Practice the Fundamentals

I was once asked: What’s the biggest insight you’ve had throughout your career regarding leadership? Wow! How would you answer that question? I really do like the question. It does what most hard-working questions do – it makes you think. Also, it requires a synthesis of countless moments in time,…

A woman sits at the head of a conference table behind her laptop, with a whiteboard of sticky notes behind her, leading a meeting.

I was once asked: What’s the biggest insight you’ve had throughout your career regarding leadership?

Wow! How would you answer that question?

I really do like the question. It does what most hard-working questions do – it makes you think. Also, it requires a synthesis of countless moments in time, thousands of ideas, and hundreds of possible answers. It’s the kind of question I like to ask others.

As I think about my answer to the question, my mind races through possible answers. I’m thankful to have been exposed to many great leaders who’ve been willing to share their wisdom with me and the world.

Here’s the answer I gave during the interview:

My biggest personal insight over my career regarding leadership is…
Great Leaders SERVE.

I know this idea is counterintuitive and countercultural. It always has been. To some, the idea that a leader should serve seems outlandish.

But think about electricity – energy flowing through wires to light our homes and power our appliances seemed far-fetched just over 100 years ago. Today, it is electricity that has modernized our world.

Just because an idea seems crazy at face value, that has no bearing on its validity. Servant leadership is a classic example. For me, to serve is at the heart of what enables a leader to become great.

This idea applies at two levels:

  • First is the issue of motivation – Why do you lead? Is it for you or for others? The best leaders think others first. It is a mark of their character. It is who they are or who they are becoming.
  • Second, SERVE represents the strategic practices of great leaders. I’ve written about it in the book I coauthored with Ken Blanchard called The Secret.

Great leaders SERVE when they…

See the Future

Engage and Develop Others

Reinvent Continuously

Value Results and Relationships

Embody the Values

To serve is a tall order for any leader. It is about why we lead, how we lead, how we think, and how we see our role in the world. It is a high bar to shoot for every day. To do anything less creates an inferior form of leadership. Great Leaders SERVE!

 

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Mark Miller

Mark Miller
Mark Miller is a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, communicator, and the former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A. Mark’s leadership journey at Chick-fil-A spanned 45 years, and today, he serves as the Co-Founder of Lead Every Day. Mark began writing almost twenty years ago, and with over one million books in print in more than twenty-five languages, his global impact continues to grow.

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