I saw a fascinating post yesterday trying to push the notion of Servant Leadership yet, it had no idea about servant leadership. The purpose of following or service to another is NOT about outcomes or ‘performance’.  This is just spin for the same old discourse on leadership power, masked through servanthood language.

If one doesn’t serve others or follow as an intrinsic value and act, it’s just a faux method not an orientation. Such language is basically unethical because it hides the philosophy of utility.

I find it amusing when people talk about being ‘new’ and ‘different’ when all such language does is mask the same old philosophy/methodology.

Unless there is movement in orientation/ethic, there is no learning nor change. Serving-following is undertaken because one wants to follow and serve, NOT because one views this as a way to achieve better ‘performance’.

Indeed, serving, helping and following are practices that are profoundly inefficient (https://safetyrisk.net/celebrating-the-joy-of-inefficiencies-in-safety/). It’s only when you take your eyes off objects, outcomes and performance that one can truly serve and follow.

We serve and follow, not because we have to but, because we want to.

Giving up one’s own time for another is profoundly inefficient.

The purpose of organising with others is not to get better outcomes or to measure performance but rather build relationships and live in Socialitie. There is a profound qualitative difference and motivation.

If persons are views as objects or factors (as in Human Factors) in a system, one can never follow or serve. This is because the philosophy of Utilitarianism (seeing persons as utilities) drives one’s purpose.

The purpose of relationships and social meaning is NOT the improvement of systems or outputs.

We live in relationships and Socialitie because we know that this humanises others. And when we improve the quality of our living and being we see an ethical and moral meaning in what we do. The philosophy of Utilitarianism simply sees persons as objects, a means to get to something else.

If you would like to learn more about how such philosophies/methodologies like Utilitarianism drive methods, you can sign up for the Philosophy and Safety workshops starting in May: https://safetyrisk.net/philosophy-for-risk-and-safety-free-workshops/