Discussion #7: Leadership is Service
In Josh Farr’s TedTalk, Leadership is Service, Links to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILUvtd69BEQ Farr presents his 7 principles of servant leadership (“SERVICE”):
Self-awareness – before we can know anyone else we need to know ourselves
Empathy – do we have cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern to take action and step up for others
Read – leaders are readers; we can learn from people all over the world
Vision – we need a vision for our lives our communities our companies and our teams
Internal Locus of Control – you and you alone are responsible for your future
Curiosity – ask good questions to get good answers
Empower – find your voice and inspire others to find theirs
Farr begins his talk with an example of a women who rushed out of a store to shelter an elderly man with her umbrella as he crossed the street in the rain. He states, “Leadership is service. Leadership is a minute-by-minute decision to help another person.”
He ends with the same message: “Leadership is service, and I believe with these seven elements we can all serve our communities, our teams and our world to a higher level.”
For our last discussion forum, please reflect on your primary takeaway(s) from our course. In doing so, please share one step or one action you’ll take to serve others. How will you lead positive change for an individual, for your community, or for your world?
From the Syllabus:
Discussion Forum: Online discussion participation is crucial to our individual and collective learning throughout this course. Each week I will post articles and/or videos in Canvas to reinforce the leadership concepts pertaining to that week’s topic. You are expected to critically analyze and synthesize the material. In the weekly online discussion, you will be asked to share your thoughts and reflections. Please contribute a response to the prompt (250-300 words) and also respond to the posts of two of your class colleagues. These must be completed prior to class each week to prepare us for a lively and thoughtful conversation when we come together. Minimum expectation is 3 posts per week – 1 original post and 2 replies. Quality posts are expected throughout the semester. 21 points (1 point for your post and 1 point for each response to two peers. 3 points x 7 discussion forums = 21 points).
