Moral Authority...ON Purpose!

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Mark Myette, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

“MORAL AUTHORITY IS ANOTHER WAY TO DEFINE SERVANT LEADERSHIP BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A RECIPROCAL CHOICE BETWEEN LEADER AND FOLLOWER. IF THE LEADER IS PRINCIPLE-CENTERED, HE OR SHE WILL DEVELOP MORAL AUTHORITY.” STEPHEN COVEY

We conclude our journey through SEVEN PILLARS of SERVANT LEADERSHIP. This week we discuss the seventh pillar – identified by Robert Greenleaf – MORAL AUTHORITY – and covered in detail by Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership: Practicing the Wisdom of Leading by Serving – by James W. Sipe and Don M. Frick. In light of numerous recent examples of leaders taking advantage of their authority in excessive self-serving ways – this pillar is the hope – the aspiration – that better judgement and leadership prevails.

The negative headlines…without naming names…

- Numerous people in power – executives, leaders, politicians – taking liberties with staffers…
- A car manufacuter cheating emission testing through software manipulation…
- A “trusted” financial institution signing up tens of thousands of customers with BOGUS accounts in order to hit unrealistic sales targets and pad the pockets of unscrupulous employees doing so to receive a bonus…
- Companies NOT disclosing data breaches for MILLIONS of people and the extent of data breaches until MONTHS or YEARS later…
- Medical device / pharmaceutical companies raising prices 500%+ for the “privilege” of using the drug / device…
- An American city NOT disclosing dangerously high levels of lead in the drinking water…
- 7 out 10 employees not engaged at work…

At the core of each of these headlines is POOR leadership…Robert Greenleaf would contend a common thread most likely missing is MORAL AUTHORITY…

What is Moral Authority?

In Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership essay he introduced Moral Authority this way, “A new moral principle is emerging which holds that the only authority deserving one’s allegiance is that which is freely and knowingly granted by the led to the leader in response to, and in proportion to, the clearly evident servant stature of the leader. Those who choose to follow this principle will not casually accept the authority of existing institutions. Rather, they will freely respond only to individuals who are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted as servants. To the extent that this principle prevails in the future, the only truly viable institutions will be those that are predominantly servant led.”

People grant others moral authority when they see the following consistently demonstrated:

- Being A Person of Character – (i.e. maintains integrity and humility)
- Putting People First – (someone who is there to serve and cares for people)
- Skillful Communication – (i.e. show empathy and encourage feedback)
- Compassionate Collaboration – (i.e. give congratulations when due, negotiate conflict well)
- Foresight – (i.e. being able to predict future developments and problems)
- Systems Thinking – (i.e. being comfortable working with complicated systems with many facets)

Sipe and Frick identified 3 core competencies to effectively practice moral authority: 1. Accepting and Delegating Responsibility; 2. Sharing Power and Control; and 3. Creating a Culture of Accountability.

1. Accepting and Delegating Responsibility

According to Sipe and Frick “The skills of delegating responsibility are easy to learn—be clear with expectations, provide the necessary resources, agree on a deadline, and be available to help. The biggest hurdle is the decision to delegate, in trust and without micromanaging. For a Servant-Leader, no magic formulas can make the acceptance and delegation of responsibility risk-free; no bullet-point mantras will assure you are doing things right, or even doing the right things. There is only this: the gentle but persistent guidance of love.”

As a leader – YOU have a responsibility to others by identifying opportunities where YOUR gifts can be applied. DON’T wait to be asked…

The other aspect is “letting go” and seeing others as a conduit toward progress. Granted, they may not do it the same way. Chances are those who are delegated responsibility feel empowered and engaged!

If you want others to give and support your moral authority…

ASK YOURSELF

- Is there anything I can “suit up” for and raise my hand to do? (In other words – DON’T wait to be asked to do something – volunteer your expertise.)
- Do I really trust others to be responsible, or do I only trust myself?
- How can I accept AND delegate within appropriate boundaries?
- Will I delegate tasks I prefer to do myself?

2. Sharing Power and Control

In “Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf” it was written “Greenleaf considered himself most successful when no one realized he was the originator of an idea!”

There are examples where leaders forged a path on their own and continued down that road until it ran into a dead-end. When the end of the road is met, some of the same leaders raised a hand to let others know they needed help…they became vulnerable…it was then they learned that sharing power and control was in the interest of all. As a result, more people won. For more on vulnerability SEE: SELF-Awareness…ON Purpose!

Greenleaf, however, was not oblivious to the ego needs of the leader. He believed a servant leader is able to “keep them in check” and finds alternative ways to satisfy them.

ASK YOURSELF

- What is one thing I can do differently to share power with others?
- Where can I allow others to assume more public visibility as leaders?
- Where and how can I enlist broad support from the beginning of an issue rather than struggle for “buy in” after a decision has been made?
- How can I transform the ego needs that cause me to seek power over others into a different kind of satisfaction that comes from having power with others?

3. Creating a Culture of Accountability

Greenleaf believed an organization should begin with solid, enduring moral principles rather than rules. No accident the organizations / teams that practice a healthy approach toward accountability have a culture of EMPOWERMENT. In other words it’s less about following rules and more about following a set core of values / guiding principles and letting everyone “lean in” on the moral principles.

To support the previous point, the following 20 organizations from Fortune Magazine‘s annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For are also considered companies practicing servant leadership:

SAS (#1 on the list of Best Companies to Work For)
Wegmans Food Market (3)
Zappos.com (6)
Nugget Market (8)
Recreational Equipment (REI) (9)
Container Store (21)
Whole Foods Market (24)
QuikTrip (34)
Balfour Beatty Construction (40)
TD Industries (45)
Aflac (57)
Marriott International (71)
Nordstrom (74)
Men’s Wearhouse (87)
CH2M Hill (90)
Darden Restaurants (97)
Starbucks (98)
TD Industries (45)
Aflac (57)
Marriott International (71)
Nordstrom (74)
Men’s Wearhouse (87)
CH2M Hill (90)
Darden Restaurants (97)
Starbucks (98)
Southwest Airlines
Toro
Publix
Chick-fil-A

How they manage the culture of accountability…

- “Hire slow and fire fast…” (Chick-fil-A)
- Identify and establish the core values / guiding principles that allows team members to be empowered.
- Set standards for performance based on the core values / guiding principles.
- DO NOT “handcuff” employees with rules (SEE previous point).
- Treat people like adults…

For more on accountability SEE: Compassionate Collaboration…ON Purpose!

ASK YOURSELF

- Does the culture in my workplace nurture and reward accountability?
- What is my role in fostering accountability, not only for projects, but for people?
- What are three things I can do to hold myself accountable for the growth of others? SEE: People First…ON Purpose!

Why Moral Authority Trumps Positional Authority…

Positional authority is fleeting. It’s exceedingly fragile. Leaders who believe they will be followed “JUST BECAUSE” of their title have a real shock coming…people don’t follow titles or positions they follow leaders who possess the traits noted above:

Being A Person of Character – (i.e. maintains integrity and humility)
Putting People First – (someone who is there to serve and cares for people)
Skillful Communication – (i.e. show empathy and encourage feedback)
Compassionate Collaboration – (i.e. give congratulations when due, negotiate conflict well)
Foresight – (i.e. being able to predict future developments and problems)
Systems Thinking – (i.e. being comfortable working with complicated systems with many facets)

If you’re a leader and DON’T believe that OR can’t demonstrate that, watch your back.

Conclusion

The coming months and years ahead could be a turning point in leadership models. It is the hope that the servant leadership model prevails!

My best to your quest!

Mark
​I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum performance.

​Interested to Learn About Yourself or Your Team? Mark is a Certified CliftonStrengths Coach and TotalSDI Facilitator and happy to discuss your situation

WhatAreYourGifts.com/blog