In Servant Leadership Robert K. Greenleaf offers a haunting description of the current status of
leadership today:
“I see encouraging movement on the horizon. What direction will the movement take? Much
depends on whether those who stir the ferment will come to grips with the age-old problem of
how to live in human society. I say this because so many, having made their awesome decision
for autonomy and independence from tradition, and having taken their firm stand against
injustice and hypocrisy, find it hard to convert themselves into affirmative builders of a better
society…
…Criticism has its place, but as a total preoccupation it is sterile. In a time of crisis, like the
leadership crisis we are now in, if too many potential builders are taken in by a complete
absorption with dissecting the wrong and by a zeal for instant perfection, then the movement
so many of us want to see will be set back. The danger, perhaps, is to hear the analyst too
much and the artist too little (p. 24-25).”
Greenleaf reminds us that as leaders it is our responsibility to tolerate the ambiguity of two
perspectives – to be able to both identify and expose the injustices and opportunities for
system improvement (be the “analyst”), and have the patience to spend one’s life building
structures to address these issues (be the “artist”).
As a scholar-practitioner, it has been my pleasure to accept Greenleaf’s challenge to navigate
this ambiguity in my daily work. As an INTJ personality (Introversion – Intuition – Thinking –
Judgment), with interests in measurement, research, and evaluation, I have the ability to offer
critical insight into key societal and organizational gaps. As a doctoral student, I have further
developed and honed the skills necessary to better understand the nature of phenomena that
contributes to these gaps and disseminate those ideas for others. However, I have found a way
to couple my strengths (Ideation, Intellection, Input, Learner, and Strategic) with my interests
to serve as a practitioner of performance excellence within an organization. Through continued
coursework and research-related activities during my doctoral program, as well as my continued
effort to serve and support organizations in their journey to high performance, I have gained this
clearer understanding of myself and my role as a 'Builder of Society.'
Greenleaf, R.K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.
Rath, T. (2007). Strengths Finder 2.0. Gallup Press.
Myers, I. B., & McCaulley, M. H. (1988). Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: MBTI. Consulting Psychologists Press.
Introduction
