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LET'S TALK
Servant Leadership
Lorri Andersen, DTM - District 7 Director
In my recent study of Coach Leadership, it felt empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion,
like I was back in graduate school. I loved those conceptualization, foresight, stewardship,
days. I’d come straight home from work and dive a commitment to the growth, and building
into reading. Now, working from home, I can community. This sounds so much like
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save the commute time and start reading sooner. Toastmasters, doesn’t it?
During those studies, I was convinced I had As you read about this leadership style, ask
to find the key that was missing from so many yourself is this something you want to consider?
team dynamics. Researching High Performing You may think it sounds reasonable and expected
Teams became my passion. It seemed at in Toastmasters, but how does it work in your
times like I was searching for the needle in a career and other commitments? Does it sound
haystack. Along with High Performing Teams, good on paper and yet not practical in real life?
came the natural progression to understanding If you are interested, intrigued, and you want
Servant Leadership. Robert Greenleaf, who was to learn how it works, you can get your start
considered the father of Servant Leadership, in Servant Leadership right in your own club.
found inspiration and revelation for this theory Begin by taking your next role. Listening and
after reading the book, Journey to the East, by commiting to the growth of people are basics
Herman Hesse. What interested Greenleaf in in Toastmasters and very necessary in Servant
this book, is that the servant in the story took on Leadership. You can tell people what they did
the role of the ”motivator, teacher, and guide.” right and how to take their speaking to the next
It was the servant himself who was the leader. level.
Servant Leadership is based on the principle that Even more so, you can learn Servant
the leader must serve to all who follow them . Leadership as a club officer. I like all the officer
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There are 10 behaviors that a true roles although the first one I had has become
leadership servant should exhibit: listening, one of my favorites, the VP Membership. I say
10 ONE COMMUNITY
