Specialty Fabrics Review August 2024 - 78

[ MARKETS ] BUSINESS
The greatest untapped
asset of all [is] the
collective creativity of
the people who work
with us and for us.
Leaders empower
On the flip side, servant-style leaders
recognize the potential of collective
creativity. Rather than fear the input
of their teams, they encourage it. As
my friend Abe WalkingBear Sanchez,
a noted thinker in organizational
efficiencies, says, " thinking should
not only be encouraged; it should be
a condition of employment. "
A servant-style leader understands
the power of humility. Many confuse
humility with humiliation. The two
could not be more different. My favorite
definition of humility is the ability
to remain teachable. Humble leaders
recognize they do not have all the
answers. As is often the case, their direct
reports are closer to a situation and have
the best opportunity to offer a solution.
Servant-style leaders inspire
others to reach their potential. Good
leaders do not have to possess all
the operational skill sets to run the
organization. They must be able
to surround themselves with the
people who excel in these operational
functions and inspire them to achieve
success. These leaders must have
enough confidence in themselves to
allow others to shine in areas they
may not have expertise in. Are the
best sales managers necessarily the
best salespeople? Of course not. But
they understand how to draw out and
nurture these skills in others. When
managers move past the desire for selfrecognition,
they are well on their way
to becoming leaders.
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Michele Johnson
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Brenda Olson
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+1 651 225 6998
Transitioning to leadership
Can managers employ a servant-style
leadership approach? If they ever
want to take a vacation, they will need
to depend on the abilities of their
team. Managers are often charged
with creating standards, measuring
performance and generally ensuring
that the status quo is maintained.
Yes, there are growth goals to be
achieved, but those can never be
realized without the full support
and creativity of their team.
If managers want to become good
Getting our message to the right
audience is difficult, and ATA
makes it easy.
Kara Longmire, Co President/CEO
Alert Rental
member since 2019
Sara Schaefer
sara.schaefer@textiles.org
+1 651 225 6940
Angie West
angie.west@textiles.org
+1 651 225 6989
New to ATA? Contact Amy Collins
at amy.collins@textiles.org
or +1 651 225 6970.
Members Save! Interested in
becoming a member, contact
Kimberly Hay at +1 651 225 6909
or kimberly.hay@textiles.org.
leaders, they must be willing to give up
control. Furthermore, they must quit
providing answers to every situation
or opportunity presented during
the day. When an employee comes
into the office with a problem, the
natural tendency is to give direction
and move on. This is the path of least
resistance. Unfortunately, we have
now told that employee that they are
no longer required to solve problems
78 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / August 2024
http://www.FabricArchitectureMag.com
Specialty Fabrics Review August 2024

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