leading

Servant leaders see things differently because their hearts are authentically in their actions, often despite the personal circumstances and consequences. In short, they’ve learned how to love their neighbors in a healthy, respectful, and others-centric manner.

One of The On-Purpose Proverbs is “Boldness occurs when passion rises and vanity falls.” In 60 seconds, the public service announcement brings this On-Purpose Proverb to life and is sure to bring a tear to your eye.

While this amazing film-making short called “Gesto de Amor” (Gesture of Love) highlights the empathy and love of the little girl, the loving act of her brother reveals that he may, in fact, be the inspirational source of servant leadership for her gesture of love. He is reaping what he has sown into his sister.

Don’t we want to be known and understood from within? … especially in this crazy world where sick is good, cool is hot, and swag is no longer a “sophisticated wild ass guess”?

Consider showing this video to your team and asking them what they’re doing to see things from the perspective of their customers (or loved ones). Nothing is harder, yet little is more rewarding. That makes it all the more meaningful when we sincerely get it right as servant leaders who can wear another person’s cap. You can’t have “Customer Confluence” without it.

Emotional intelligence (EI), made known largely by Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence, is our ability to understand the state of our emotions and others with the ability to process and respond in a productive manner. Some people have an intuition or instinct for sensing the emotions. For others, it can be learned and developed.

Asking sincere and clarifying questions, rather than making assumptions, is a healthy practice to develop without regard to your EI. On a personal level, it develops trust and can lead to intimacy of conversation. On a corporate basis, it is called market research and leads to customer insights that can ultimately be incorporated into an offering to better serve the customer.

Mostly, however, this degree of interest in serving well comes from a heart of serving, wanting to genuinely profit the other person.

This attitude of the heart, the desire to make a positive difference or contribution, is a God-planted seed given each and every person. For some, the seed lies dormant and uncultivated. For others, it begins but gets trampled on and withers. For some, it flourishes and multiplies itself in unexpected ways … the gift of a shirt rolled with hair in a returning gesture of love.

Selfless service may seem like unprofitable and risky business.

We risk appearing and being different. We open ourselves to ridicule—even abuse—by unsavory characters and even well-meaning ones. Selfless service is easier said than done because we live in such a quid pro quo world of hidden agendas, subtle deceptions, and a self-centric perspective of “What’s in it for me?” But then again, it isn’t “selfless service” until we take ourselves out of the equation.

What did this commercial stir in you? How might you apply these lessons in your life … in your family … in your business? What role does purpose (symbolized by the heart) play in giving expression to serving?

Another On-Purpose Proverb is “Market in your self-interest. Serve in the self-interest of your client or customer.”

How might this apply to your business strategy, planning, and marketing?