Servant Leadership in Action Alice Fullah-Sanu, Annette Hardy, Alexis Hernandez, Anthony Joseph Hernandez

Red Group Grand Canyon University: LDR-630 September 24, 2014

Definition of Servant Leadership• Servant Leadership was first published by Robert K. Greenleaf as a leadership model. Mr.

Green leaf created the Greenleaf Institute to further the idea of servant leadership. Servant leadership is about serving others first by mentoring, training, in giving emotional support from a spiritual aspect, then a being a leader.

• According to Ken Blanchard who is a strong proponent of servant leadership as putting the needs of others before one self as leader, as Christ Jesus served others. By serving others as a leader will create a atmosphere where others will want to follow.

• Southwest Airlines, TD Industries, Starbuck’s Coffee and many others believe in serving others, treating employees like family, which creates a happier employees. Happier employees end up delivering positive customer service.

• Many organizations have implemented servant leadership model, after seeing the many organization able to retain employees and retain customer.

• Southwest Airlines has been using the servant leadership model for over 34 years in gaining more profits each year and continue to expand their business base.

https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

Colleen BarrettSouthwest Airlines Company

President and Chief Operating Officer

Biography of Colleen Barrett • Nationality: U.S. Citizen

• Born: 1944, in Bellows Falls, Vermont

• Education: Graduated with honors from Becker Junior College in 1964 with a degree in paralegal.

• Family: Married, 1970 (divorced)

www.referenceforbusiness.com

Work Experience

• Bill of laiding clerk for a trucking transport company

• Worked as a legal secretary at her uncle’s law office in Vermont

• Legal secretary for Mathew & Branscomb Law Firm, 1968-1970

• Corporate secretary, vice president of administration, and executive vice president of customer service, 1978-2001

• President and Chief Operating Officer for Southwest Airlines, 2001-2008 (Retired)

www.referenceforbusiness.com www.investing.businessweek.com

Awards and Recognitions• 2002-Kupler Distinguished Executive Award at Texas A&M University

• J.C. Penny Company Board of Directors Member

• 2004-J.C. Penny Company Board Elected Colleen Barrett as Director

• Forbes list of the 100 most powerful women in the world and was raked as number 52

• Jannus Award of Commercial Aviation recipient

• Highest ranking female in the U.S. Airline Industry

• As one of the most influential leaders in aviation history

• 2008-Change Magazine recognized her during National Women’s History Month (March)

(Change, p.14)

Summary of Leader’s Values

• Serving others• Communications• Respect• Trust• Support• Mentoring• Discipline• Initiative• Motivation

Collen Barrett’s values

Collen Barrett’s Vision“I truly think I was born to serve, that is what I like to do. I like to solve problems”(Change, p12).

Strategies

“Being a servant leader empowers people to serve others. By empowering others to serve is one of the most powerful things you can do in your personal and business life”(Change, p.14).

By serving with your heart, you can support the people that work in the field. In many organizations the employees serve company officers. At Southwest Airlines the officers serve the employees.

As a servant leader you support your employees by listening to them, watching them, hearing them, mentoring them, showing them, and challenge them to new levels (Change, 14).

You praise your employees, give them recognition and reward them. Be there for your employees in their victories and in their sorrows. Send congratulation cards on their birthday and employment anniversary date.

www.referenceforbusiness.com

Society Contributions

Colleen Barrett, Gary C. Kelly, Herb Kelleher, and Rollin King at the helm of Southwest Airlines (SWA) has made Southwest Airlines of what it is today. The following great contributions of SWA servant leaders and their servant employees:

• Largest domestic U.S. air carrier• Over 70.9 million passengers per year• Over 3,000 daily flights• Over 683 Boeing 737’s in operation• Over 45,000 happy employees• The lowest turnover rate of 2.6 among the industry• SWA fly's to over 32 states• SWA fly’s to over 62 U.S. cities• Most profitable air carrier for over 34 years• Highest flight turn around• Best record for on time flights• Lowest customer complaints in the industry• SWA purchase of Air Tran international passenger service• In July 2014, International flight service to Aruba, Montego and Jamaica

www.changemangizine.com

Conclusion

Southwest Airlines servant leadership and their employees has shown the world that an employer can retain employees, increase productivity, satisfied customer base and delivering quality affordable service.

FAA that decided to levy a 12 million dollar fine against SWA because of safety fuselage issues, I disagree with the FAA’s positon and should retract the penalty. I have seen ground employees at several airports inspect and re-inspect their aircrafts, plus service their air fleet.

I feel much safer flying SWA, that they take safety to the extra mile. I as a customer of SWA respect, trust in the servant employees of keeping me safe, my family and friends, over any other air carrier. It is great airline service, I would be proud and would be an honor if given the opportunity to work for Southwest Airlines.

References

www.investing.businessweek.comwww.google.com/search?q=free+photos+of+the+U.S.+capitol&sa https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/www.referenceforbusiness.comwww.changemagzine.comIbid. p.12Ibid. p.14

Mother TeresaHumanitarian

http://www.magforwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mother-teresa-healer-to-the-world.jpg

Biography of Mother TeresaLeader of Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta, India

• Nationality was Albanian

• Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, August 26, 1910 in Uskup (now Skopje), Ottoman Empire (now Republic of Macedonia) 

• Initial vows as a nun on May 24, 1931 in India

• Died: September 5, 1997 in Calcutta, India

From: “Mother Teresa – Facts”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Sep 2014. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-facts.html

Work Experience• From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, India

• On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity" 

• In 1963 both the Contemplative branch of the Sisters and the Active branch of the Brothers was founded

• In 1965, the Society became an International Religious Family by decree of Pope Paul VI

• In 1979 the Contemplative branch of the Brothers was aestablished

• In 1984 the Priest branch was established

• The Missionaries of Charity throughout the world are aided and assisted by Co-Workers who became an official International Association on March 29, 1969

• In the 1990’s there were over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 countries. Along with the Co-Workers, the lay Missionaries of Charity try to follow Mother Teresa's spirit and charism in their families.

From Nobel Lectures, Peace 1971-1980, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frängsmyr, Editor Irwin Abrams, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1997

Awards and Recognitions

• In 1962 Mother Teresa won the Pandra Shri prize for extraordinary services.

• In 1971, received the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize

• In 1972, received Nehru Prize for her promotion of International Peace and Understanding

• In 1979, received both the Balzan Prize and Templeton and Magsaysay awards

• Received Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for being a humanitarian

From: “Mother Teresa – Facts”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Sep 2014. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-facts.html

Summary of Leader’s Values

• Listening• Empathy• Healing• Awareness• Persuasion• Conceptualization• Foresight• Stewardship• Commitment to growth of people• Building Community

Pennsylvania State University World Campus. Psych 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Lesson 11: Servant Leadership. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa13/psych485/002/content/11_lesson/01_page.html

Mother Teresa Quotes• “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the

beginning of love.” (www.brainyquote.com)

• “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” (www.funchap.com)

• “The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.” (www.ideasandtraining.com)

• If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” (www.quote-coyote.com)

• “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” (www.designurge.com)

Strategies

• Mother Teresa was devoted to be love in action on earth

• Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, and the dying around the world, particularly those in India. 

• Life is not worth living unless it is lived for others.

• As an exceptional leader, she was shown to have charisma and the means to inspire others

Williams, J. I. (2013). Mother Teresa’s style of leadership. Indiana State University. Retrieved from: http://itchybon1.tripod.com/hrd/id28.html

Society Contributions

• Established Missionaries of Charity to help the poorest of the poor in India

• Provided care for both the sick and dying and those considered the “untouchables”

• Created multiple orphanages around the world for people without home and those without parents

• Fed, clothes and cared for those less fortunate than herself since 1948

Conclusion

Mother Teresa was the embodiment of servant leadership. Through her service to the poor in India she has been able to help millions of people through her charity, The Missionaries of Charity. She selflessly gave of herself each and every day since she was eighteen years old until her death at age eighty seven. Compelled to work with the poorest of the poor, she was able to help the sick and dying, the untouchables of society, and the orphans. Although she was not canonized through the Catholic church she has received many awards and has been recognized throughout her life for her work as a humanitarian. Some modern people do not understand Mother Teresa and do not understand why she gave her life over to God in service to others. Those are individuals that do not truly understand the meaning of service to others and who most likely are those that do not agree with servant leadership in organizations today. However, servant leadership is becoming more and more common and I am sure that Mother Teresa had a large part in showing how important it is to serve others first and yourself last. Mother Teresa was an excellent example of servant leadership and constant, selfless service to others.

References

“Mother Teresa – Facts”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 21 Sep 2014. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-facts.html

Nobel Lectures, Peace 1971-1980, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frängsmyr, Editor Irwin Abrams, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1997

Pennsylvania State University World Campus. Psych 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Lesson 11: Servant Leadership. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa13/psych485/002/content/11_lesson/01_page.html

Williams, J. I. (2013). Mother Teresa’s style of leadership. Indiana State University. Retrieved from: http://itchybon1.tripod.com/hrd/id28.html

Images:

http://www.magforwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mother-teresa-healer-to-the-world.jpg