christianehol

For years now I have been fascinated with the concept of “Servant Leadership”: “The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, he said: "The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The servant leader makes sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

In my mind, there is a role for servant leadership in all of us. Whether we are a servant leader to our children, our partners, our friends, our employees or our clients, serving for empowerment is always the main focus! As my year unfolded I had lots of opportunity to be a servant leader to many in my community. Whether is was allowing my daughter to live with her dad, knowing that this was the right choice even when it threatened to rip my heart apart or whether it was to serve my clients from my deepest-held beliefs even if it meant that profits were compromised. There were countless times where I fell short of my serving role by being selfish, jealous and materialistic. And yet, as the year ends I once again connect deeply with my soul-felt desire to serve. But this letter isn’t about me; it’s about my hope that Obama embodies in effect a servant leader of the highest degree. Will he fail at times? Yes. Will he fall short of his own expectations? Yes. But will he be the model for a new type of leadership? Will Obama be a Servant Leader to the world? But then I realized that whether or not Barack Obama will be in effect hold up to the pressures and become our servant leader, strong yet ego-less, driven to serve yet void of desire for personal fame, kind and yet firm, transparent yet determined, I am not sure but I know that we all can strengthen his convictions by living our own lives as servants of a higher goal. Every act, every thought, every marketing effort, every sale, every conversation we can make with the heart-felt desire to allow other people to grow, to feel empowered and to feel loved, will, in some way, add to the collective consciousness of a new way of being in this world. I go as far as daring to say that if we don’t all make efforts to change our way of leading our lives, we don’t deserve to be in this world. We now have a chance together to “earn” our stay on this planet by directing all our efforts to serve Mother Earth, her resources and her people. My beloved mentor coach and THE role model of an influential servant leader, Lance Secretan, teaches that these “New Leaders” can be perform at their best if they hold dear to these characteristics: Courage – Authenticity – Service – Truth – Love – Effectiveness = CASTLE What do you think? Can you bring the CASTLE principles to life this year? Can you find somewhere inside of you (in the midst of fear and worries) the courage to lead with your heart and from your deepest held beliefs? Obama, the world, children in the 3rd world, our wildlife, our trees and our hearts need a new wave of inspired leaders. May this letter be an invitation to take a few minutes, reflect on your opportunities to lead and to be part of the solution we need more now than ever.

As for me, as my business will greatly expand this year and I will train hundreds of inspired women entrepreneurs to succeed with soul-nurturing coaching and training products, I too make a commitment to resist the temptations of “quick money” and will follow my calling: aspiring to becoming the best version of myself while playing the biggest game of my life as a servant leader of my clients, my business partner, my business associates, my loved ones and my soul. May spirit be with you and give you the courage to become even more influential change agents in 2009.

Love and hope, Christiane