9The Transformation from I to We

Good leaders must first become good servants.

Robert Greenleaf, The Servant as Leader

The End of the Heroic Leader

We've all seen this pattern in our bosses, subordinates, and colleagues: They have all the right skills, use the latest management tools, articulate the right messages with the most popular buzzwords, and espouse the right strategies. But underneath something seems to be missing. Followers respond with caution. Supervisors are worried, but can't quite pin down what's wrong. Even concerned friends keep their distance. All the pieces seem to be there, and yet these leaders are never able to rally sustained support from their teams. This is because they lead from a predominantly “I” orientation. ...

Get The Discover Your True North Fieldbook: A Personal Guide to Finding Your Authentic Leadership, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.