MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

For a successful IT transformation, the importance of good leadership has already been emphasized in one of the previous sections. But what is even more useful than good leadership, is servant leadership. The philosophy of servant leadership puts the leader at the bottom of the hierarchy. In this philosophy, the role of the leader is to serve everyone else, starting from customers to employees. Instead of holding a position of authority and command, servant leaders put the employees’ needs ahead of their own. As the leader works with the team, on an equal footing, it helps boost employee morale, and performances are seen to soar. Servant leaders focus on empowering and uplifting the people working with them, instead of simply inspiring with words. All decisions that a servant leader takes are in the best interests of the team. He or she is empathetic and looks at situations from others’ perspectives to better understand the challenges. Servant leaders ensure that employees have all the necessary resources, training, and infrastructure to meet their objectives, thus ensuring that they can perform their best. A servant leader is a good listener and pays attention to what his or her team members have to say. He or she encourages communication and is receptive to their thoughts and concerns. Servant leaders are required to have foresight, persuasion skills, creative thinking, self-awareness, and other qualities that help them support their teams better. A servant leader can make the IT transformation process much faster and more efficient by driving employees to give their best and providing them an environment that nurtures growth.

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Objectives

01. Empathy and Understanding: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Clear Communication: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Empowerment and Collaboration: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Support for Learning and Development: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Flexibility and Adaptability: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Focus on Customer Experience: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Long-Term Vision: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Inclusion and Collaboration: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. Respect for Individual Contributions: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Focus on Value Creation: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. Empathy and Understanding: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Clear Communication: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Empowerment and Collaboration: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Support for Learning and Development: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Flexibility and Adaptability: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Focus on Customer Experience: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Long-Term Vision: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Inclusion and Collaboration: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Respect for Individual Contributions: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Focus on Value Creation: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Empathy and Understanding.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Clear Communication.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Empowerment and Collaboration.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Support for Learning and Development.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Flexibility and Adaptability.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Focus on Customer Experience.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Long-Term Vision.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Inclusion and Collaboration.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Respect for Individual Contributions.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Focus on Value Creation.

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Introduction

What is Servant Leadership?

Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and practice that emphasizes the leader’s primary role as a servant to their team or organization, rather than as a traditional “boss” or authority figure. The concept was popularized by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s through his essay “The Servant as Leader.”

In servant leadership, the leader’s focus is on serving the needs of their team members, empowering them to achieve their full potential, and creating an environment that fosters collaboration, personal growth, and a sense of community.

Source: Pareto Labs

Here are some key principles of servant leadership:

1. Listening: A servant leader actively listens to their team members, valuing their input, ideas, and concerns. This helps in building trust and understanding.

2. Empathy: Servant leaders understand and empathize with the emotions and experiences of their team members. They take the time to put themselves in others’ shoes and consider their perspectives.

3. Healing: This principle involves supporting the well-being of team members, helping them address personal and professional challenges, and creating a positive and nurturing work environment.

4. Self-Awareness: A servant leader is aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and they continuously seek to improve themselves for the benefit of their team.

5. Persuasion, Not Authority: Rather than relying on positional power, servant leaders use persuasion, influence, and reasoning to guide their team members toward a common goal.

6. Conceptual Thinking: They possess the ability to think beyond immediate concerns and consider the broader picture, fostering a strategic and long-term perspective.

7. Stewardship: Servant leaders take responsibility for the well-being and development of their team and organization. They consider themselves stewards of their team’s resources and work to ensure sustainable success.

8. Commitment to the Growth of Others: A key aspect of servant leadership is the commitment to helping team members grow and develop personally and professionally.

9. Building Community: Servant leaders work to foster a sense of community and collaboration within the team or organization. They emphasize the value of working together and supporting each other’s success.

10. Putting Others First: Ultimately, servant leadership centres around prioritizing the needs of others above one’s own, with the belief that by serving others, a leader can create a more productive, engaged, and fulfilled team.

Servant leadership is often seen as a more inclusive and compassionate approach to leadership, promoting a positive organizational culture that can lead to increased job satisfaction, improved employee performance, and overall organizational success. It’s important to note that while the concept encourages a focus on serving others, it doesn’t dismiss the leader’s authority or responsibility to make decisions and guide the team toward achieving goals.

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Where does the term ‘Servant Leadership’ come from?

Robert K. Greenleaf is widely credited with popularizing the concept of servant leadership through his essay titled “The Servant as Leader,” which he first published in 1970. Greenleaf’s essay was a departure from traditional leadership theories that emphasized authority, control, and power.

In “The Servant as Leader,” Greenleaf introduced the idea that a true leader should have a primary focus on serving others rather than seeking personal power or recognition. He believed that a servant leader’s main purpose is to help individuals and organizations grow, develop, and succeed. Greenleaf’s essay laid out the foundation for what would later become the philosophy of servant leadership.

The essay includes a series of thought-provoking statements and questions that challenge the conventional notions of leadership:

• “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.”: Greenleaf emphasized that a servant leader’s desire to serve others is the starting point of their leadership journey. This idea stands in contrast to leaders who prioritize their own ambitions or authority.

• “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”: Greenleaf proposed that the effectiveness of a leader should be measured by the personal and professional growth of those they lead. A servant leader’s influence should lead to the empowerment and development of their team members.

• “The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow spiritually, do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”: Greenleaf extended his concept of servant leadership to the spiritual and ethical well-being of individuals. He believed that a servant leader should contribute to the overall ethical and moral growth of their followers.

• “Caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.”: Greenleaf’s essay also discussed how the principles of servant leadership could extend beyond organizational contexts and contribute to the creation of a more just and compassionate society.

Robert K. Greenleaf’s essay sparked a new perspective on leadership that has had a l