The Secret

What Great Leaders Know & Do

BY K. BLANCHARD & M. MILLER

 Being a Boss
• Being the boss does not make you a leader.
• People may follow a title for a short while but will fall
aside if they realise that the boss:
- is not interested in serving them
- is only interested in getting them to do what
he wants, when he wants it.
 Introduction to the Book
• The book tells the leadership development story of
Debbie Brewster, a struggling leader who sees
herself as a ‘boss’.
• Like a conventional boss, Debbie puts out fires &
tells others what to do.
• The Problem: The numbers for her team are falling
& she doesn’t know why.
• Through a mentor program with the President of the
company, Debbie discovers the secret of
what great leaders know & do.
 What Great Leaders Know & Do
The authors demonstrate in a very simple way,
the incredible yet basic principles of leadership worth
following.
“Great leaders don’t become great in a moment –
or in a month or a year.
They become great leaders one day at a time
throughout their lifetimes.
You’ll never finish.”
- The Secret
The story’s protagonist, Debbie, discovers that all great
leaders must S.E.R.V.E.
S.E.R.V.E. Model of Leadership
 S = See the Future

“Leadership is about taking people

from one place to another.
One of a leader’s top priorities must be to assure
that the team knows where you are headed.”
- The Secret
 S = See the Future
• Vision & leadership go together.
• Leaders provide a compelling vision by communicating
a picture of a preferred future.
• Key questions for this practice.:
• What do I want our organisation to accomplish?
• What do I want to be true in the future that isn’t true today?

• Vision must be communicated & recommunicated

throughout the team & organisation.
• Your values are key to creating a compelling vision.
They will shape the future you & your team want to
create.
 E = Engage & Develop Others

“You want to do more than enlist their hands –

you want to engage their heads & hearts also.”
- The Secret
 E = Engage & Develop Others

• The key word in this practice: PEOPLE

• Recruitment & Selection is often overlooked by leaders.
• Communicating vision begins with the recruitment
process.
• Key questions during the recruitment process:
• Are the organisation’s values & vision being communicated to
the potential hire?
• Do they naturally fit with those values?
 E = Engage & Develop Others

• Once on the team, the leader is responsible for

investing & developing the people they’ve brought
together.

• Key questions for this practice:

• What do engaged people look like?
• What do my people need to be more engaged?
• How can I help my people grow – as a group & individually?
 R = Reinvent Continuously

“Great leaders…
are always interested in ways to enhance their own
knowledge and skills.
The very best leaders are learners.”
- The Secret
 R = Reinvent Continuously
• Without the constant pursuit of new ideas, the team will
grow stagnant.
• The old proverb, ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’, kills
excitement & progress.
• Change & Improvement are essential for the team to move
forward & achieve the vision.
• Nothing kills momentum faster than a team who is willing
to embrace change & a leader who is not.
• Key questions for this practice:
• As a leader, how I need to change?
• What structural changes could we make to accelerate progress?
• What should my development focus be for the coming year?
V = Value Results & Relationships

“The way to maximize your results as a leader

is to have high expectations for both
results and relationships.”
- The Secret
 V = Value Results & Relationships
• Results without relationships breed frustration.
Relationships without results breed complacency.
• Successful leadership involves both people & performance.
• Compromising on either of these values will undermine
long-term performance.
• Key questions for this practice:
• What happens if I overvalue results?
What happens if I overvalue relationships?
• Which is my personal bias as a leader – results or relationships?
• What will be the consequences if I don’t broaden my definition of
success?
 E = Embody the Values

“The best teachers are always those who know

they haven’t got it figured out.”
- The Secret
 E = Embody the Values
• This practice revolves around trust & credibility.
• When a leader embodies the values of the team & the
organisation consistently, the team will learn to trust
them.
• ‘You teach what you know, but you always reproduce who
you are.’
• Without credibility, there is no trust.
• Key questions for this practice:
• What values do I want to drive the behaviour of my organisation?
• What values do I most consistently model?
• What are my actions communicating to the team?
 Conclusion: Serving or Self-serving?
A leader must ask themselves,
‘Am I a serving leader or a self-serving leader?’
A great leader is one who crafts a vision & invites others
to journey along with them – empowering & developing
others along the road.

“The primary concept is that regardless

of their formal title or position,
people who want to be great leaders
must embrace an attitude of service to others.”
- The Secret
 A Serving Leader – Nelson Mandela
• Wrongfully jailed for 28 years, yet, he
wasn’t angry upon release. Invited his
jailers to the inauguration when he
was elected President.
• Came out with a desire to serve & help.
• Had a vision of the future.
• Gathered people around him he could
develop.
• Continued learning all the time, even
in jail.
• Walked the values, and valued people
& results.
 A Serving Leader – Martin L. King Jr.
• Possessed a powerful vision.
‘a dream, that one day people will
not be judged by the colour of their
skin, but by the content of their
character.’
• Constantly pursued new
directions & addressed the topic
of civil rights from all directions.
• Inspired others & engaged them
in his vision.
Thank You