謙卑領導的高貴藝術
By:Rick Boxx
我常聽到一些職場領袖稱讚他們的夥伴、或是一個重要的員工。我們都喜歡別人感謝我們，尤其是跟我們一起工作的人或雇主的肯定。但是有一次讓我印象很深的是一個服務人員在我所辦的會議上對他的雇主所說的評論。
這個服務生知道我要辦一個活動，所以他來找我並且稱讚其中一個來賓。這個服務生指著站在附近一個名叫丹尼絲的企業主(也是老師)說：「如果丹尼絲要參與你的活動，我的印象會非常深刻。」
他繼續解釋說，丹尼絲非常的活躍，而且她也是一個很棒的老師。我們的員工很喜歡跟她一起工作，因為她總是對我們非常好。
有趣的是，丹尼絲是一個世界知名的商業人士，但她還是花時間對一位飯店服務生表示關心。她不炫耀自己的地位多與眾不同，反而成為這個服務生的僕人。
在一本具有深度探討的書：「從好到優」當中，吉爾柯林斯引述了他所做一些關於頂尖企業的研究。其中一項是，許多傑出的企業主都展現出，高度希望自己能『從好到優』的決心。第二項特質則是『謙卑』。書中寫到：
這些領袖把自己個人的自我的需要提升到建立更大的公司上。他們的野心是將機構擺在第一位，也是最高的地位，而非他自己個人。
科林斯在書中也寫到，與這樣領導人一起的工作夥伴都形容他們是安靜的、謙虛的，保守的、害羞的、親切的、溫和的、自我謙遜的、善解人意的。換句話說，根據作者，這些領袖看起來好像是很平凡的人，但是卻安靜地創造了不平凡的結果。
這與我們平時看到在媒體上高度曝光、宛如名人的企業主大不相同。作者說:「這些從好到優的領袖們似乎都很了解，只滿足自我是一個大陷阱。」
『不要看自己過於所當看的；要照著 神所分給各人信心的大小，看得合乎中道。』 羅馬書12章3節
耶穌基督：世上謙卑領袖的終極代表。在馬太福音祂裡面教導我們：『凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。』馬太福音23章12節
這信息是很清楚的：如果你在找尋一個偉大的領袖，請找願意服務他人的。如果你想成為一個偉大的領袖，請先學習服務別人並且用謙卑領導。
版權所有2011,純全資料中心。本文摘錄自「與Rick Boxx的純全時刻」，這是一本從基督徒角度看職場議題的評論集。想知道更多關於純全資料中心的資訊，請上網訂閱Rick Boxx的每日純全時刻。www.integrityresource.org. 他的書How to prosper in business without sacrificing intergrity也提供了如何純全做生意合乎聖經原則的教導。
思想/問題討論
你是否在參與機構或是會議時，因某些領袖不抬高自己、謙卑的態度而印象深刻的？如果有，請分享他的作為和風度。 你也許沒看過吉爾柯林斯的書：『從好到優』，但你是否覺得謙卑(看重他人的需要多於自己的)，是一個傑出領袖重要的特質之一？ 自信(有時是自大)是現今領袖的特質，但你認為為什麼有一些領袖是很謙虛的，不問自己需要來擔負責任的？你認為自我推銷和強勢是否是成功、或是推動公司前進的必要條件？分享你的看法。 你是否同意聖經上說：「不要看自己過於所當看的」、「自高的必降為卑，自卑的必升為高」？這是否很容易做到呢？請分享自己的答案。註：如果你手上有聖經，想要知道更多與這個主題相關的經節，請參考下面的經節:
箴言11章2節、15章33節、16章18節、18章12節、22章4節， 腓立比書2章3-4節， 彼得前書5章5-6節
THE NOBLE ART OF LEADING HUMBLY
By Rick Boxx
Many times I have heard business leaders express their lofty praises for a peer or a key employee. We all like to be valued and appreciated, especially when those we work for or with are the ones that offer words of affirmation. But not long ago I was especially impressed by the comments made by a server at a conference I was conducting.
The server understood I was heading up the event, so he decided to take an opportunity to approach me and offer commendations for one of our guests. This waiter pointed to Denise, a gifted entrepreneur and teacher, who was standing nearby. She had come as a guest of ours. Turning back to me, the server stated, "If Denise is involved with your event, then I am impressed."
He continued by explaining, "Denise is a class act and a great teacher. Our people love working with her, because she treats them so well."
Interestingly, Denise is known worldwide for her business acumen, yet she had taken time to demonstrate interest and concern for the hotel servers. Rather than parading her status and demanding deference from them, she had become a servant of the servers.
In his insightful book, Good to Great, Jim Collins reports findings of a study he commissioned about top-performing companies. One of the distinctives he found in each company was that “good to great leaders” exhibited high levels of determination. But there was a second common trait as well – humility. He writes:
“…(these) leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company…their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.”
Later in the book Collins observes, “Those who worked with or wrote about good-to-great leaders continually used words like quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated….” In other words, according to the author, these leaders were “seemingly ordinary people quietly producing extraordinary results.”
This presents a remarkable contrast to the highly publicized, celebrity executives we read about, hear and see in today”s media. The “good to great leaders” Collins” team studied seemingly understood the pitfall of becoming caught up in one”s own self-importance. In the Bible”s New Testament, it is stated this way: “…Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…” (Romans 12:3).
Jesus Christ, whose life has served as the ultimate example of humility for countless millions around the world, taught in Matthew 23:12, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
The message seems clear: If you are looking for a great leader, look for those who humbly serve others. And if you desire to become a great leader, first learn the art of both serving and leading with humility.
Copyright 2011, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more about Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His book, How to Prosper in Business Without Sacrificing Integrity, gives a biblical approach for doing business with integrity.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Have you been part of an organization or even attended a meeting where you found yourself very impressed by a leader not because they drew attention to themselves, but because of the humble attitude they showed to others? If so, explain what seemed most memorable about this individual”s behavior and demeanor. You might not have read Jim Collins” book, Good to Great, but why do you think that humility, the ability to be focused more on the needs of others, would be singled out among the qualities of exceptional leaders? Why do you think self-assertiveness, and even arrogance, are so commonly exhibited by prominent leaders, while those that humbly conduct their responsibilities without calling attention to themselves are often overlooked or underappreciated? Do you think self-promotion and forcefulness are necessary for success, to drive a company forward? Why or why not? What is your reaction to the biblical teaching to “not think of yourself more highly than you ought,” or the exhortation by Jesus that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”? How easy – or difficult – is this to do in a practical, everyday sense?NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages:
Proverbs 11:2, 15:33, 16:18, 18:12, 22:4; Philippians 2:3-4; 1 Peter 5:5-6
