October 14, 2009

• Shocked at the disagreements on servant leadership

  I came home today slightly disturbed by what some of my classmates shared in class today in a discussion of servant leadership. That is, leaders who puts others needs and aspiration above their own. They do not have a conscious choice in being leaders and act out of service for the well-being of others.

  Some of my classmates violently disagreed towards such forms of leadership.

  Their comments include:
  "I will not to do something for someone if I know I will not get something in return."

  "It just won't work - how can a CEO expect to get anything done if he/she is bogged down in the grassroots"
  (When comparing authoritative styles of leadership with that of servant leadership)

  "You can never be the CEO of a large organisation if you're a servant leader. You need to be aggressive."

  "When I work, I don't have time to think for others. I need to put myself first".

  "You don't hear someone who is a servant leader receiving a Nobel Prize. Only CEO's and highly successful leaders".

  "I wouldn't have done it." (When referring to the works of Tim Costello's selfless community service record and also that of a pharmaceutical company having developed a drug that will cure a form of blindness, it's CEO deciding it would be more ethical to give the drugs to the those in poverty who really need it, rather than conform to the company's shareholders who didn't want to develop the drug if no profits were involved.

  What bothered me a lot is that these comments were unanimous, even the lecturer sung in the same tune.

  I don't know about everyone else, but I sure do not want to live in a world where no one is watching our backs, not willing to share the world we live in collectively without expecting something in return. That's just not the way we are meant to live.

  Anyway, something the ones who commented did not realise is that this discussion was based on a journal, which academic references were based on the Bible and Jesus Christ. Perhaps they failed to realize that:

  - Jesus is the CEO of the largest and one of the most effective organizations in the world (2 billion followers). He was the ULTIMATE servant leader, going to the extent of dying for us.
  - Mother Teresa did win a Noble Prize.
  - If weren't for someone in the past and present who were selfless enough to give up their lives (in some way), we wouldn't have been where they are now financially.

  Somehow, there was a great absence in humanity today, and what was more disturbing was that these were all Masters students. Perhaps it's just the comments of a few outspoken students plus one lecturer.. there were some who kept quiet. I hope they, like me, disagree with their views.

  • 9:13 am
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