20100915 Servant Leadership (1)

What makes a good leader?

What makes someone a good leader? Is it popularity, power or wealth? Is a great leader someone who can find and make use of good opportunities? Do good leaders demand obedience?

All too often people become leaders because they want power and money. But leadership adviser Robert Greenleaf didn't think good leadership was about those things. Rather, he thought great leaders should also be great servants. Greenleaf believed that "serving each other is the rock upon which a good society is built."

He thought we needed better leaders – servant leaders – if we wanted to build a better society. Greenleaf's "servant leader" was inspired by Hermann Hesse's story Journey to the East. In the story, a group of people go on a journey. Throughout the trip, their servant, Leo, helps them. Then Leo disappears. Without him, the group falls apart, and the journey is abandoned. Only later does it become clear that Leo, the servant, was actually the leader all along.

obedience Un. 順服/服從/遵守

obedience to somebody

eg: Total obedience is demanded by the military.

=> 軍隊中要求絕對的順服

eg: Teachers expect obedience to the school rules.

=> 老師期待學生要遵守校規

advise v. 給建議

adviser n. 顧問/給予建議的人

eg: Hiring a financial adviser was expensive, but he's worth the price.

=> 顧用財務顧問的費用很高，但是他值得這個價錢

John King is one of the President's closest advisers.

actually adv. 實際上/事實上

eg: Even though Sarah is a successful businesswoman, she actually loves singing and painting.

=> 雖然Sarah是為成功的女強人，但是實際上她很喜歡唱歌和繪畫

eg: Gina and I have talked on the phone several times, but have never actually met.

=> 我和Gina通電話很多次，但是事實上我們從來沒有見過面