6. The supplemental video talks about leadership from the perspective of an ethical perspective. Can you relate this video to our ideas for the week about new ways of listening and interacting with stakeholders? Would the new technologies be effective at communicating this sort of leadership style?
In the supplemental video, Desmond Tutu stresses that a good leader is not just a leader, but also is a servant to those that he or she serves. He states many times that a good leader is not in it for their own good and self-gratification, but they lead for the good of others, especially those that they lead. Another thing that Tutu notes is that a good leader leads in a sacrificial way and may sometimes have to endure some suffering. In other words, when a leader leads they are not putting themselves as a top priority. The people come first. If that means that they have to make sacrifices themselves and suffer for the sake of the people, then they will do just that.
Your company is only as good as the people say it is. This is the power of groundswell. So, because of this it is extremely important that businesses, and more importantly leaders, listen to what is being said about their organization. Listening provides insight into how stakeholders feel about various aspects of your company such as products, services, customer services, etc (Li and Bernoff, 2011). A good leader knows how important listening to "the people" is. If the good of the people is of top priority to them then they will recognize this by not only listening to what they have to say and how they feel, but also putting some action toward this. This is how a leader of a business or organizations serves its people. They listen and gain insight from them and then take what they have learned to make the business and organization better for their stakeholders. From an ethical perspective, because good leaders are servants and are in tune with the needs of their stakeholders, they can inspire others to do the same and to replicate this demeanor. They make the sacrifices to convey the changes that is important to and for stakeholders.
I believe that the new technologies would be highly effective for communicating this sort of leadership. New technologies such as blogs, wikis and social networks are cost efficient and can get the job done. These technologies allows for a plethora of feedback to be provided by the stakeholders of these businesses and organizations. When companies not only listen to this feedback, but do something about it and put some action forth, this shows that they are putting the people first. One example of this that I think most people are familiar with is Domino's and the huge changes that they made a few years ago. The company was having some very tough times and was getting a whole lot of complaints, both online and over the phone. Leaders used this feedback to completely revamp the company. They changed their recipes. They added new items to the menu. They even created new and efficient ways for customers to be able to order their food. Technology played a major part in the turnaround and re-branding of this company (Taylor, 2016). If Domino's had not payed close attention to what its stakeholders were saying and put that in to action, then they probably wouldn't be in business today. They have truly found a way to thrive within groundswell. It is extremely important that businesses show their stakeholders that they are important and are highly valued and I feel that these new technologies provide the platform to do just that.
Taylor, Bill. "How Domino's Pizza Reinvented Itself." Harvard Business Review. N.p., 28 Nov. 2016. Web. 16 June 2017.
In the supplemental video, Desmond Tutu stresses that a good leader is not just a leader, but also is a servant to those that he or she serves. He states many times that a good leader is not in it for their own good and self-gratification, but they lead for the good of others, especially those that they lead. Another thing that Tutu notes is that a good leader leads in a sacrificial way and may sometimes have to endure some suffering. In other words, when a leader leads they are not putting themselves as a top priority. The people come first. If that means that they have to make sacrifices themselves and suffer for the sake of the people, then they will do just that.
Your company is only as good as the people say it is. This is the power of groundswell. So, because of this it is extremely important that businesses, and more importantly leaders, listen to what is being said about their organization. Listening provides insight into how stakeholders feel about various aspects of your company such as products, services, customer services, etc (Li and Bernoff, 2011). A good leader knows how important listening to "the people" is. If the good of the people is of top priority to them then they will recognize this by not only listening to what they have to say and how they feel, but also putting some action toward this. This is how a leader of a business or organizations serves its people. They listen and gain insight from them and then take what they have learned to make the business and organization better for their stakeholders. From an ethical perspective, because good leaders are servants and are in tune with the needs of their stakeholders, they can inspire others to do the same and to replicate this demeanor. They make the sacrifices to convey the changes that is important to and for stakeholders.
I believe that the new technologies would be highly effective for communicating this sort of leadership. New technologies such as blogs, wikis and social networks are cost efficient and can get the job done. These technologies allows for a plethora of feedback to be provided by the stakeholders of these businesses and organizations. When companies not only listen to this feedback, but do something about it and put some action forth, this shows that they are putting the people first. One example of this that I think most people are familiar with is Domino's and the huge changes that they made a few years ago. The company was having some very tough times and was getting a whole lot of complaints, both online and over the phone. Leaders used this feedback to completely revamp the company. They changed their recipes. They added new items to the menu. They even created new and efficient ways for customers to be able to order their food. Technology played a major part in the turnaround and re-branding of this company (Taylor, 2016). If Domino's had not payed close attention to what its stakeholders were saying and put that in to action, then they probably wouldn't be in business today. They have truly found a way to thrive within groundswell. It is extremely important that businesses show their stakeholders that they are important and are highly valued and I feel that these new technologies provide the platform to do just that.
References:
Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2011). Groundswell: winning in a world transformed by social technologies. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Shaylin,
ReplyDeleteThe video made me think of a company I once worked for when I was in my early twenties. This was the the first larger, privately held company I was employed by with about 500 employees. I did not appreciate how well the owner treated his employees and watched out for them because I had nothing to compare it to. When his staff wanted to lay people off due to a slowdown in business. His response, I am not going to lay anyone off because of this short term slow down. The company has grown every year at 10 to 20%. His also said, what are we going to do after this temporary slow down when we need these employees back? He was right, the company did recover and grew by 20% that year. At the time I did not realize the leadership position he took in the company since I was young. I also did not think much about how in the morning, before starting his day he would walk through the building and talk with front line employees about how things were going asking about their concerns and struggles. He stopped to speak with me several times even though I was an entry level employee. At Christmas time he threw a company party that was held at a large hotel. He offered accommodations at the hotel for any employee that worked for the company at no cost so his employees would not drink and drive. I'm also laughing thinking about how he paid the hotel out of his own pocket to keep an open bar as long as his employees wanted, so maybe the rooms were not such a bad idea. After working for several companies over the last 20 years I have never again experienced this kind of generosity and leadership. When watching this video I could not help but think of this company owner and his servant leadership style.
Active listening will increase leadership capability and can almost always guarantee a path to success. All effective leaders will portray active listening skills which probes and challenges the information received so a strong knowledge of fresh ideas and insights can be built. The concept of active listening is easier said than done. It can be overlooked compared with other business skills needed for success. More often than not, when teams are asked to evaluate management, active listening skills almost always tops the list. Retention of what we hear is limited. In fact, research shows, we only remember 20 percent to 50 percent of what we hear. (Keyser, 2013). Positively, anyone can learn to be a better listener. It requires self-observation and applying feedback. According to Bernard Ferran's Power Listening: Mastering the Most Critical Business Skill of All, attributes of great listeners include; showing respect, keeping quiet, and challenging assumptions. By applying these skills, leaders can build morale and create a spirit of enthusiasm for their teams ultimately leading to better results and overall success.
ReplyDeleteKeyser, J. (2013). Active Listening Leads to Business Success. Retrieved from https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2013/07/Active-Listening-Leads-to-Business-Success
Shaylin,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching the interview with Desmond Tutu. It makes perfect sense to say that the best leaders are also serving the ones they are leading. It seems though; servant leadership less prevalent than other styles. This is the same for leaders who make selfless sacrifices for the good of the people. The good of the people is directly associated with the groundswell. If you want your organization to succeed, you must listen to what the people are saying, and take the feedback to heart. If the people are not satisfied, it is time to go back to the drawing board with the feedback in order to make changes.
Social media and blogs have definitely made it so much easier to connect organizations with the people. Websites such as Yelp and Urban Spoon are great examples of ways to get feedback from the public. It is just a matter of what organizations decide to do with that feedback that matters. Dominos is a fantastic example! I think we have all heard the old nickname “Domino’s Death Disk”. They really did take the feedback to heart and have proven what can happen to your business if you are listening to the groundswell.
Thank you for your post!
Jeni
I also chose this topic. Your assessment on today’s technology in reference to servant leadership is very relevant. Blogs, wikis, and social media networks, as you mentioned, are excellent tools executives can use to monitor customer feedback and discourse about their services/products in the groundswell. Domino’s is such a great example. They pursued the objective of embracing to integrate customer-base sentiment and ideas in to company product/service development successfully. With Domino’s experience and success with the groundswell, they have become an industry leader in how to best use this phenomenon. Great research.
ReplyDeleteShaylin,
ReplyDeleteTutu is definitely correct in what characterizes a leader. I find that many leaders, nowadays, are not clear in what their goals are and what they want for the people they are leading. Many of the great leaders of the past had much sacrifice, from their own blood and sweat to the refusal of eating. Sacrifice shows passion, passion in which many leaders do not have today. We have lost and have had great leaders torn from us. Leaders today are great speakers, but lack in the organizational skills and strategy. I was delighted by your blog.