The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader [Hardcover]

James C. Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2004

To lead is not to be “the boss,” the “head honcho,” or “the brass.”

To lead is to serve.

Although serving may imply weakness to some, conjuring up a picture of the CEO waiting on the workforce hand and foot, servant leadership is actually a robust, revolutionary idea that can have significant impact on an organization’s performance.

Jim Hunter champions this hard/soft approach to leadership, which turns bosses and managers into coaches and mentors. By “hard,” Hunter means that servant leaders can be hard-nosed, even autocratic, when it comes to the basics of running the business: determining the mission (where the company is headed) and values (what the rules are that govern the journey) and setting standards and accountability. Servant leaders don’t commission a poll or take a vote when it comes to these critical fundamentals. After all, that’s what a leader’s job is, and people look to the leader to set the course and establish standards.

But once that direction is provided, servant leaders turn the organizational structure upside down. They focus on giving employees everything they need to win, be it resources, time, guidance, or inspiration. Servant leaders know that providing for people and engaging hearts and minds foster a workforce that understands the benefits of striving for the greater good. The emphasis is on building authority, not power; on exerting influence, not intimidation.

While many believe that servant leadership is a wonderful, inspiring idea, what’s been missing is the how-to, the specifics of implementation. Jim Hunter shows how to do the right thing for the people you lead. A servant leader or a self-serving leader: Which one are you? With Jim Hunter’s guidance, everyone has the potential to develop into a leader with character who leads with authority.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hunter, a training consultant and author of The Servant, offers a practical guide for people who want to become a servant leader: "A person of character who is skilled in influencing and inspiring others to enthusiastically contribute their hearts, minds and other resources toward goals identified as being for the common good." Citing his own experiences, those of his clients as well as some historical figures, Hunter explains his view of how leaders should behave. The most effective leader is a morally aware individual who focuses on helping others succeed, rather than simply handing down decisions. It's essential, says Hunter, that leaders maintain healthy relationships with their colleagues and be ready to turn corporate hierarchies upside down. With supporting quotes from poets, psychiatrists and Christopher Reeve, Hunter says that helping others enables people to overcome their own weaknesses and become better individuals and leaders. The writing is clear, and Hunter's message may well appeal to many people weary of traditional corporations that have been affected by recent ethical scandals. But in the end, there's not enough substance to distinguish this book from the countless other leadership tomes available. Hunter's inclusion of so many random quotes from Zsa Zsa Gabor to George Washington Carver doesn't enhance this book's value to corporate executives.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Hunter, observing our post-9/11 environment, recent corporate scandals, and the large number of managers who are not leaders, offers his thoughts on what he calls a servant leader, "a person of character who is skilled in influencing and inspiring others to enthusiastically contribute their hearts, minds and other resources toward goals identified as being for the common good." With a reference to his religious faith and prayer, the author sees leadership's spiritual underpinnings. We learn that leadership is an acquired skill and is synonymous with influence, while character is moral maturity in action: doing the right thing regardless of the cost. Hunter offers important lessons, which he has learned from successful organizations, including selecting workers very carefully, finding ways to make work more challenging, compensating people fairly, demanding excellence and accountability, training people well, and building community. The need for effective leadership has never been greater in our twenty-first-century society, and particularly in our workplaces. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (June 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140005334X
• ISBN-13: 978-1400053346
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JAMES C. HUNTER is head of J. D. Hunter Associates, LLC, a leadership training and development firm. His internationally bestselling book, The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, has been translated into nine languages and has sold more than 250,000 copies to date. Jim is a sought-after public speaker whose clients include some of the world's most admired organizations, including American Express, Nestlé, ServiceMaster, Procter & Gamble, Southern Company, and the U.S. Air Force. Jim resides in Michigan with his wife and daughter and can be reached online at www.jameshunter.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting. Challenging. Solid. Profound., February 28, 2006

By 

Jeffrey E Ellis (Naperville, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader (Hardcover)

James Hunter follows up on "The Servant" with this book: "The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle". I am still not sure there is enough new material presented to warrant this release. It contains so much from the first book but does add additional quips, quotes, and anecdotes, and some new material.

Perhaps Hunter wrote this book to appeal more broadly to a secular readership. "The Servant" was clearly a spiritual journey; "World's Most Powerful..." is a more secular treatise and will be much more widely accepted in MBA classrooms.

But whether one approaches servant leadership from a faith or secular point of view, the truth remains the same. These basic, solid principles of leadership work.

Not all truths about human nature and leadership are self-evident: some are contained in paradox: leaders must be servants, giving of yourself releases giving to you, to get love you must give love first, and others.

All in all, this is a solid book which contains some real gems.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liked his first book and this one is great too ..., July 21, 2007

By 

G. E. Kugler "Ed Kugler - nomoreBS - Author o... (Big Arm, Montana United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader (Hardcover)

Never heard of this guy until I read his first book. Then saw this a couple weeks ago and he brings it once again. He gets it, there are few leaders in this world right now today. He tells about leadership in a direct, no nonsense way but is preaching love in the workplace. He is teaching that leaders are people who hold their followers accountable, can be tough when they need to but do care and that creates more followers.

Sounds simple. Everyone says they know this stuff, a handful do it. Hunter lays this out and its good.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Got personal courage? Read this!, March 20, 2008

By 

K. Wojcik "stacks o'books" (Montana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader (Hardcover)

After Jim wrote The Servant, he was bombarded with questions! How does a person become a servant leader? That lead to the writing of this "how to" book.
If you haven't read The Servant, don't despair, Jim provides a review of the concepts and benefits of this type of leadership. Then with both inspiration and detail, he shares how to move forward and become a real servant leader. It is not a process for the faint of heart.
For example, he asks the leader to get feedback from their associates. The book gives you the actual feedback form to distribute. Once the results are in, the leader is asked to thank their team members and tell them specifically what the leader has chosen to improve. This takes some guts!

If you are a leader in a social organization, a non-profit, at work or in a club and you are interested in leading with your heart and spirit, give this book a try. You won't be disappointed.