Service Leadership can inspire others to work harder by removing the motivation to try and build a “power Pauley, Co-Founder of Leader-Serve, the seven (7) pillars of Service Leadership are:
1. Person of Character 2. Put People First 3. Skilled Communicator 4. Compassionate Collaborator 5. Has Foresight 6. Systems Thinker
7. Leads with Moral Authority
In researching the seven pillars, the most perplexing trait for me was the idea of a “Systems Thinker.” My first thought was to incorrectly assume this meant Information Systems or was somehow related to computers. However, a Systems Thinker is simply someone who is comfortable with the complexity of the situation; someone who is able to take the proverbial “ball of twine,” unwind it and be able to explain it to the others in the group. A Systems Thinker can adapt to a variety of situations or even a variety of personalities within the group. This person seeks out the greater good of the organization or team in place of themselves in pursuit of the best solution.
How to recognize talent and recruit future team members.
Great leaders have the ability to recognize talented people and they know the importance of recruiting. The Magnificent Seven did not all come from the same place. They came from Oklahoma, California, Maryland, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, and China. Fortunately for you, there is no need to recruit the next generation of great board members from far away states or foreign countries. They can be found right in the midst of your own community. The key to success, however, is being able to spot them and start the discussion of how they can make a difference for your team, the community association. The talent they possess may be in their professional background, their education, their approach to people, or their desire to simply serve.
There are many board members who have spent years serving a community association and who would love nothing more than to step aside. However, they feel they can’t because there is no one ready to step in and take the reigns. In an article by Scott Williams on
www.bigisthenewsmall.com he writes, “I have always been a firm believer in the notion that leaders should always plan ahead. Not only should leaders plan ahead, they should always try to be a couple of steps ahead of their team members. By a couple of steps ahead I’m primarily referring to the thought processes that lead to success. You find me any successful leader and I will bet you they do an excellent job of thinking and planning ahead.” He further writes, “Find Your Replacement! It’s not a secret and it’s not being disrespectful to existing team members, this openness creates a constant flow of leadership development. The Find Your Replacement mindset encourages people to live with an abundance mentality as opposed to a scarcity mentality. There are more than enough talented leaders to go around, so Find Your Replacement!” Great teams are made on purpose and not by accident. Your community association board should be great…on purpose. Find the next generation of talented board members and leave a legacy of success.
The Desire to Work Together.
Almost three decades after their incredible success in Atlanta, the members of the Magnificent Seven have moved on in life and on many different paths. Today you would find them filling the roles of pediatrician, media analyst, health & fitness expert, professional speaker, and legal professional. Every one of them has maintained their desire for individual development and has applied it to a new team in the continued pursuit of excellence.
On a final note, I wanted to pass along a quote from Shannon Miller who was once asked how winning the Olympic gold medal in 1996 shaped her life as it is today. She stated in an interesting and thoughtful manner that, “I’m not sure if winning the gold medal shaped my life as much as all of the lessons I learned on the journey to win the gold. I learned that hard work pays off. I learned that I always have to set goals, short-term and long-term, to continue to progress. And most of all, I learned that you have to love what you do.”
I hope you love what you do in your commitment to your community’s development toward becoming a better place to live and grow with your neighbors. If we move forward together toward a common goal, success will take care of itself. Just ask one of the Magnificent Seven.
www.cai-illinois.org • 847.301.7505 | 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
