Dan Harris: Servant Leader

Background of Dan Harris
This section looks at the background of Dan Harris and frames it in such a way that exemplifies him as a servant leader. Dan Harris was born in 1949 in Ohio and grew up on a farm, which taught him what hard work means. Harris’s family also taught him to work hard, be kind to others, and to help others without expectations. Growing up, Harris focused on school and doing well. The most important influences in Harris’s life are his father (taught him to work hard, be honest, be kind, and to be at peace with the world), Jesus Christ (taught him to put others first), Woody Holiday (General GMC manager, stood up for Harris and believed in him), Herman Hoffman, (Harris’s boss in the military was sort of like another father
to him). Harris admits that he “wanted to emulate them because of how caring they were, they were the type of leader he wanted to be.”
Harris describes himself as being honest and having a positive outlook on life. He tries to learn from his mistakes, as well as, from the mistake other people make. Harris spent a lot of time in the military, which greatly influenced not only who he is, but the type of leader he is. Harris believes that it is crucial for one to always do their best no matter what and to care for others. Harris has gone through numerous careers, along with, life changes throughout his life and without hesitation admits that he has no regrets about any of the decisions he has made in his life. Harris’s latest profession is a real estate and he finds his work extremely fulfilling. He continues to evolve and change, which makes the field challenging and interesting. He believes that people can always find time to give back and that it is very rewarding. Dan is a very spiritual individual and he believes that “believing is God gives someone a strong purpose in life. It sets most of the standards for how to live one’s life. Life is short and there are things we can do to make it meaningful for oneself and make it purposeful for others too. It is nice knowing and having the satisfaction that there is a life hereafter.”
Harris believes that he leads a “follow me” leadership style.
Harris trusts that “listening to other people is probably one of the best ways to be a successful leader.” Harris does not think that it is acceptable for a “leader” to criticize subordinates publicly, he would never do that. Dan admits that he never had any formal training on how to be a leader, instead, he learned to be an effective leader by watching other people. Many of Harris’s workers have personally told him that they enjoy working with/for him. Harris believes that in order to be an effective leader, a leader must work at it and always think about how to improve oneself for the benefit of everyone. Also, “a leader must lead by example and be overly knowledgeable in the field or the issue at hand. Doing so earns respect from peers because they know that you have put the time and effort into them and the company.” Dan reveals that characters in the Bible have also influenced his leadership style, specifically, Jesus Christ, Moses, and Saul. As well, Robert Schuller (preacher and wrote a lot of books on the power of positive thinking) and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale influenced his leadership style. He likes both of their delivery styles because they encourage one to do better and he appreciates their positive thoughts/outlook on
life.
Dan defines a servant leader as “someone that is willing to do the job before they ask someone else to do it. Subordinates know that servant leaders are willing and probably already have put the work in order to succeed.” He also points out the obvious “Follow me – lead by example” description. Still, Dan believes that followers can be leaders. He trusts that everyone has the qualities to be a leader if they have the desire. Harris makes it a point to praise his colleagues and make sure that their needs are fulfilled. Harris always makes sure to enact his word and he asks his subordinates how they think a problem should be solved. He cares about his subordinates and the solutions they have to the problems that arise. He understands that in order for the company to thrive, they must work as a group and so far this approach has not let him down. Harris leads a “follow me” style so that he can serve his followers. Overall, it is clear to see that who he is and the characteristics he possesses reflect what it means to be a servant leader.
Conclusion
Once more, this paper argues that Dan Harris exemplifies the epitome of a servant leader in the way that it is defined, characterized, and is found to be supported by organizations.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a working definition of servant leadership, as originally defined by Greenleaf the founder of servant leadership, by identifying characterizations and findings of servant leadership. Through the examination of the definitions, characteristics, and conclusions of servant leadership focuses, it is revealed that Dan Harris embodies what it means to be a servant leader.
As well, the first section of this paper discusses the review of literature in order to fully comprehend what servant leadership means and what it entails. The second section of this paper overviews the methodology necessary to obtain imperative information on a servant leader in relation to a chosen leader, which contains an interview. The third section of this paper includes a brief background of the chosen leader, Dan Harris. This background comprises his life story, in addition to, aspects of his life and characteristics that points to why he is, in fact, a servant leader. The fourth section of this paper applies how the characteristics of Dan Harris correlate to what it means to be a servant leader, this is the application
process.
Ultimately, Harris closely relates to what Greenleaf says a servant leader should exemplify. Harris is a servant first and he serves others because he wants to, not because he feels as though he has to. Harris lives the “follow me” mentality that is constantly discussed throughout this paper. Harris enacts a “follow me” attitude because he was a member of the military and understands the importance of leading by example and serving one’s followers in order to ensure the success of everyone. In all, leaders must possess a servant leadership style in order to be a unified and progressive country, which could lead to a unified and progressive nation.