The Art of Servant Leadership: Designing Your Organization for the Sake of Others

A quick scan of these three titles accurately indicates that each is dedicated to a particular perspective on how to improve the current state of business.

Of the three, Conscious Capitalism most closely connects with the practice of corporate communication, though not explicitly. Corporate communication in both US and European contexts includes the sub-disciplines of public relations, organizational communication, media relations, investor relations, and marketing communication, though corporate department and educational program names widely vary. In the USA, public relations is most often associated with publicity, a practice often criticized as self-serving propaganda.

Here, I refer to corporate communication as an overarching strategic practice aimed at maintaining reciprocal relationships between organizations and the various internal and external stakeholders upon whom profitability and other measures of success depend. Corporate communication practice in this normative sense aligns with the focus of this journal as well as the aspirations of many public relations educators and practitioners to be affiliated with a field perceived as beneficial to not only organizations, but also society.

So why review three books seemingly distanced from corporate communication in a corporate communication context? Because their sage guidance for advancing the profession as one that benefits both organizations and society is revealed not in one, but in the unison, of these three topics – conscious capitalism, influence, and servant leadership – as will be explained. Each text is written for upper level decision-makers in the workplace.

First, an overview of each book is in order.

John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods, a financially sound and widely respected company based in the USA, is frustrated with the current state of capitalism and wants to revive its heroic, wealth-creating capabilities for companies and communities. Mackey and co-author Raj Sisodia (2013) call this approach “conscious capitalism” – a holistic, ongoing, culturally ingrained way of doing business based on four guiding tenets: first, a higher purpose that includes but goes beyond profit-making to improve the larger system within which a business operates; second, a philosophy of stakeholder integration that recognizes the importance and interdependency of multiple stakeholders beyond just shareholders; third, conscious leadership based on a mindset of servant leadership and a desire to positively affect the lives of all with whom the company interacts; and fourth, conscious culture and management that translates these principles into everyday operations. Early in the text, the authors clarify how conscious capitalism differs from corporate social responsibility. The former they describe as integrative, transformative, adaptive, and deliberate vs the latter, which they view as too often being an “add on” for appearances and not discriminating enough to advance a company's core purpose or create value across an organization's range of stakeholders.

Of interest to corporate communicators is Mackey and Sisodia's (2013) explanation that conscious enterprises are guided by the realization “that creating value for all their stakeholders is intrinsic to the success of their business” (p. 37). Although multiple stakeholders are valued, the authors argue that customers, investors, employees, suppliers, communities, and the environment are among those considered to be the most important in an organization's “inner circle” because they are tied to the organization for the long term. News media, a frequent target of public relations efforts, are considered part of an “outer circle” of stakeholders because “they don’t routinely engage in voluntary exchange with the organization for mutual benefit” (p. 153). The same is true, they argue, of investors and analysts only interested in a company's short-term financial performance.

Corporate communication counselors who have struggled to explain the business case for stewarding stakeholder relationships to profit-oriented executives will find this book a welcomed respite. The introduction outlines the reputational woes of capitalism and calls for a revival of its societal worth. Parts 1 (higher purpose), 2 (stakeholder integration), Three (conscious leadership), and Four (conscious culture and management) respectively describe the four tenets of conscious capitalism in both conceptual and applied terms. Three appendices help proponents present the financial rationale for conscious capitalism and respond to naysayers who have misconceptions about the benefits and practicalities of this approach to business. Throughout the text, Mackey is forthcoming about his successes, lessons learned, and occasional fumbles at Whole Foods.

Mackey and Sisodia (2013) are informative and inspirational in challenging the status quo of capitalism. They neither shrink from the importance of profit-making nor apologize for it. They are, however, forceful in their arguments that profit-making must follow a higher purpose and create value for the larger societal system in which organizations exist. Integral to this process are stakeholder engagement and integration, both of which hinge on the quality of relationships cultivated by corporate communicators. Although the connection between conscious capitalism and corporate communication per se is not addressed in the book, scholars, practitioners, and students will be affirmed and encouraged by Mackey's view of the importance of stakeholder relationships. As a side note, Conscious Capitalism is required reading for my upper level public relations students.

Grenny et al. (2013) identify influence – as distinguished from mere persuasion – as an underlying ability of effective leaders to enact lasting change, regardless of industry or organizational setting. The book draws its direction from interviews with influencers around the globe who have slowed the spread of disease, turned around failing schools, and transformed the lives of felons and addicts, among other notable accomplishments.

In Part 1 of Influencer (2013), the authors introduce the common denominators among these various success stories as the three keys to influence:

1. focus and measure;

2. find vital behaviors; and

3. engage six sources of influence.

Part 2 expands on the six sources of influence, namely personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability, which are cleverly couched in chapter titles including “Help them love what they hate,” “Help them do what they can’t,” and “Change their economy.”

One cannot help but detect a tinge of seminar-speak while perusing the organization of these ideas, but the supporting research and compelling case studies are effective in describing how various techniques in influence ranging from the commonsensical to the counterintuitive really can result in positive organizational change. The authors likewise address personal, social, and structural barriers to being influential throughout the text. The final chapter provides initial steps for becoming an influencer.

Clearly, Influencer (2013) is intended for leaders who have the organizational power to alter philosophical, physical, and economic conditions in the workplace and get things done. Such is not the case for mid-level communication managers who are often burdened with reconciling mandates from above with resistance from below, but there are still valuable lessons to garner from within these pages.

Of particular interest to corporate communicators, regardless of rank, is the authors’ guidance on social motivation and social ability. “So if you want to influence change,” they state, “it's essential that you engage the chain of command” (Grenny et al., 2013, p. 163). In the case of communication practitioners, that relevant chain of command may be above or below one's post. Social motivation, they explain, comes from setting an example worth following, even if it goes against the tide of organizational behavior. Social ability is about leveraging social capital, or collaborating with others to make change happen. In the authors’ words, “influencers know better than to turn their backs on social capital. They’re quick to consider what help, authority, consent, or cooperation individuals may need when facing risky or daunting new behaviors” (p. 215). Corporate communicators rarely act alone. In fact, their very function depends on relationship building and collective action with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. In that context, Influencer's lessons are instructive though not surprising.

The aim of servant leadership, as described in the prefacing pages of the book, is “to equip, inspire, and encourage those we influence in order to make a profound positive difference in the world.” Baron's (2010) intended audience is those who influence others in the workplace, but he focuses primarily on the role of the CEO in directing the company's vision, values, and culture. Like the other books included in this review, it is an easy, flowing read that is intuitively pleasing, yet this one relies more on case study and anecdotes rather than scientific or data-driven evidence to support its arguments.

The author's background in psychology and theology overtly informs his response to what he describes as a crisis in corporate leadership today: too much focus on profits and not enough on the well being of society. Faith and work are clearly intertwined throughout the text. Like Mackey of Conscious Capitalism (2013), Baron (2010) is a proponent for capitalism with a higher purpose. He argues that servant leaders not only improve the bottom line, but also have a meaningful impact on society, though he doesn’t provide financial evidence of such as Mackey does.

In Part 1, Baron (2010) describes the need for a new kind of leader, specifically one with a moral imperative, an appreciation for the teaching value of adversity, and a keen sense of self-awareness. Part 2 provides what he refers to as “the formula for success” in which the CEO serves as cultural architect. He draws primarily on the work of a servant leader CEO in the global communications industry to explain how to create, cultivate, and extend the reach of a servant leadership culture into the broader community. A sufficient number of success stories persuade readers of the practicality of a concept that could otherwise be viewed as sheer idealism.

The book's one appendix offers additional resources for servant leaders, with authors Ken Blanchard, Stephen R. Covey, and John C. Maxwell most prominent on the list. Based on a review of titles alone, themes of self-reflection and enhanced organizational effectiveness run throughout, giving communication professionals interested in learning more about servant leadership an ample library from which to choose.

Baron's (2010) approach throughout the book is prescriptive, encouraging, and positive. His perspective is grounded in self-awareness, and he concludes each chapter with “Table Talk,” a series of questions for the reader's self-reflection and application of the concepts presented, including defining moments, personal values, commitment to servant leadership, and assessment of one's personal and organizational progress toward application of these ideas. As such, obstacles to enacting the principles of servant leadership and actions required to surmount them are left for the reader to address through self-reflection.

The Art of Servant Leadership requires a significant investment of time and thought for those organizational influencers who wish to realize its full intent. Baron (2010) emphasizes the need for self-work by stating that “this story is merely a tale unless you take stock of your own work and ask yourself if you are contributing to an organization that recognizes its higher purpose” (p. 135). Its faith-based content will best suit leaders with a similar mindset, but the general idea of leadership based on serving interests other than one's own will resonate with any ethically minded communication professional.

So how do these three ideas intersect and advance corporate communication scholarship and practice? For starters, Mackey and Sisodia's (2013) holistic notion of organizational consciousness is worthy of further exploration in our field. Conscious capitalism as described in their book contributes to financial, organizational, and societal prosperity in the long run. It is broader than corporate social responsibility in that it encompasses multiple responsibilities of the firm, including those that are financial and relational in nature. Semantics aside, corporate communication plays a critical role in conscious capitalism, even though the connection between the two is not the focus of the book.

What's exciting about Conscious Capitalism (2013) is the opportunity it sparks for scholars and practitioners to begin describing, measuring, and testing the related notion of conscious communication. An organization's actions affect quality of life for potentially thousands of people beyond its immediate reach. We cannot ignore the need for profitability and our role in supporting that endeavor. But are we just relaying messages and promoting products, or, as Mackey describes, also educating and communicating based on some higher purpose dedicated to improving a broader societal system? What does it mean to communicate with a higher purpose with not just customers, but also investors, employees, governments, and communities? What does that look like in day-to-day practice, and how do we bring that experience into the classroom? These are questions we can begin to address.

A prominent view of “PR” (at least in the US) is one of corporate-centric, self-promoting, message-pushing through various media channels. This impression is the antithesis of conscious communication. If, as 20th century journalist-turned-spokesperson Ivy Ledbetter Lee stated, public relations is the ethical conscious of an organization, practitioners have an obligation to understand the broader implications of corporate actions and their communicative role in those actions. As professionals with access to both internal and external sources of information, corporate communicators have a further obligation to ensure feedback gathered is effectively used for informed decision-making and action planning, whether in customer service, employee relations, marketing communication, investor relations, or any other area where corporate behavior impacts human life. Conscious communication as a practice needs some fleshing out, but I suggest that a focus on strengthening a larger social system is the higher purpose of corporate communication.

A heightened level of consciousness may motivate a corporate communicator, but its impact will be significantly limited if the practitioner lacks the requisite influence to affect organizational behavior. Organizational settings vary, but communication professionals often struggle for legitimacy in counseling decision makers in the upper echelons of an organization, particularly if they don’t possess the business acumen upon which executives rely. Regardless of title or position, honing skills of influence as described in Influencer (2013) can enable those inspired by consciousness to convert their societal awareness into viable action, but it would be misleading to suggest that one could be influential without an applied understanding of a firm's operating environment. Corporate communicators and researchers with business backgrounds can do much to educate our field about the interrelatedness of business strategy, financial performance, and communication strategy.

Scholars and practitioners can further inform our understanding of the role of influence in corporate communication by building on literature that addresses power structures, personal influence, and dominant coalitions within organizations. For example, social network analysis could be helpful in ascertaining a practitioner's initial circle of influence, and then describing what conditions contribute to an expansion or retraction of one's reach internally and externally. Suitable attention has been paid to practitioners’ quest to gain a seat at the executive decision-making table. What seems to be in order are new insights on how to gain influence from posts that lie well south of the C-suite, colloquially referred to as leading from where one sits. A series of case studies on corporate communicators’ influence emanating from various organizational levels would be most instructive.

Attention to servant leadership appears lacking in current communication literature, which again provides opportunities for scholars and practitioners to contribute to this conversation. How can corporate communicators enact principles of servant leadership within their own circles of influence? To what effect? To what extent are leaders willing to support the self-reflection involved, and how, possibly, can corporate communicators play a role in facilitating that discovery process? How can we provide opportunities for students to reflect and enact servant leadership in our university programs? Our field is open to and capable of such exploration in a time that calls for more conscious leadership at all organizational levels.

Servant leadership as an ongoing practice brings this trifecta full circle. Consciousness brings a heightened awareness of why the organization needs to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with multiple stakeholders. Influence provides the ability to implement actions that trigger a positive ripple effect throughout society. Servant leadership keeps influence in check and reminds practitioners that the higher purpose of corporate communication and capitalism is societal, not just organizational, in nature.

The unison of these three topics – conscious capitalism, influence, and servant leadership – with further investigation, operationalization, and testing, directs corporate communication toward a societal role that reaches beyond an organization's unilateral interests. A review of several authors’ work discussed herein suggests that a societal focus in corporate communication brings not only greater economic benefits to an organization, but also enhances quality of life in the larger system of stakeholders inextricably tied to business conduct. Any of these elements alone is important, but not sufficient, in strengthening the broader system. Consciousness without influence is powerless. Influence without a service mindset is hazardous.

The combined presence of consciousness, influence, and servant leadership in corporate communication is a promising mix to demonstrate the greater good of our work, and compelling evidence indicates that the interaction of these components makes organizations more profitable in the long run. An enhanced reputation for the practice of corporate communication is appealing, but a demonstrated ability for practitioners to contribute to a firm's profitability and sustainability is paramount. Mackey of Whole Foods is clear in his assertion that “doing the right thing” for the sake of appearances without regard for the company's bottom line, higher purpose, or effects on its inner circle of stakeholders, is wasteful at best and irresponsible at worst.

When examining the proposed combination of conscious capitalism, influence, and servant leadership as a means for enhancing the societal contributions of corporate communication, a few concluding thoughts come to mind:

• Being a change agent requires courage: corporate communicators seeking to advance the principles of conscious capitalism should likewise be prepared to counter resistance from those who see the approach as yet another “do gooder” program without any impact on the bottom line. Influencer's (2013) directives on the collaborative nature of social ability and social motivation, combined with Conscious Capitalism's (2013) evidence of enhanced profitability, can help corporate communicators provide the business case and rally the internal allies necessary to enact change where necessary.

• Being influential requires business acumen: to be influential, corporate communicators need to speak the language of business. Just as important is the ability for practitioners to design communication strategy that is directly tied to business strategy. This is obvious to practitioners, but more attention to this issue is warranted in scholarly outlets. So much of business is focused on numbers, but strategic intent lies dormant without effective stakeholder communication to propel it. Business acumen enables corporate communicators to effectively translate financial and other goals into communication strategy.

• Leadership and influence are possible regardless of rank: a good deal of scholarly and practitioner attention has been placed on advancing one's career, climbing the corporate ladder, and gaining the proverbial seat at the table. Helpful, yes, but what about corporate communicators just beginning their careers, or those actually satisfied working in middle management roles? They, too, would benefit from enhanced leadership and influence skills to advance conscious communication. More could be done on the practitioner and scholarly side to offer additional insight on how professionals reporting far below the C-suite can practice servant leadership and impart influence in place.

• Serving interests other than one's own is good for business, and society: corporate communicators counseling, planning, and acting with broader societal interests in mind generate benefits for their companies and their communities. This level of consciousness combined with servant leadership moves us beyond mere promoters of goods and services to change agents who are a source of education and service to stakeholders in a way that benefits society and the bottom line. This is our higher purpose.