THE SERVANT LEADER: Unleashing the Power of Your People ROBERT P. NEUSCHEL NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page a CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR THE SERVANT LEADER “Iwas fortunate to work with Bob Neuschel extensively early in my career. He inculcated the philosophy and values of ‘Servant Leadership’ to his newest associates from day one. That legacy has been an important foundation for my own leadership approach. I commend the lessons of his book with the highest respect and enthusiasm.” —leo f. mullin Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,Delta Air Lines, Inc. “Bob Neuschel is a great student of leadership and his book needs to be read byall those seriously interested in this important subject.” —p. s. willmott Former President and Chief Executive Officer,Zenith Electronics Corporation “As the pace of business has accelerated with new technologies and worldwide markets, Professor Neuschel’s concept of the Servant Leader is more relevant than ever. We must have more capable, empowered people throughout our business enterprises, and those can only be developed by truly embracing and practicing Servant Leadership.” —david r. holmes Former Chairman,The Reynolds and Reynolds Company “Bob Neuschel has a very clear concept about the role of the leader in our free enterprise system. Leadership is a key productivity factor and thus raises the standard of living but, simultaneously, he recognizes the key quality of leader- ship: the love and care for others is the critical element. The results are human productivity, but equally important, personal growth of the participant.” —don schneider Chairman of the Board of Directors,Schneider National, Inc. “Bob Neuschel has exemplified the principles of leadership in his personal and professional life. His coverage of leadership is a primer for success in life as well as in business. Now he helps us to understand how we too may be effective ‘Servant Leaders.’” —c. john langley, jr. Distinguished Professor of Logistics and Transportation,College of Business Administration, University of Tennessee NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page b “I have worked with Professor Bob Neuschel for twenty-five years and watched as students and alumni continue to flock to his classes and office seeking his wisdom on leadership. Now Bob shares much of that knowledge in this insight- ful new book, The Servant Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your People.This book is a must-read for leaders and teachers of leadership worldwide.” —donald p. jacobs Dean Emeritus,Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University “Bob Neuschel has devoted his life to the study of leadership and is one of the great authorities on the subject. His insights into the leadership challenges of the twenty-first century provide crystal-clear evidence that the true measure of any leader is the ability to facilitate the development of others.” —david r. goode Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,Norfolk Southern Corporation “Professor Neuschel’s sessions on leadership are always highly rated by managers in our Executive Development Program. And my university students regard his visits as a special event. Now Bob’s wisdom is readily available to all those who areinterested in knowing more about this critical topic.” —douglas m. lambert Raymond E. Mason Chair in Transportation and Logistics, Ohio State University NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page i THE SERVANT LEADER u NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page ii This page intentionally left blank NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page iii THE SERVANT LEADER Unleashing the Power of Your People R O B E R T P. N E U S C H E L NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page iv ; in memoriam robert percy neuschel 1919–2004 Soldier, consultant, teacher, father, husband, and servant leader extraordinaire Publisher’s note Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Every possible effort has been made to Publication Data ensure that the information contained in Neuschel, Robert P. (Robert Percy), 1919- this book is accurate at the time of going The servant leader : unleashing the to press, and the publishers and authors power of your people / Robert P. cannot accept responsibility for any errors Neuschel. or omissions, however caused. No responsi- p.cm. bility for loss or damage occasioned to any ISBN 0-8101-2339-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) person acting, or refraining from action, as 1. Leadership. I. Title. aresult of the material in this publication HD57.7.N48 2005 can be accepted by the editor, the publisher, 658.4'092--dc22 or any of the authors. 2005016289 Northwestern University Press British Library Cataloging Data Evanston, Illinois 60208-4170 ISBN 0-8101-2339-8 ACIP record for this book is available from the British Library. Kogan Page Limited London N1 9JN, United Kingdom The paper used in this publication meets ISBN 0 7494 4533 5 the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences Printed in the United States of America —Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Copyright © 2005 byVirginia Maxwell Neuschel. First published 1998 by Visions Sports Management Group, Inc. North- western University Press edition published 2005. All rights reserved. NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page v This book is dedicated with grateful thanks and love to Virginia Neuschel, my wife of many years. For over half a century she has been my great supporter and a helpful, honest but gentle, critic. She has been a true inspiration for me and this book because she herself embodies so many of the fine qualities of the servant leader. NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page vi This page intentionally left blank NEUSCHEL_Servant Leader_int 9/8/05 3:20 PM Page vii CONTENTS Foreword by Thomas J. Donohue / ix About This Book / xiii Acknowledgments / xv Prelude: “Neuschel’s Nuggets” / 3 Introduction / 9 1 Putting Leadership into Perspective / 13 2 Two Requirements of the Successful Executive / 25 3 Managers and Leaders—Are They the Same? / 29 4 The Foundations of Leadership: Character and Personality / 33 5 The Relationship between Leadership and Followership / 37 6 Examining the Tasks of the Manager/Leader / 41 7 Setting Demanding Expectation Levels / 47 8 The Importance of Self-Management by the Leader / 51 9 Developing and Articulating a Sense of Mission / 59 10 Important Traits and Characteristics of the Manager/Leader / 63 11 Speaking Clearly but First Listening Well / 75 12 Desire and Capacity to Manage Change / 81 13 Are Leaders Born or Made? / 87 14 The Concept of the Servant Leader / 95 15 Managerial Leadership Styles / 101 16 Leading through Other Leaders / 107 17 Developing New Manager/Leaders / 113