The Skill of Persuasion - Servant Leadership Basketball Training

Servant Leadership Series: The Skill of Persuasion

Servant Leadership was founded by Robert Greenleaf and based on his belief that leadership should bring out the best in others. He felt convinced quality leadership revealed itself through what he called the “best test.” This simple test does not evaluate the leader but instead focuses on the outcome of his or her leadership.

Here is Greenleaf’s Best Test:

1. Do those whom the leader serves grow as persons?

2. Are they healthier because of this leader? (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually)

3. Are they wiser?

4. Are they freer?

5. Are they more autonomous?

6. Are they more likely to become servant leaders themselves?

7. What effect does this leader have on the least privileged?

8. Under this person’s leadership, will the least privileged be benefited or at least not further deprived?

Servant leadership has ten characteristics. “These characteristics are not simply traits of skills possessed by the leader rather Servant Leadership is an ethical perspective on leadership that identifies key moral behaviors that leaders much continuously demonstrate in order to make progress on Greenleaf’s best test.”

NBC Basketball focuses on the fifth characteristic: Persuasion. Persuasion is a tough word nowadays because it has evolved to be synonymous with many unsavory words such as “coax, induce, cajolery.” Not words Greenleaf would have promoted.

Persuasion comes from a better history. It comes from two Latin ideas meaning “advise” and “through to completion.” Instead of a leader demanding obedience and subservience from those they lead, Robert Greenleaf desired a leader to persuade people toward the highest and best way.

It’s impossible to mandate compassion by creating rules of social engagement, however compassion requires an inward decision for it to be genuine and compelling. Servant leaders help elicit this inward desire for living and serving the world in the best ways. They don’t dominate through command and control.

For example, at NBC Camps we have a rule on our overnight campuses that athletes and staff are not to walk on the grass. The intent behind the rule is to show care for the university, to leave places as good or better than we when we entered them, to do the little things well, the discipline to not cut corners and to consider others. In this one small rule are great ways to build and teach character.

However, if there is no logic to the rule and campers don’t understand why walking on the grass is an issue, the rule doesn’t make sense. If one of our coaches yells at a camper for walking on the grass, the whole intent of the rule becomes moot. The coach motivated the camper through anger instead of care. The coach didn’t demonstrate the little things well. Instead, the coach could ask the camper his or her name, spend time to understand if he or she knew the rule, do a few pushups together, and learn together. Otherwise, the coach is violating the very heart of the rule that is being enforced.

Persuasion takes time, it takes listening, and it requires us to set aside the ways we shortcut motivation.

Bad Motivation:

• Using anger, fear, threats to get your way
• Eliminating differences of opinion
• Demanding the letter of the law without explaining the heart of it
• Satisfied with outward obedience
• Blind to internal bitterness and frustration
• Requiring subservience over health, wisdom, freedom, and compassion
  
  Good Motivation:
• Using listening, encouragement, instruction, wise counsel, and sound advice
• Modeling by example
• Persuading through reason, integrity, and kindness
• Satisfied with inner health and wellbeing - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
• Quick to address bitterness, frustration, or unintended harm
• Valuing true relationship over lip service
• Making those around you better