In his book “Servant Leadership,” Greenleaf mentions “language systems”. We use a tool called “language” to exchange information among members who share the same “language”.
However, what happens when the “language” becomes something that is exchanged only within a closed space? Greenleaf says the following.
Many people try to squeeze all their experiences into one coherent language system. In doing so, they create a world in which they speak only their own language and can only exist within it, and they try to protect that world by having their peers live in the same language world.
Naturally, this is where cult groups are born. A cult is a group that isolates itself in this way from the ever-developing mainstream. Because they remain in their own closed linguistic society, they lose the opportunity to lead others. It is a great tragedy when leaders, who by all accounts are competent, are trapped in this closed world of language and lose the ability to lead.
What do we Japanese imagine when we hear only the English word “servant leader” without being exposed to the content of “Servant Leadership” advocated by Greenleaf?
Many of us feel that “a servant is a servant, and such a leader sounds strange and contradictory”. I feel that many people take it as a contradiction. English is not the native language of the Japanese, so if you are stuck in the “Japanese system,” you may miss the chance to learn the “essence” of servant leadership.
I have touched on the difference in nuance between English and Japanese. However, Greenleaf’s “language system” does not refer to the difference in language at the national level, but rather to what happens when there is a discrepancy that occurs as a matter of course even in interactions within one’s native language.
The essence of coaching is “openness”. Coaching is about being open and accepting various phenomena without preconceptions.
And since coaching is a “dialogue,” it is a relationship built on the exchange of “words”. That is why it is important to be sensitive to the weight of Greenleaf’s words.
（The above English translation is for a reference purpose only and a re-translation of the Japanese into English. Accordingly, please refer to the original text as appropriate.）
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This article was written in Japanese and converted into English using a translation tool. We hope you will forgive us for any inadequacies.
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