Servant Leadership

 In the midst of a tumultuous post-election season, we lost a humble, but impactful, national leader. Former Maryland Senator, Paul Sarbanes, best known for the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act which overhauled accounting rules for publicly held business, died on December 6, 2020 in Baltimore.

Sometimes described as a “phantom senator,” he maintained a low profile and rarely issued news releases or held news conferences. Not comfortable with the backslapping, glad-handing and grandstanding of public office, he avoided the spotlight and the social circuit in the nation’s capital. Rather, he drove home to Baltimore each night to be with his family.  

Mr. Sarbanes described himself as a “different sort of politician. I’m not always out there blowing my own trumpet. . . . You can get a lot done if you let others take some, maybe all, of the credit for it.”

Throughout his public service, he worked to promote low-income housing, environmental protection and preservation, investor protection, and consumer privacy, and helped shape legislation affecting Social Security, tax policy and campaign financing. In 1974, while serving on the House of Representatives House Judiciary Committee, he drafted the first article of impeachment of President Richard Nixon—something not widely known. 

As I read about Senator Sarbanes’ death, I thought of all of the positive leadership characteristics he possessed and displayed—characteristics discussed in The Manager’s Answer Book. It inspired me to start writing this blog. Committed to his values and principles, he never contradicted them in his actions or words. A collaborator and negotiator, he focused on important, but unglamourous work such as drafting and redrafting amendments, and working on details that drew bipartisan support. 

That other’s sought him out for advice, especially on difficult issues, is a testament to his listening skills and his reputation of being a sound and ethical advisor. He was not afraid to delegate or let other’s take credit. These actions showed that he trusted people, knew their strengths and weaknesses, and recognized what motivated them. He saw value in recognizing other’s accomplishments. 

Critical thinking skills are important in any leader. Sarbanes’ colleagues in the Senate thought of him as someone who studied hard and was meticulously prepared—a clear and thorough thinker. A courageous leader, he knew the issues that were important to the people he represented and advocated for them and for the state’s natural resources rather than grandstand and advocate for his own self interests.

One month to the day after his death, on January 6, 2021, the U. S. Capitol building was stormed by our own citizens brandishing weapons and laying siege to the seat of our government and disrupting a joint session of Congress. Later, when Congress convened, some members took the opportunity to grandstand for their own self interests. This is not leadership in any form. It  certainly is not servant leadership as exemplified by Senator Paul Sarbanes. 

It’s time to have many critical and difficult conversations in our organizations and in our nation.

We’ll leave you with the words of another servant leader we lost in 2020, Representative John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something.” 

Cornelia & Barbara