1 QUOTE

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

- John 13:14

1 NOTE

When Stephen Sample was 30 years old a mentor changed his perspective on leadership. Sample, an up and coming leader, was being mentored by George Clements, the man who built Jewel Tea Company into a national grocery chain. He instructed Sample, “Steve, spend a small amount of your time hiring, evaluating, exhorting, praising, critiquing or firing your leaders. Add all of that up and it should be 10% of your job. You should spend 90% of your time practically helping them succeed in their job.” Sample took that to heart. He created the mantra, “Work for those who work for you.” So in a most contrarian model, he informed each of his direct reports that he wanted to be treated as ‘their executive assistants.’ This powerful model of servant leadership is rarely followed.

What did this look like in real life? Sample believed that if he was not in the process of removing a lieutenant, he should bend over backwards to help them get their job done. Sample met with all his lieutenants once a week. He met individually with each lieutenant once every two weeks. In between the meetings he was always aware of their projects and did everything he could to assist them. His commitment as the President of USC was not only to be his staff’s staff person, but to be their best staff person.

Sample’s model also requires courage. He was baffled at how many leaders are afraid of their direct reports. He was taught by his father ‘Steve, you must always shoot your own horse. You owe it to he horse.’ Why do many leaders go to all the trouble of recruiting, hiring and training, only to never tell people the truth? In the unfortunate circumstance of removing or firing a lieutenant, Sample would always do it himself. Those under our leadership should always know exactly where they stand with us. This is major league leadership.

1 QUESTION

In your sphere of influence, do you work for those who work for you?

Until Next Tuesday,

John