A Lifetime Of Servant Leadership

We celebrated the life of my Mother-in-law, Jo, this past weekend. She lived a full and complete life, never one to rest, especially when her love and passions for family, friends, fellowship, faith, food, fun, art, home, music and dance were involved. 

Which meant JoJo (her grandmother name and how all fondly referred to her) was always in motion as she established more than twenty-three amazing homes during her husband's career, raised three children, fed, nurtured and loved numerous friends, extended family (as needed) and produced hundreds of works of art and embroidered items.

JoJo left a significant legacy of love and devotion to be remembered, embraced and kept alive through the significant accomplishments of her husband, children, in-laws, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and anyone she met who befriended any of her immediate family.

JoJo's oldest daughter and my wife +Cindy Goldsberry describes JoJo's exceptional traits and characteristics of servant leadership.

• Jo Jo was humble in spirit; there was no hint of pride or privilege despite her abundant talents and blessings. 

• Jo Jo was compassionate about the trials and suffering of others, both in their lives life and at the time of their passing. 

• Jo Jo showed tolerance and humility; she was easily imposed upon and quick to serve. 

• Jo Jo lived a virtuous and admirable life; this is evidenced by her work, her words, and her actions. 

• Jo Jo was quick to forgive and slow to punitive action. 

• Jo Jo saw only the best in people.

• Jo Jo had no time for ongoing discord. She never lamented on an unsettled dispute; she didn't engage in grudges or encourage their practice. 

• Jo Jo had no desire to dwell-upon, or even remember hurtful words and insensitive actions.

• Jo Jo honored God with and in her talents; she left a household of beautiful artwork and memorable meals as a tribute to the gifts He gave her.

Mathew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Jo loved angels. Now she is one.

Thank you JoJo for modeling the way of genuine, authentic servant leadership where it truly makes a difference for all. JoJo's obituary. 

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

Previous blog on JoJo's battle with cancer. A Quick Rant About Cancer

Purpose-Driven vs Results-Driven Leadership

I have just launched a new Google+ Community on the topic of Servant Leadership. Please check it out. All are invited. This blog provides some background for the Community as to the tag line for the community 'Purpose-Driven Leadership'.

The xy graph below, which is called a ZMap, is an infographic that presents how two primary concepts, when viewed with a 'Both/And' thinking perspective will reveal and release new possibilities and untapped potential. The two concepts in the ZMap below are 'Leadership Competencies' and 'Servant-Focus'. This shows how a Purpose-Driven leader should strive to maintain both Leadership Competencies and Servant-Focus thoughts, at the same time. The ZMap can act like a 'one page book' for helping a leader think though all the various situations and challenges they face in their leadership role.

I have found when a ZMap is presented to someone, it provides a framework for a more engaging and synergistic conversation. Two or more people can quickly get on the same page and begin to create new alternatives. Likewise, for an individual, they will find themselves thinking through different scenarios and situations much differently than if they considered the two concepts to be separated from the other. 

Thinking things are separated is called 'Either/Or' thinking. This is when the individual says a leader can either be a results-driven leader or a purpose-driven leader. They cannot be both at the same time. The 'Either/Or' thinker severely limits new possibilities for personal and professional growth. Who do you know who thinks like this? Often their comments may sound like "it is either black or white. There is no gray or in between." 'Either/Or' statements and thinking can kill any chance for an innovative process to create new possibilities.

Take a moment to notice your thoughts. Which thinking style are you using? Also, notice in your next conversation with someone. Are they making 'Either/Or' or 'Both/And' comments?

Purpose-Driven versus Results-Driven Leadership

'Both/And' thinking is an essential skill for a purpose-driven leader. Yet, a leader without clarity as to their purpose is like a ship without a rudder and the ship is full of people for which the leader is responsible. Because the leader has no clear direction or purpose, they are prone to 'Either/Or' thinking. This is obviously not in the best interests of the people on the ship. The leader is likely to toss the person, who knows how to build a rudder, off the ship due to some emotional whim by the leader. 

A results-driven leader in most organizations can get by without a clear purpose based upon their performance, as long as things are going well. The moment things start to go wrong, which at some point something goes wrong, a leader without a purpose is only operating with half the ZMap, below. They have only their leadership skills and capabilities and they have limited capacity for dealing with change and uncertainty.

A leader without a clear purpose depends upon performance. You could say they are 'results-driven' instead of 'purpose-driven'. Without a purpose, this leader sits on a two-legged stool. It requires much more work by the leader to keep everything in balance. Thus, when something gets too heavy on one side, the leader and all topple over. You know this type of leader. As long as things are working well, it appears as if the leader can do it all. They amaze everyone with their skills of balancing on the two-legged stool and juggling a dozen balls. When this leader starts to topple, the ship sinks fast.

The purpose-driven leader can also be results-driven because they operate with the whole ZMap. They sit upon a four-legged chair. They have much more stability, flexibility and capacity to deal with all the uncertainty when things go wrong. They have the time to assess the situation and adapt by making appropriate changes in people and resources to deal with the challenges. The purpose-driven leader has both capabilities and the capacity. 

Over the past three years, during the economic crisis, we have seen many of each type of leader. I'll assert the leaders left standing had clarity about their purpose or they figured it out very quickly. And, the results-driven leaders are in recovery and hopefully they are figuring out how to become a purpose-driven leader.

Are You a Results-Driven or Purpose-Driven Leader?

Look at the ZMap and think about which quadrant best describes who you are and where you are in your leadership role. Think of this ZMap like a roadmap and this quick self-assessment helps you plot where you are. When you know where you are on a roadmap, it becomes much easier to start planning your journey to get to where you want to be.

You can use a ranking from 1 to 6, where '1' is you have just started developing and '6' is you are highly experienced and have mastered the quadrant. Rank yourself for each quadrant.

1. Practices and Disciplines: How consistent is your attitude,emotions and behaviors? Do these establish solid and highly productive habits for you?
2. People and Principles: How would you rank your ability to maintain a focus on the needs of others? Include in this rank your clarity for your personal core values and how consistent you model your values and principles in all your relationships. How often do your principles act as a guide or compass for your leadership decisions?
3. Process and Performance: Rank the consistency of the organization's processes and the sustainability of performance. Are processes clearly identified and defined such that they produce consistent, predictable results?
4. Purpose-Driven Leader: Rank the level of positive impact and influence you have on the growth and development of others and making a difference. Are people, the community and world better off because of your leadership? How well defined is your purpose or calling? How consistent do you model and express your purpose in your daily life and leadership practices?

Score:

• 4-8      Practices and Disciplines
• 9-12    People and Principles
• 13-20  Process and Performance
• 21-24  Purpose-Driven Leader

It makes no difference which quadrant you find yourself. Remember, it is like a roadmap. Knowing where you are makes it easy to set the course for the next part of your journey. The important thing is to be honest with yourself and be determined to make the changes to make yourself a better Purpose-Driven leader.

More information will be coming in future blogs and any feedback or comments are always welcomed.

The Purpose-Driven Leader ZMap:

This is just one of the ZMaps we have developed. We have hundreds of these, all tailored to specific roles, situations, companies, markets and industries. There are currently three books focused on professionals in Product Sales, Financial Advisory and Insurance sales. Other books are in development that use a similar ZMap process and methodology. You can click here to learn more about the books.

This blog is part of an upcoming book The Servant Leader Framework, which will be available March/April 2013.

Thank you for taking some of your valuable time to read and consider this blog.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

How Do You Become a Thought-Leader?

Below is the response I gave to a the question "How do you become a thought-leader?" on the IBM Mid-Size Business Discussion Board. Check out some of the other answers after reading my response - thanks!

I did the Wordle because I figured all the key words would make a cool Wordle. What do you think? click here to go to my wordle. Feel welcome to copy my response and make your own Wordle.

My response to the question:   

Thought-leaders have the heart of a disruptive innovator with the abilities to listen, observe and process large amounts of information. They leverage a personal thinking strategy to organize and focus their thoughts into a cohesive communication that creates value for others.

They have deep understanding of the subject matter, which has been gained by direct, personal experience with an intense curiosity to know what they don't know. They are driven by the opportunity to reveal new possibilities to help others think differently about who they are and what they do. They have the hope that untapped potential gets revealed and released to make a difference in ways far beyond even the thought-leader's imaginings.

The most authentic thought-leaders are those who don't even know of the lives and situations transformed because the thought-leader is just doing what they love to do - think and act differently. --end of my response...

ZFactor Group is committed to helping thought-leaders, experts and influencers to publish their works in a manner that creates significant value for others and helps our authors build their legacy. Download our ZFactor Author Process.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing