superperforming CEOs
To my amazement and delight, I have found this to be the pattern of Superperforming CEO. Without a fundamental love for people and for the company, it is impossible to create the nuclear reactor of Superperformance. Robert Greenleaf has left us a monumental touchstone for the leadership pattern you will find in all the great leaders, from Ernest Shackleton to George Washington to Herb Kelleher. The servant leader is authentic, unselfconscious and emerges from within, from who someone is, not from some adopted style.
Also read Superperformance
Still Ahead of Its Time
Even after 30 years, this book is still decades ahead of its time. Corporations and individual leaders are just beginning to understand the power that is bestowed upon them by using these concepts and are even slower to react. For the time being, this book will have to reside in the philosophy section since it's practical use is limited to individuals, not entire cultures; corporate or otherwise.
This book is recommended since it will challenge you to change your focus of leadership from self to subordinate, from getting power to sharing it, and from clique to community. "Primus inter pares" (first among equals) is the central theme running throughout the book and although the theoretical construct is worth exploring, the cultural change necessary for it to gain a foothold is immense and will take decades if not centuries to overcome.
Greenleaf is of the opinion that for this cultural change will happen, it will most likely happen within the confines of large corporate atmospheres, not churches, foundations, or universities. Unfortunately, it's like a scale with greed and hunger from power on one end and servant leadership on the other. I'm not sure "The Prince" will lose his weight anytime soon.
Servant leadership is a hopeful dream that will take a lot of work to be popular in practice instead of in an MBA program or on a large scale. Until then, it will have to be one person at a time. The question is, will it be you?
 It's only communication if the message is received
I found the ideas in this book rather interesting. However, it's a tough book to get through. Greenleaf's writing style is difficult to follow, this is not an easy read. I would not recommend Servant Leadership to someone who is looking for quick practical advise on honing their leadership skills. In my opinion, this book is better suited to those who have an academic interest in the subject. Additionally, it's been ~30 years since this book was published, many of Greenleaf's ideas have filtered into more contemporary texts. I compare it to the music of Jimi Hendrix. While he is the brilliant innovator of a genre of music, 30 years later today's broad audience doesn't understand the context of his work, but can find and enjoy his influence in the music they relate to today.
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