Dr E Charoux
In last week’s article, we argued that in order to become a leader in our new 21st century, the Mauritian executive will have to perform at least seven critical role changes. We argued that he or she will have to: See Things Holistically; Become a Change Agent; Become Innovators and Risk Takers, and, Perform as Coaches and Mentors. In this week’s article, we examine the last three critical role changes.
Change 5: From ‘Controllers’ to ‘Servants and Stewards’
Traditionally, the job of the leader has been to command and control, inspiring fear and respect. Robert Greenleaf’s (1977) book sparked a radical rethink of leadership when he argued that in the 21st century, the role of the leader should instead be that of a ‘steward’ or ‘servant’ – a theme subsequently picked up and developed by others like Peter Senge. Leaders, according to Greenleaf, must first serve others. True leadership emerges when the leader is able to demonstrate increased service to others, a
