Servant Leadership Style

Kolenten celebrates Golden Jubilee in grand style

The Secretariat of the Old Kolenten Students Association in the United States (OKSA-USA) has successfully hosted alumni from around the world for a very special weekend of activities which culminated into a fundraising dance in Maryland under the grand chief patronage of Kambia native and UNIDO Director General, Kandeh K. Yumkella (photo).

The jam-packed Mirage Hall in Langley Park/Hyattsville, Maryland brought together members of the Kambia community in the USA as well as friends, supporters and well-wishers amidst pomp and pageantry to commence celebrating the school’s golden jubilee; a celebration that will take Diaspora alumni to Kambia in Northern Sierra Leone for a continuation of the golden jubilee events from December 20 - 23, 2011.

Since its founding almost 50 years ago, this Northern institution of secondary education continues to educate men and women for the greater service of mankind; many of them have risen to prominent positions both in Sierra Leone and around the world and have contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the tiny West African state.

Cognizant therefore of their obligation to support their Alma mater, OKSA members are linking the past which they have benefited from to the future which they hope to provide for generations to come as they embark on a massive fundraising campaign to build a multi-purpose resource centre comprising a library, gallery, large multi-purpose room, internet cafe and a concert theatre.

As construction continues, OKSA alumni are poised to leave an indelible mark in the entire Kambia district; a building that future Kolenten students will not only have at their disposal but will be obligated to maintain for the greater good of all.

Addressing guests and fellow Kambia natives, Dr. Yumkella expressed his gratitude that he was invited and was able to join OKSA alumni given his busy UNIDO schedule. He reminded participants about an article he wrote in the Patriotic Vanguard ( http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com... ) a year ago when he saw an advertisement on this website announcing the kick-off of Kolenten’s 50 years of service to Kambia, Sierra Leone and the world.

In highlighting Kambia’s contribution to Sierra Leone, he said: “Kambia has been part of our history." As a small community, he went on, “I think we have generated two vice presidents namely the late Christian Alusine Kamara-Taylor and Justice Abdulai O. Conteh. Prepare yourselves Kolenten alumni because we want you to generate a president for us,” he continued. That statement elicited the chant “President Yumkella” to which he quickly responded “No, no, no! I am an international civil servant.

Servant Leadership

CREATING A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Servant Leadership, a term coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, is a philosophy and practice of leadership most closely resembling a participative leadership style. As a new graduate from college in the mid-1920's, Greenleaf went to work for AT&T as an executive and was put in charge of management development and research for the company. He felt strongly that the authoritarian leadership style so prominent in American institutions was not working and in 1964, upon early retirement, founded the Center for Applied Ethics.

It's a simple idea with many implications. Servant Leadership has been hailed by many leadership gurus including Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, Warren Bennis, Margaret Wheatley, and Ken Blanchard, to name a few. Peter Drucker, a prolific writer, business consultant and lecturer, and often referred to as the father of modern management, called Greenleaf "the wisest man I ever met."

The premise of this leadership style is that the leader is servant first making sure that other people's needs are met first. In this philosophy, the leader is the servant and enjoys the resources of the people. In our culture that is the same as saying employees are valued, encouraged and empowered to cultivate and have a positive influence on the direction of the company.

Janice Branch, a Senior Training Consultant for InterAction Training is a passionate believer in the Servant Leadership concept. As a former trainer for a telephone company, she experienced the powerful benefits of this approach to employer/employee relations. When Servant Leadership was introduced at her company, she embraced the concept and was an integral team member in successfully integrating this new culture within that organization.

"It's about listening to the people in the ranks," she said. "The lines of hierarchy become flattened. Everyone is expected and encouraged to take on a leadership/ownership role. No one person—no matter title—is more important to the company's success than another. And that leads to better decisions; contributions—no matter how large or how minor—are valued, and it promotes harmony and camaraderie between staff and management."

Servant Leadership is a culture movement; and like all culture movements it requires a methodical approach, buy-in from the top down, and intense commitment; it's a journey not a program, and therefore, is not a quick fix. It requires high trust between staff and management and frequent, open communication up and down the ranks to ensure its success within the organization.

Servant leadership, a journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness

Servant leadership, Jesus & Paul

The power of servant-leadership, essays

Servant leadership in nursing, spirituality and practice in contemporary health care

Advances in Global Leadership