Many great points made here! At the end of the day, we will all be called home to our creator God, how would we like to greet him? What kind of reputation do we hope to have? Of course, at that time God will have already known our actions from our earthly life, but wouldn’t it be nice to know that we are entering his kingdom knowing that we strived to live each day of our lives promoting his love towards others? These are the kind of things which servant leaders should always have in their minds. How would I like to be treated? Am I a person who has dignity, and feels valued? These types of questions are ways in which servant leaders lead. But they are not tailored towards themselves. Rather, these questions act as rhetorical which invoke our compassion and service towards others. God created all of us in his image and likeness, and because of this, there is no one human being created better than another. We can only hope to strive to help make the lives of others around us better, which in turn will promote our lives.
This video allowed me to understand in more depth what servant leadership is and how it can be applied in the business world. I learned through the video that the leadership style that is most effective is one that allows subordinates within a company to feel recognized and appreciated. The part of the video that resonated with me the most was when Donnie Smith described organizational structures as a peach tree, and how he said that the stars of the show are the peaches. This is much different than the structure of a pyramid, where the CEO is at the top of the pyramid. The analogy that Smith was making here was that a CEO is supposed to support a group of leaders who are the stars of the show, rather than constantly "ordering around" subordinates within a company. Smith made the point that those within the pyramid seem to only be focused on themselves, which is the opposite of what Jesus teaches. Ultimately, this type of leadership style is one that is prideful and arrogant. Smith emphasizes that servant leadership is much more fulfilling because this style of leadership allows for honoring God. Servant leadership is ultimately about teamwork, humility, and having courage. This video is definitely something that I will carry into my professional career, as I pay attention to the types of leadership styles that I will come across in the future.
When watching this video for my MGT 310 class at the Catholic University of America, I wanted to look at the aspects of leadership displayed here that show leaders looking to help their subordinates in any way possible. The connection I made was to one of the better leadership organizations in the world, the United States Marine Corps. The Marines practice servant leadership, as mentioned in the video, in a way of their own as leaders are willing to do whatever it takes to help their men succeed and even die for their men if necessary. Now this is different than in business as the stakes are much lower since they are not life and death. I make this connection because the video talks about leadership in ways of trying to do anything to better the experience of your subordinates and the marines have shown that this type of leadership is incredibly effective. I also loved the point of how a CEO is supposed to ensure the growth of a company and make sure that it progresses, not to reign over it with an iron fist. This is the application of servant leadership and this video does a great job of showing this. I truly believe that the application of servant leadership will allow any business to see drastically better results and have a much better culture for employees to work in.
Although what Mr. Smith is saying sounds pretty straight-forward and simple to apply in you business, especially if you're the manager/leader. However, as surprising as it is, the business model with all of the titles for the CEO, CFO, COO, and so on, is still the "norm" in business, rather than following something closer to that of the peach tree, where the overall wellbeing of the tree is more important than just one particular "branch". In other words, what I believe this analogy is trying to teach us, is that if want the best fruit from our labor, one must care for the business from the bottom up, or rather, from the workers in the business. Another thing that surprised me from this lecture was how Mr. Smith says that the executives in the business are mostly looking out for themselves, and therefore, they won't ask the worker if they need anything. This immediately reminded me of "the golden rule" where you treat others the way you'd like to be treated, and if executives followed this, then I figure their business model will begin to look a lot more like the peach tree.
I really enjoyed this talk because I do not think this is something brought up enough, especially in such a corporate-driven society. The idea of the peach tree is how a company can best operate for everyone involved. It is much easier to be on the top of a pyramid because not only do you feel higher, but you can push your responsibilities lower. You become your job, as the video says, and you forget why you started with the company in the first place. Taking on the peach tree method helps to keep company goals alive and well. It makes an environment where people are looking for progress in the position. Taking into account passion for change and less about wages. To take this model is surely more difficult, but it is simply because those above cannot stomp on those below anymore. It becomes a true place for hope, growth, and change. It makes the work environment into a team environment because with a ladder each rung is separate and there will always be those above and below, but with a tree, every part is needed, so all will work together for the good of the whole. The self becomes secondary to the goals of the whole.
This video is required viewing by my students at (the other) CU, The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC; The Busch School of Business, MGT 310 Leadership and Organization.
Would have loved, if its less about a religious view of it.. But the message and explanation about servant leadership is amazing! Thank you! ❤️ Edit: (Sorry, didn't know it's a christian university 😅🤗)
Donnie Smith does an excellent job of describing the organizational structures of different companies, and how leadership can improve the efficiencies of these structures. The first structure discussed is one of which I would avoid when applying for positions. This is the pyramid structure, where the CEO sits at the top and each level below represents its employees. At the base of the pyramid are the entry-level positions, who hold no leadership power. Donnie calls this a "self-serving" hierarchy, one that is lead by arrogance of making decisions because they are simply higher on the food chain. This type of culture is not an environment someone would want to work in, especially if a newly graduate will be entering at the bottom of the pyramid. To combat this, Smith uses the example of a peach tree for an organization. This peach tree is built from the ground up, and the workers represent the stars of the organization, or the "peaches". The CEO does not overlook, but encourages the backbone of the organization. This is a type of servant leadership that is led by unity and collaboration. A structure should always be created to mimic a peach tree, rather than a pyramid.
Donnie Smith discusses the importance of servant leadership. He begins by mentioning two types of leaders, self-serving and servant. Self-serving leaders are prideful and fearful as opposed to servant leaders who are humble and courageous. To understand what makes a servant leader successful, we must examine their hearts, heads, and habits. Servant leaders must be purposeful at heart. In time we discover what needs we are put on this earth to meet. I aim to pursue a career in air traffic control as there is a constant need to ensure safe air travel. By working and earning a salary, I am able to provide for my own needs as well. We must also acknowledge the difference between our standard of living versus our standard for living. The latter must be prioritized. Servant leaders must use their thoughts, and ideas to unleash skills through training. For example, Jumpstart, a national early education organization, requires members to participate in a variety of yearly training including, teamwork, diversity, and behavioral courses. As a former member, I attribute a lot of my success in the workplace to key lessons I learned in the training. Lastly, our habits must be intentional. We must hold ourselves accountable to make the main thing the main thing.
Smith describes 2 different leadership styles: one that is popular and one that is effective. He leads the speech with appreciation for his faith. He begins to describe the traditional pyramid of leadership from the top to the bottom of the company based on the organizational structure of the company. This is the “popular” type of leadership he mentioned. The CEOs and Board Members see themselves as superior and more valuable than those at the bottom. It changes their treatment of those below them and diminishes their worth. They lead with pride and fear. On the contrary, the “effective” leadership style is called servant leadership. Rather than based on the organizational structure of the organization, the servant leader builds his leadership based on a peach tree. The peach tree builds from the ground-up, acknowledging the value and importance of everyone in the organization, even those all the way at the bottom. The CEO in this scenario is at the bottom to provide support and structure, rather than being a figure praised at the top. A peach tree can’t be a peach tree without peaches. The peaches are the people who work hard every single day without a specific title, but that the company can not exist without.
CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, presents an insightful lecture on the importance of servant leadership. He breaks down the organizational structure of many companies (pyramidal) which affects how leaders treat their subordinates. This structure is referred to as a “self-serving” hierarchy. The leaders in this hierarchy are driven by fear and pride. This mindset skews the perspective of leaders and in turn the goals of the company as they believe their subordinates are less valuable than themselves. A more prosperous organizational structure (peach tree) is one with a servant leadership. When there is a servant leader in charge, they are purposeful and humble, which are attributes required to encourage subordinates. This structure is built from the bottom up and the subordinates are the “peaches” of the organization. The servant leader in this setting is the backbone of the organization and supports his staff.
In this video Donnie Smith goes over the two most popular leadership styles. Mr. Smith illustrates the traditional leadership model through a pyramid structure. At the top of the corporate structure is the CEO, then continues down the ladder to vice presidents, managers, and assistant managers to the “people that actually work”. This ladder encourages a style of leadership that makes the leader think that they are better than their subordinates, the people below them on the ladder; these people are called self serving leaders. The self serving leaders are also driven by two factors: fear and pride: fear of losing their position and pride from having the position because it is the only thing that they have. Mr Smith contrasts the Pyramid with a peach tree. The tree model is the inverse of the pyramid. The CEO is the bottom of the model and provides the resources for the peaches, the workers, to grow and flourish. Smith goes into what makes a good servant leader from the peach tree. The servant leader requires qualities from the heart and head. From the heart the leader needs: caring, purpose, courage, and principled. From the head the leader needs: an understanding of teamwork, PUCK ((Purpose mission values), unleashing mission, creating team power, and keeping it positive through regular mission and reward. I found this video extremely valuable as it demonstrates why it is necessary for the leader to put their ego aside and be a positive influence for the company.
The former president and CEO of Tyson Foods says that most leaders inform their leadership style based off of their organizational structure. He describes two main types of leadership. The more popular mindset is that leaders in the organization think they’re more valuable or more important to the company compared to subordinates. This mindset is dangerous because no one person is more valuable than another employee for the organization. People are only compensated and titled differently because of the level of specialty of their skills. He describes these types of leaders as self-serving because they are mainly concerned with pride and fear that their self-worth would be diminished without their title. I hadn’t thought about the mindset that surrounds this type of leadership because I have been exposed to many people in this position. Instead of holding the pyramidal mindset, he gives the symbolism of an organizational structure of a peach tree. The CEO is supposed to provide stability, structure, and direction to their group of leaders who support the people doing the work. This was an interesting comparison because it works out that it creates a good example of the relationships needed for a successful company culture.
The video goes over the philosophy of former CEO of Tysons foods Donnie Smith. Smith goes over how there are two kinds of leaders a self-serving leader and a servant leader two opposites side of each spectrum. A self-serving leader is not worried about others he is just worried about himself and leads by implementing fear or how Smith mentions not caring about the peaches on the peach tree. While a servant leader is the complete opposite he cares about the whole peach tree and every single one of them. A servant leader is led by the first quality of a leader and that is humility and courage. Self-serving leaders are all about appearances and what makes them look good while a servant leader is about putting you in an environment in which you can thrive and be successful. Donnie Smith gives the basics of a leader and what one should do in the future to be successful. We all have to live our lives with humility and courage.
Tysons Food CEO, Donnie Smith, highlights the importance of servant leadership and defines the difference between self-serving and servant leaders. Self-serving leaders are those egotistical and prideful leaders who have no connection to their subordinates. They do not recognize their subordinates' accomplishments and appreciate their contribution to the company, creating a somewhat fearful and toxic work environment. They lead with arrogance, not allowing employees to think for themselves, restricting them from gaining their leadership skills. Servant leaders are those with humility and courage. They do their best to connect with their subordinates in numerous ways to genuinely show their appreciation for them. They always direct their actions with a purpose instead of aimlessly acting or acting with malice or greed. By conducting business in a matter that makes employees feel appreciated, it gives them the freedom to be creative and apply purpose to their task, directly adding to the company. Servant leaders are the type of leaders that create future leaders, while self-serving does not.
This video on servant leadership serves as a great informational introduction to former CEO and president of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, and his beliefs on what the best form of leadership looks like. Smith presents us with two styles of leadership: popular and effective. Donnie Smith describes popular leadership as believing that you are more important or valuable than your subordinates. This form of leadership creates many problems as the one in charge does not see eye to eye with those who work underneath them. On the other hand, we see the better style of leadership known as effective leadership. Smith believes that this style is servant leadership, which he describes through a peach tree. First, let's take a look at a peach tree. We see the foundation and the branches holding the peaches while they shine in the sunlight. As said by Donnie Smith, the CEO is the trunk or foundation of the peach tree while his/her subordinates are the peaches on top. The CEO provides structure and support to the peaches and allows for them to get the praise the peaches on the tree are the stars of the show. I believe that this is an excellent illustration of servant leadership as it emphasizes the value and importance of workers to a company.
Donnie Smith starts this presentation with describing the two forms of leadership. The first from of leader is what he calls, “self-serving leadership.” This leadership is where there are many positions in which that may not produce the most productivity for the company. This company starts at the top with the CEO and goes down from there. This is self-serving as this employees in these higher positions are only worried about their title rather than the amount of work they are getting done. These people are motivated by fear and pride. The fear is that they lose their title and the position in the company that goes along with it. This is also, why they would not give up these titles as they have too much pride for this to happen. The model that has already been mentioned is in a pyramid shape while the next model he describes is a peach tree. While the pyramid has a point at the top for the CEO while the peach tree does not. The peach tree itself is the star of the show. Therefore, the peach tree has the company as a whole as the star of the show.
In this video, Donnie Smith focuses on the organizational structures of companies and how these structures impact the leadership of everyone on the corporate ladder. He first starts with a self-serving leadership model which is a pyramid diagram with the CEO at the top and it funnels down to the entry-level workers at the bottom. The people in this structure are only focused on themselves as they are driven by fear and pride. A self-serving culture where employees lead by their fear and pride is a toxic environment because they are ego-driven instead of the team and think of their subordinates as less valuable. As Donnie says, the better way to lead is from the bottom up, or in his example, like a peach tree. The CEO doesn’t overlook those below but instead provides the structure, resources, and stability for the company. The CEO shouldn’t be the star, the workers at the bottom who put in the sweat and tears should be the ones at the top like the peaches. This type of leadership is servant leadership where the people are driven by humility and courage. When a company is structured like a peach tree and led through servant leadership, everyone in the company has the necessary resources to thrive and be great.
In this video, former President and CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith discusses two types of leaders,one being very popular, the other being very effective. They are servant leaders and self-serving leaders. Self-serving leaders are driven by fear and pride. The people in the higher positions think of those below them as “less valuable”because they do not have the same title as they do. We then continue to Mark 10:35-45 in the Bible, and discuss how God ultimately decides who gets the right or left seat and those who have that high position should also serve, because having that high power position is not a good way to lead. Explaining the role of a CEO on a peach tree rather than a triangle model, describes how the CEO is at the base and provides structure and direction for the company, AKA the rest of the tree. The servant leader is driven by humility and courage. This is the type of leader many want to be led by and it's done by collaboration and determination. A servant leader has a heart which includes caring, purposeful, courage, and principle, and a head which includes a multitude of other characteristics. This video definitely enlightened me to what qualities to look for in someone who leads me and how I can lead others.
In this video, former president and CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, talks about two kinds of leaders: the first is the self-serving leader who is driven by fear and pride. All their self worth comes from their position, and so they are most afraid of getting demoted. The other kind is the servant leader, the perfect exemplar of whom is Jesus Christ Himself, who “didn’t come to be served, but to serve” (Gospel of Luke). Perhaps the greatest difference between the two types of leaders is the function that work plays in their lives. The self-serving leader’s work is the final end or goal of his action; he lives to work. The servant leader’s work, on the other hand, is simply a means through which he achieves or works toward his final end or goal, i.e. the serving of others, and ultimately, of God. The servant leader works to live. The difference between these two attitudes manifests itself in how each of these leaders views and interacts with others. Because the self-serving leader’s work is the ultimate goal of his life, the people with whom he works and who work for him are simply means to his own success. Others exist chiefly to serve the self-serving leader. In contrast, because the servant leader’s work is simply a means to the ultimate goal of his life, the people with whom he works and who work for him are not merely means to his own success, but are rather ends in themselves.
Donnie Smith focuses on company organizational structures and how these structures affect the leadership of everyone on the corporate ladder in this video. He begins with a self-serving leadership paradigm, which is a pyramid diagram with the CEO at the top and the entry-level workers at the bottom. Because they are driven by fear and pride, the people in this framework are solely concerned with themselves. Employees who lead by fear and pride create a poisonous workplace because they are ego-driven rather than team-driven and regard their subordinates as less valuable. As Donnie points out, the best method to lead is from the bottom up, or as a peach tree in his case.
Wait! Wasn't it Tyson that refused to shut down their plants during the height of the pandemic and their workers were dropping like flies? (dying). Wasn't it also Tyson that was having their workers deported if they complained about working conditions and money? Yeah, it was Tyson....weird..that made this speech that more interesting. Even servant leaders serve one lord, and that's the "chair and stock holders".
I want to find out how I can invite Donnie Smith or someone on your faculty to speaker at our networking event - Servant Leader Networking for Officers and Directors is an online event. It lets you discover in less than 90 minutes, how you can start deploying new online models for getting new members, avid sponsors and recurring revenue. Who It’s For The Officers & Directors Servant Leader Networking Event is for you if: 1) You are a current or past OFFICER or DIRECTOR or MEMBER OF THE BOARD of your Chamber of Commerce, Business Association, Foundation or NGO. 2) You are looking to add more members and corporate sponsors and to add recurring revenue for your organization. 3) You are are a Corporate Officer seeking to know and sponsor servant leaders who are already conducting global online events.
Amazing! and just what I needed to hear about serving as a leader, the right way...thank you Mr. Smith
Very useful and powerful inspiring word for budding Christian leaders.
Many great points made here! At the end of the day, we will all be called home to our creator God, how would we like to greet him? What kind of reputation do we hope to have? Of course, at that time God will have already known our actions from our earthly life, but wouldn’t it be nice to know that we are entering his kingdom knowing that we strived to live each day of our lives promoting his love towards others? These are the kind of things which servant leaders should always have in their minds. How would I like to be treated? Am I a person who has dignity, and feels valued? These types of questions are ways in which servant leaders lead. But they are not tailored towards themselves. Rather, these questions act as rhetorical which invoke our compassion and service towards others. God created all of us in his image and likeness, and because of this, there is no one human being created better than another. We can only hope to strive to help make the lives of others around us better, which in turn will promote our lives.
This video allowed me to understand in more depth what servant leadership is and how it can be applied in the business world. I learned through the video that the leadership style that is most effective is one that allows subordinates within a company to feel recognized and appreciated. The part of the video that resonated with me the most was when Donnie Smith described organizational structures as a peach tree, and how he said that the stars of the show are the peaches. This is much different than the structure of a pyramid, where the CEO is at the top of the pyramid. The analogy that Smith was making here was that a CEO is supposed to support a group of leaders who are the stars of the show, rather than constantly "ordering around" subordinates within a company. Smith made the point that those within the pyramid seem to only be focused on themselves, which is the opposite of what Jesus teaches. Ultimately, this type of leadership style is one that is prideful and arrogant. Smith emphasizes that servant leadership is much more fulfilling because this style of leadership allows for honoring God. Servant leadership is ultimately about teamwork, humility, and having courage. This video is definitely something that I will carry into my professional career, as I pay attention to the types of leadership styles that I will come across in the future.
When watching this video for my MGT 310 class at the Catholic University of America, I wanted to look at the aspects of leadership displayed here that show leaders looking to help their subordinates in any way possible. The connection I made was to one of the better leadership organizations in the world, the United States Marine Corps. The Marines practice servant leadership, as mentioned in the video, in a way of their own as leaders are willing to do whatever it takes to help their men succeed and even die for their men if necessary. Now this is different than in business as the stakes are much lower since they are not life and death. I make this connection because the video talks about leadership in ways of trying to do anything to better the experience of your subordinates and the marines have shown that this type of leadership is incredibly effective. I also loved the point of how a CEO is supposed to ensure the growth of a company and make sure that it progresses, not to reign over it with an iron fist. This is the application of servant leadership and this video does a great job of showing this. I truly believe that the application of servant leadership will allow any business to see drastically better results and have a much better culture for employees to work in.
Although what Mr. Smith is saying sounds pretty straight-forward and simple to apply in you business, especially if you're the manager/leader. However, as surprising as it is, the business model with all of the titles for the CEO, CFO, COO, and so on, is still the "norm" in business, rather than following something closer to that of the peach tree, where the overall wellbeing of the tree is more important than just one particular "branch". In other words, what I believe this analogy is trying to teach us, is that if want the best fruit from our labor, one must care for the business from the bottom up, or rather, from the workers in the business. Another thing that surprised me from this lecture was how Mr. Smith says that the executives in the business are mostly looking out for themselves, and therefore, they won't ask the worker if they need anything. This immediately reminded me of "the golden rule" where you treat others the way you'd like to be treated, and if executives followed this, then I figure their business model will begin to look a lot more like the peach tree.
You are indeed a great leader!
I really enjoyed this talk because I do not think this is something brought up enough, especially in such a corporate-driven society. The idea of the peach tree is how a company can best operate for everyone involved. It is much easier to be on the top of a pyramid because not only do you feel higher, but you can push your responsibilities lower. You become your job, as the video says, and you forget why you started with the company in the first place. Taking on the peach tree method helps to keep company goals alive and well. It makes an environment where people are looking for progress in the position. Taking into account passion for change and less about wages. To take this model is surely more difficult, but it is simply because those above cannot stomp on those below anymore. It becomes a true place for hope, growth, and change. It makes the work environment into a team environment because with a ladder each rung is separate and there will always be those above and below, but with a tree, every part is needed, so all will work together for the good of the whole. The self becomes secondary to the goals of the whole.
Love this! Great message!
We are glad you were able to watch it!
Super, super informative and enriching
Amazing message! Thank you!
This video is required viewing by my students at (the other) CU, The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC; The Busch School of Business, MGT 310 Leadership and Organization.
Would have loved, if its less about a religious view of it.. But the message and explanation about servant leadership is amazing!
Thank you! ❤️
Edit:
(Sorry, didn't know it's a christian university 😅🤗)
Donnie Smith does an excellent job of describing the organizational structures of different companies, and how leadership can improve the efficiencies of these structures. The first structure discussed is one of which I would avoid when applying for positions. This is the pyramid structure, where the CEO sits at the top and each level below represents its employees. At the base of the pyramid are the entry-level positions, who hold no leadership power. Donnie calls this a "self-serving" hierarchy, one that is lead by arrogance of making decisions because they are simply higher on the food chain. This type of culture is not an environment someone would want to work in, especially if a newly graduate will be entering at the bottom of the pyramid. To combat this, Smith uses the example of a peach tree for an organization. This peach tree is built from the ground up, and the workers represent the stars of the organization, or the "peaches". The CEO does not overlook, but encourages the backbone of the organization. This is a type of servant leadership that is led by unity and collaboration. A structure should always be created to mimic a peach tree, rather than a pyramid.
Donnie Smith discusses the importance of servant leadership. He begins by mentioning two types of leaders, self-serving and servant. Self-serving leaders are prideful and fearful as opposed to servant leaders who are humble and courageous. To understand what makes a servant leader successful, we must examine their hearts, heads, and habits. Servant leaders must be purposeful at heart. In time we discover what needs we are put on this earth to meet. I aim to pursue a career in air traffic control as there is a constant need to ensure safe air travel. By working and earning a salary, I am able to provide for my own needs as well. We must also acknowledge the difference between our standard of living versus our standard for living. The latter must be prioritized. Servant leaders must use their thoughts, and ideas to unleash skills through training. For example, Jumpstart, a national early education organization, requires members to participate in a variety of yearly training including, teamwork, diversity, and behavioral courses. As a former member, I attribute a lot of my success in the workplace to key lessons I learned in the training. Lastly, our habits must be intentional. We must hold ourselves accountable to make the main thing the main thing.
Thank you for sharing
Smith describes 2 different leadership styles: one that is popular and one that is effective. He leads the speech with appreciation for his faith. He begins to describe the traditional pyramid of leadership from the top to the bottom of the company based on the organizational structure of the company. This is the “popular” type of leadership he mentioned. The CEOs and Board Members see themselves as superior and more valuable than those at the bottom. It changes their treatment of those below them and diminishes their worth. They lead with pride and fear. On the contrary, the “effective” leadership style is called servant leadership. Rather than based on the organizational structure of the organization, the servant leader builds his leadership based on a peach tree. The peach tree builds from the ground-up, acknowledging the value and importance of everyone in the organization, even those all the way at the bottom. The CEO in this scenario is at the bottom to provide support and structure, rather than being a figure praised at the top. A peach tree can’t be a peach tree without peaches. The peaches are the people who work hard every single day without a specific title, but that the company can not exist without.
CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, presents an insightful lecture on the importance of servant leadership. He breaks down the organizational structure of many companies (pyramidal) which affects how leaders treat their subordinates. This structure is referred to as a “self-serving” hierarchy. The leaders in this hierarchy are driven by fear and pride. This mindset skews the perspective of leaders and in turn the goals of the company as they believe their subordinates are less valuable than themselves. A more prosperous organizational structure (peach tree) is one with a servant leadership. When there is a servant leader in charge, they are purposeful and humble, which are attributes required to encourage subordinates. This structure is built from the bottom up and the subordinates are the “peaches” of the organization. The servant leader in this setting is the backbone of the organization and supports his staff.
In this video Donnie Smith goes over the two most popular leadership styles. Mr. Smith illustrates the traditional leadership model through a pyramid structure. At the top of the corporate structure is the CEO, then continues down the ladder to vice presidents, managers, and assistant managers to the “people that actually work”. This ladder encourages a style of leadership that makes the leader think that they are better than their subordinates, the people below them on the ladder; these people are called self serving leaders. The self serving leaders are also driven by two factors: fear and pride: fear of losing their position and pride from having the position because it is the only thing that they have. Mr Smith contrasts the Pyramid with a peach tree. The tree model is the inverse of the pyramid. The CEO is the bottom of the model and provides the resources for the peaches, the workers, to grow and flourish.
Smith goes into what makes a good servant leader from the peach tree. The servant leader requires qualities from the heart and head. From the heart the leader needs: caring, purpose, courage, and principled. From the head the leader needs: an understanding of teamwork, PUCK ((Purpose mission values), unleashing mission, creating team power, and keeping it positive through regular mission and reward. I found this video extremely valuable as it demonstrates why it is necessary for the leader to put their ego aside and be a positive influence for the company.
The former president and CEO of Tyson Foods says that most leaders inform their leadership style based off of their organizational structure. He describes two main types of leadership. The more popular mindset is that leaders in the organization think they’re more valuable or more important to the company compared to subordinates. This mindset is dangerous because no one person is more valuable than another employee for the organization. People are only compensated and titled differently because of the level of specialty of their skills. He describes these types of leaders as self-serving because they are mainly concerned with pride and fear that their self-worth would be diminished without their title. I hadn’t thought about the mindset that surrounds this type of leadership because I have been exposed to many people in this position. Instead of holding the pyramidal mindset, he gives the symbolism of an organizational structure of a peach tree. The CEO is supposed to provide stability, structure, and direction to their group of leaders who support the people doing the work. This was an interesting comparison because it works out that it creates a good example of the relationships needed for a successful company culture.
The video goes over the philosophy of former CEO of Tysons foods Donnie Smith.
Smith goes over how there are two kinds of leaders a self-serving leader and a servant leader two opposites side of each spectrum. A self-serving leader is not worried about others he is just worried about himself and leads by implementing fear or how Smith mentions not caring about the peaches on the peach tree. While a servant leader is the complete opposite he cares about the whole peach tree and every single one of them. A servant leader is led by the first quality of a leader and that is humility and courage. Self-serving leaders are all about appearances and what makes them look good while a servant leader is about putting you in an environment in which you can thrive and be successful. Donnie Smith gives the basics of a leader and what one should do in the future to be successful. We all have to live our lives with humility and courage.
Tysons Food CEO, Donnie Smith, highlights the importance of servant leadership and defines the difference between self-serving and servant leaders. Self-serving leaders are those egotistical and prideful leaders who have no connection to their subordinates. They do not recognize their subordinates' accomplishments and appreciate their contribution to the company, creating a somewhat fearful and toxic work environment. They lead with arrogance, not allowing employees to think for themselves, restricting them from gaining their leadership skills. Servant leaders are those with humility and courage. They do their best to connect with their subordinates in numerous ways to genuinely show their appreciation for them. They always direct their actions with a purpose instead of aimlessly acting or acting with malice or greed. By conducting business in a matter that makes employees feel appreciated, it gives them the freedom to be creative and apply purpose to their task, directly adding to the company. Servant leaders are the type of leaders that create future leaders, while self-serving does not.
This video on servant leadership serves as a great informational introduction to former CEO and president of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, and his beliefs on what the best form of leadership looks like. Smith presents us with two styles of leadership: popular and effective. Donnie Smith describes popular leadership as believing that you are more important or valuable than your subordinates. This form of leadership creates many problems as the one in charge does not see eye to eye with those who work underneath them. On the other hand, we see the better style of leadership known as effective leadership. Smith believes that this style is servant leadership, which he describes through a peach tree. First, let's take a look at a peach tree. We see the foundation and the branches holding the peaches while they shine in the sunlight. As said by Donnie Smith, the CEO is the trunk or foundation of the peach tree while his/her subordinates are the peaches on top. The CEO provides structure and support to the peaches and allows for them to get the praise the peaches on the tree are the stars of the show. I believe that this is an excellent illustration of servant leadership as it emphasizes the value and importance of workers to a company.
Donnie Smith starts this presentation with describing the two forms of leadership. The first from of leader is what he calls, “self-serving leadership.” This leadership is where there are many positions in which that may not produce the most productivity for the company. This company starts at the top with the CEO and goes down from there. This is self-serving as this employees in these higher positions are only worried about their title rather than the amount of work they are getting done. These people are motivated by fear and pride. The fear is that they lose their title and the position in the company that goes along with it. This is also, why they would not give up these titles as they have too much pride for this to happen. The model that has already been mentioned is in a pyramid shape while the next model he describes is a peach tree. While the pyramid has a point at the top for the CEO while the peach tree does not. The peach tree itself is the star of the show. Therefore, the peach tree has the company as a whole as the star of the show.
In this video, Donnie Smith focuses on the organizational structures of companies and how these structures impact the leadership of everyone on the corporate ladder. He first starts with a self-serving leadership model which is a pyramid diagram with the CEO at the top and it funnels down to the entry-level workers at the bottom. The people in this structure are only focused on themselves as they are driven by fear and pride. A self-serving culture where employees lead by their fear and pride is a toxic environment because they are ego-driven instead of the team and think of their subordinates as less valuable. As Donnie says, the better way to lead is from the bottom up, or in his example, like a peach tree. The CEO doesn’t overlook those below but instead provides the structure, resources, and stability for the company. The CEO shouldn’t be the star, the workers at the bottom who put in the sweat and tears should be the ones at the top like the peaches. This type of leadership is servant leadership where the people are driven by humility and courage. When a company is structured like a peach tree and led through servant leadership, everyone in the company has the necessary resources to thrive and be great.
In this video, former President and CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith discusses two types of leaders,one being very popular, the other being very effective. They are servant leaders and self-serving leaders. Self-serving leaders are driven by fear and pride. The people in the higher positions think of those below them as “less valuable”because they do not have the same title as they do. We then continue to Mark 10:35-45 in the Bible, and discuss how God ultimately decides who gets the right or left seat and those who have that high position should also serve, because having that high power position is not a good way to lead. Explaining the role of a CEO on a peach tree rather than a triangle model, describes how the CEO is at the base and provides structure and direction for the company, AKA the rest of the tree. The servant leader is driven by humility and courage. This is the type of leader many want to be led by and it's done by collaboration and determination. A servant leader has a heart which includes caring, purposeful, courage, and principle, and a head which includes a multitude of other characteristics. This video definitely enlightened me to what qualities to look for in someone who leads me and how I can lead others.
In this video, former president and CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie Smith, talks about two kinds of leaders: the first is the self-serving leader who is driven by fear and pride. All their self worth comes from their position, and so they are most afraid of getting demoted. The other kind is the servant leader, the perfect exemplar of whom is Jesus Christ Himself, who “didn’t come to be served, but to serve” (Gospel of Luke). Perhaps the greatest difference between the two types of leaders is the function that work plays in their lives. The self-serving leader’s work is the final end or goal of his action; he lives to work. The servant leader’s work, on the other hand, is simply a means through which he achieves or works toward his final end or goal, i.e. the serving of others, and ultimately, of God. The servant leader works to live. The difference between these two attitudes manifests itself in how each of these leaders views and interacts with others. Because the self-serving leader’s work is the ultimate goal of his life, the people with whom he works and who work for him are simply means to his own success. Others exist chiefly to serve the self-serving leader. In contrast, because the servant leader’s work is simply a means to the ultimate goal of his life, the people with whom he works and who work for him are not merely means to his own success, but are rather ends in themselves.
Donnie Smith focuses on company organizational structures and how these structures affect the leadership of everyone on the corporate ladder in this video. He begins with a self-serving leadership paradigm, which is a pyramid diagram with the CEO at the top and the entry-level workers at the bottom. Because they are driven by fear and pride, the people in this framework are solely concerned with themselves. Employees who lead by fear and pride create a poisonous workplace because they are ego-driven rather than team-driven and regard their subordinates as less valuable. As Donnie points out, the best method to lead is from the bottom up, or as a peach tree in his case.
Super super
Sheperd smell like sheep, " pope Francis". Very powerful
Nice🤗😍
Wait! Wasn't it Tyson that refused to shut down their plants during the height of the pandemic and their workers were dropping like flies? (dying). Wasn't it also Tyson that was having their workers deported if they complained about working conditions and money? Yeah, it was Tyson....weird..that made this speech that more interesting. Even servant leaders serve one lord, and that's the "chair and stock holders".
I want to find out how I can invite Donnie Smith or someone on your faculty to speaker at our networking event - Servant Leader Networking for Officers and Directors is an online event. It lets you discover in less than 90 minutes, how you can start deploying new online models for getting new members, avid sponsors and recurring revenue.
Who It’s For
The Officers & Directors Servant Leader Networking Event is for you if:
1) You are a current or past OFFICER or DIRECTOR or MEMBER OF THE BOARD of your Chamber of Commerce, Business Association, Foundation or NGO.
2) You are looking to add more members and corporate sponsors and to add recurring revenue for your organization.
3) You are are a Corporate Officer seeking to know and sponsor servant leaders who are already conducting global online events.
Shepherds smell like sheep.