[Seahawk]

My opinion is the SL can work, but with constraints.

I have a great deal of experience managing large and small organizations, both in uniform and for the last two years as a business owner.

"Servant leadership is leadership in which the leader transcends self-interest to serve the needs of others, help others grow, and provide opportunities for others to gain materially and emotionally."

In some specific, measured events, this is a valuable tool. For instance, as a detachment Officer in Charge, I was always the first to arrive and the last to leave, regardless of personal schedules and commitments. I also spent a great deal of time and effort making sure we supported personal and professional growth opportunities for the young sailors. That included lots of informal career and professional advice, basket leave if they needed it, etc.

The list goes on and on.

As a program manager of a multi-billion dollar program office, I always supported losing valuable people for promotions into other organizations if I couldn't give them the same opportunity in mine. We would take the hit, scramble and reorg to pick up the slack, but that's just what you do.

In my last year of a nearly five year tour, I asked my boss to split my program office from one into three...the growth in UAS programs was swamping my ability to effectively manage the plethora of the small to very large UAS' in my portfolio. It was the right thing to do, even though it was not in my best self-interest.

All that said, there was never any doubt, nor is there now, who runs the program or company. I do. There is no committee, just my partner and me. We set the strategy, invest appropriately and LEAD. The material and emotional growth of our employees is tied to our performance and ability to execute our business plan and programs.

Do I still us SL in tailored cases? Sure. SL is just one aspect, albeit a minor one, of our overall strategy. But, then, so is Comanche Leadership when appropriate.

SL is not a strategy, it is a tool to be used in context.