(1) Investments/Markets
(2) Politics/Global Affairs
(3) Theology/Philanthropy
The goal is to generate actionable ideas that encourage stewardship of opportunities/resources to positively impact the world.
“Alta Mensa” means “High Table” in Latin.
January 2020
]]>Friends of Peter (FOP) is a gathering of unique and beautiful individuals with eclectic skills and talents. FOP is many things. FOP is networking with a soul. FOP is a creative ideation forum. FOP is a dynamic group that thrives under the leadership of Peter.
Who is Peter? Two words: SERVANT LEADER. Peter is a servant leader with a golden heart. As such, I can now think of an additional definition of FOP: support group, service community, and network of servant leaders!
I will close by pointing to one of my favorite writers/thinkers: Robert Greenleaf. I believe he did a superb job in capturing the spirit of servant leadership… the spirit of Peter, the spirit of the individual friends of Peter, and, also, the spirit of the collective Friends of Peter:
“Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world.
While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.
“The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,”servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”[/blockquote][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Richard Eppel, a new friend and a sagacious man, recently shared with me: “Andrei, the greater the promise that you can make and keep, the greater the reward.” I reflected on his observation and realized its potency and veracity.
Forget under-promising and over-delivering. Or over-promising and under-delivering. How about letting you “yes” be “yes” and “no” be “no”? Do what you say and say what you do. Let your actions be congruent with your words. Let your words be an accurate reflection of your actions.
A few closing remarks. Language is influence. It can move things and people. Or it can stop them. Words are powerful. They can build relationships and trust. Or they can foster a climate of distrust and unravel relationships. Communication is architectonic. Communication can create the space where dreams and hopes and love flourish. Or it can forge dungeons where dreams, hope, and love whither.
Pay attention to your communication. Measure your words. Think them well before speaking or writing them. Monitor your language. And, finally, don’t be afraid to make promises. Big promises. And keep them. For your reward will be great. The bigger the promise kept, the greater the reward.
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