servant leadership: a journey into the nature of legitimate power & greatness by robert k. greenleaf

Robert K. Greenleaf is considered the father of Servant Leadership. His theories on servant leadership are the basis for some of the books on the Combustible Reading List, and this book is one of the most rewarding books I’ve ever read.

The irony of my experience with this book is that I would not have been ready to read it if I hadn’t spent the last ten years reading about leadership — reading books from authors who obviously were enlightened by Robert K. Greenleaf’s theories.

The book takes concentration and deliberate reading to get through. It is one of the hardest books I’ve ever read because each paragraph (each sentence even) is jam-packed with true insight:

“The trouble with coercive power is that it only strengthens resistance. And, if successful, its controlling effect lasts only as long as the force is strong. Only persuasiveness and the consequent voluntary acceptance are organic…The value of coercive power is inverse to its use.”

Take that last sentence by itself. What a simple small sentence, and what a huge idea. I might have read that sentence three or four times just trying to absorb it. And it’s 359 pages of that kind of struggle. A very glorious and rewarding struggle, but a struggle nonetheless.

Recommended for Advanced Students of Leadership