"On the whole it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” - Mark Twain

Today, I am thinking about the very strong belief I have had throughout my career in servant, or steward, leadership. I was introduced to the broader notion of stewardship in the context of communities of faith as a boy and young man. A former boss of mine even questioned the use of the word “steward” as having too religious a connotation but I don’t believe this is the case. For me, it is entirely possible to be a steward, or servant, leader in a secular context. I have found seeing myself in this way as one of the most defining aspects of my approach to leadership and management.

Webster defines “stewardship” as “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care”, and “servant” as “one that serves others. a person who is devoted to or guided by something”. I think these definitions are very helpful as I think about this approach to leadership. A servant leader is devoted to serving the goals of the organization, and the needs and growth of the people, she or he serves. Leading with stewardship means acting with care and responsibility for the mission and people that we have been trusted to care for.

I was fortunate to grow up as a child, as a man, and in my career surrounded by excellent examples of this approach to leadership, and be a few clear examples of how the opposite approach did not fit with my personality and values.  My greatest mentors approached their work as stewards and servants. For a long time, I have envisioned the position of the leader as being at the bottom of an inverted pyramid. While leaders closer to the top of the org chart have more access to using authority, command, and control, they also have greater responsibility to serve and to earn the trust of those they are entrusted with leading. For me, the image of the leader at the bottom, serving and responsible to those who report to her or him, is more helpful than the traditional org chart. Authority is to be used sparingly to manage, and in service of shared goals. Service can be used liberally to earn trust and help others grow stronger in their own service to the organization and to each other. With each layer of leadership serving those they lead, we can best empower everyone to give their best.

I have found that some of the best ways to be an effective steward for those I serve as a leader include to:

• Consider each time we meet what they need from me and how we can best work together to advance their personal, and our shared, goals.
• Listen with care to what they have to tell, and teach, me.
• Talk with them about how their ideas can be put into action so they can best make a difference for the organization we serve.
• Learn how they wish to grow and help them identify opportunities to experience that growth.
• Counsel, and coach, them when I see changes they need to pursue to improve the value of their contributions and their relationships with colleagues.

In addition to those I lead, I am also a steward of the organization's goals and resources, and a servant to those who use the IT services our teams provide. I seek to serve them in much the same way by earning their trust, considering what they need from us, listening with care, discussing options with an open mind, and looking for ways we can serve our students, and university, together. When I give myself to service this way, I can also serve as a role model for those I lead.

I also admit that there can be real challenges associated with seeking to be of service to both those I lead and the organization we serve. Every day brings new opportunities to balance the needs of each by seeking understanding, delivering needed services, working to provide opportunities for employees, and honoring the constraints of budget and the strategic needs of the organization. Some of the most frustrating times are those when I must say “no”, or hopefully just “not yet” to something that I agree would benefit those I serve.

Working in the public sector, and in a union shop, presents special challenges. I believe strongly that the union movement has been critically important to achieving fair treatment for working people and that we have all benefitted from the changes achieved by those who fought with courage for the necessary changes. I have been a union member and part of management and I’ve seen the strengths and weakness of our unions today from both perspectives. As with any organization, there are tradeoffs here, too.

Some of the measures that protect the vast majority of our employees who serve with excellence and dedication can also make it harder to take steps to address performance issues for the few who struggle. Ironically, this difficulty contributes to some of our greatest morale challenges. Efforts by our unions to seek equitable treatment for all can sometimes make it harder for us to reward the outstanding efforts of top performers, and to define career paths that provide new opportunity. The ongoing budget challenges of working for a public, state-funded, university, can make it harder to do as much of what we know is right as quickly as we’d like. Still, I’m convinced we must resist the urge to use these as excuses, or to blame issues on budgets or union contracts, and face each challenge with an honest effort to move forward in service together.

Earlier in my career, before I became a manager, I had the opportunity to work in the private sector as part of a very innovative firm offering IT services to the financial industry. I was never a manager there, but I was able to be of service and to act as a technical leader. I experienced the difference their greater flexibility to reward employees financially, and offer opportunities for growth made for me and my colleagues. I saw the fastest technical and professional growth of my career in the exciting atmosphere of this organization and they had the best career path for IT professionals I’ve ever experienced. Ultimately, they were acquired by another firm and the culture changed but I learned a lot about what is possible while I served there.

I also believe the importance of serving at home and in the community is as great, and often greater, than at work. Serving our family with my partner as steward leaders to help our children to the best of our ability has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Watching our sons grow to become men, and to join us in serving our family and community together, fills my heart with joy. Serving as a volunteer for various community organizations has been deeply satisfying for me. Owning my imperfections, hurting when I fail to live up to the calling of honest, selfless, service, and burning to be better for those I serve, especially my loved ones, has brought real meaning to my life.

Giving myself to the service of something greater than me is a choice I’m glad to have made and one I will make again and again. I don’t regret the choice to earn less money as I’ve worked over 25 years in education, or the choice my partner and I made years ago that allowed her to leave the classroom for a purely volunteer role with the Park Service. In return for these choices we have found careers much more satisfying than work that would have paid more. It’s been so rewarding to have the opportunity to make what feels like a bigger difference that matters more.

I believe all of us can serve, and lead, each other and that our teams are strongest when we are open to each other in this way. I feel the same way about service to the world, society, and especially my family and all my loved ones. I am looking forward to continuing to be of service as my partner and I retire together. I think this may be even more rewarding partly because we won't have to worry as much about making a living! Of course, we also plan to have more fun together, especially with our loved ones, and to have time to pursue our own interests in service, creativity, and personal growth. I admit I can hardly wait!