Dear Friends,
Our country is in difficult
straits. We desperately need a new brand of leader, the kind that will put
aside his/her own interests to serve the interests of others.
Today many of us have
become disillusioned and bitter over partisan politics. We need new leadership,
the kind who will look to find common ground and shared values that will help
unite us rather than divide us. Such individuals are known as 'high road
leaders' and they possess certain qualities that make them well suited for the
leadership task.
High road leaders are
those who always give more than they receive. They focus on the well-being of
others; instead of promoting themselves, they look for the good in all people
and seek to bring out the best in them.
Many leaders today expect
people to serve them and help them get to the top, but a high road leader is
more concerned about helping others get to the top.
High road leaders are
known to possess servant hearts, and they are more interested in meeting the
needs of others than meeting their own needs.
High road leaders always
give more than they take. They do so because they know that if they care for
the people they lead, those people will love, respect, and want to work hard
for them.
High road leaders bring
people together instead of dividing them.
They place the agendas of
others ahead of their own.
Such leadership is not a
natural way of leading, but it can be life changing.
When you serve others, you
seek to bring them along with you on the leadership journey because you know
you can’t help another person get to the top without getting to the top
yourself.
High road leaders view
themselves as servants and not celebrities. They know that when they serve
others everyone wins. They recognize everyone is important to the success of an
organization, and they treat everyone with that same respect.
The late Herb Kelleher,
president of Southwest Airlines, was a perfect model of high road leadership.
He treated people like
family. He said, “I’d rather have a company bound by love than a company bound
by fear.” The results of his leadership are clearly seen in the success of
Southwest that enjoyed 46 consecutive years of profitability.
Herb learned from his
mother that every person and every job is worth as much as any other
person and any other job. He deplored class mentality. Years ago, one of his
executive officers said, “Herb, it’s harder for me to get to see you than it is
for a mechanic, a pilot, a flight attendant, or a reservation agent.”
Half-jokingly, Herb said, “I can explain that to you very easily, they’re more
important than you are!” (Southwest Airlines Employees, Customers Remember
Founder Herb Kelleher-taken from the internet)
Those who worked for Herb
were his priority They were not perceived by him as just another rung on the
ladder, but as equals, and those who worked for Herb loved him.
High Road leadership
sounds a lot like servant leadership, the kind where the leader carries a towel
and a basin and is always on the lookout for ways to serve others.
God is always looking for
towel and basin leaders who are more concerned with service than
status, faithfulness than fame.
Herb Kelleher and other
high road leaders aspired to live out the mission statement of Jesus as
expressed in His words: “I have given you an example that you should do as I
have done for you” (John 13:15).
May God help each of us be
“high road” leaders today and every day.
Yours in faith and
friendship,
Tom
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