Do All the Good You Can...

 

I was raised in a very loving family who is richly blessed with faithfulness. We are of the Methodist denomination which was founded by John Wesley. We pride ourselves with the slogan, “open hearts, open minds, open doors” (more here). All of my life, I have heard and tried to practice the John Wesley quote,

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

In the chance that I do have power, I try to maintain this approach – how can I use my power to do all the good that I can? I love what Essed (2010) wrote in our Leading Across Differences text, “social justice and dignity require, among other things, an understanding of systems of privilege and oppression, which are invariably connected to the notions of power and authority in organizations. Listening to those who feel discriminated against and hearing the message, the ability to be critiqued without immediate self-defense, the courage to take a firm stand against discrimination without demonizing anyone, and a belief in the human capacity to change are among the important tools leaders can use to create inclusive and productive organizations” (p. 141). In my mind, these two things combined – a Wesleyan theology and desire for social justice – work well with servant leadership and transformational leadership. Northouse (2013) wrote, “servant leaders are ethical and lead in ways that serve the greater good of the organization, community, and society at large” (p. 219). This is the type of leader who should be making our rules and regulations – one who has served the areas in which they are making policy. Further, those who do have power should be using it to serve those who are less fortunate. Northouse (2013) writes about transformational leadership that it “is a process that changes and transforms people. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals. It includes assessing follower’s motives, satisfying their needs, and treating them as full human beings” (p. 185). To accept humanity and work towards positive change is a powerful task. Perhaps you can tell why I feel like these two leadership styles can be interrelated.

This is NOT the type of leadership I witnessed in our companion for a few days, whom I refer to as the Princess. Clearly, she had some type of nobility or power. However, she certainly did not appear to share that with others. Her status and ability were far beyond most of the women we have met on this trip. In my opinion, serving was beneath her status – although she did appear to be a gracious host. I cannot imagine how different the country would be if all the royal figures and notabilities practice servant leadership. Instead of entertaining us and throwing a grand feast, she could have forever changed the lives of Moroccans. The power distance is a little too large and this extravagant woman could benefit from more of a Princess Diana approach (United Kingdom), who in my mind exemplified servant leadership. I also do not feel like she was interested in meeting anyone else’s needs, just her own. She was certainly not treating some of our group as full human beings by interrupting conversations and ordering students to take her photo. I would suggest to her to learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophies, as he was not only a servant leader but also a transformational leader. I feel like what we witnessed in the days she accompanied us was the opposite of doing all the good she can for as long as possible with her status and ability. I will not leave Morocco inspired by her, but rather appalled at the self-centered attitude she possessed. I honestly believe the dinner party in the home was more of a party for her and to flaunt her “richness” than a cultural experience for us (although it was an experience – I think the intent was for her to be celebrated and we were the reason why). At any rate, the Princess and I have very different perspectives of leadership and how to treat others.

 

Essed, R. F., Jr. (2010) Miasma: The dynamics of difference. In K. Hanum, B.B. McFeeters & L. Booysen (Eds.), Leading across differences (p. 147-154). Pfieffer.  

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership theory and practice. (6^th Ed.). Sage.