There has been much talk, as of late, in regard to our Industry being a "Service" Industry as opposed to being a "Sales" Industry.
Now, some may argue that in order to provide a service for a client, we must first sell the client on the service! Now, there is some truth to this statement, but in order to sell the client on the service they must first see value. In other words, the prospect must see a valuable commodity before them... something they MUST have!
I know, this starting to sound like the age-old question- Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
In the case of the Martial Arts Industry, it is definitely the egg. Oh! I mean service!
Back when I opened my first school in 1985, my mindset was that when a student joined my school he now had the honor and privilege of being in my presence (The magnificent instructor that I was) and if so deemed (in my infinite wisdom), I would, maybe, impart some knowledge upon him!
Well, times have changed (Thank Goodness)! Today, it's all about service. Now, before we can provide a great service we MUST have a servant's mindset.
Yes, I did say WE! As the Sensei's, Sifu's, Guru's and Kwan Chan Nim's of our organizations, the buck stops with us! Leadership is influence and if we want to influence the rest of our team to have a servant's attitude, we're going to have to lead by example.
Servant Leaders...
· Are motivated by LOVE. The love of our students must be unconditional, unending and unselfish.
· Possesses a security that allows them to serve others. The insecure are into titles, the secure are into cleaning! A Servant Leader will do the little things like clean, help a student with a belt, help the child find his card, or sit with a child when they're crying because their mother still hasn't arrived.
· Initiate servant ministry to others. Don't wait around for someone to clarify protocol. Where there is a need you must meet it.
· Want nothing to hinder their relationship with their students. Our students are truly our teachers! They've been put on this earth to help us become better teachers. Every challenge we have with student is designed to strengthen and stretch us. We DON'T want to miss out on what our students have to teach us.
· Teach servant hood by example. If the Sensei can change, so can the rest of the Team. If he can clean, so can the rest of them (I repeated this twice because it's the one I forget the most!).
· Live a blessed life. By living a servant's life, we will be blessed with all the abundance the world has to offer. Zig Ziglar says that you can have everything in life you want if we just help enough people get what they want.
· Possesses a security that allows them to serve others. The insecure are into titles, the secure are into cleaning! A Servant Leader will do the little things like clean, help a student with a belt, help the child find his card, or sit with a child when they're crying because their mother still hasn't arrived.
· Initiate servant ministry to others. Don't wait around for someone to clarify protocol. Where there is a need you must meet it.
· Want nothing to hinder their relationship with their students. Our students are truly our teachers! They've been put on this earth to help us become better teachers. Every challenge we have with student is designed to strengthen and stretch us. We DON'T want to miss out on what our students have to teach us.
· Teach servant hood by example. If the Sensei can change, so can the rest of the Team. If he can clean, so can the rest of them (I repeated this twice because it's the one I forget the most!).
· Live a blessed life. By living a servant's life, we will be blessed with all the abundance the world has to offer. Zig Ziglar says that you can have everything in life you want if we just help enough people get what they want.
Here are some questions that will help you lead a servant's life: