Servant Leadership 22/11/10

Ladies and gentlemen,

• Thank you very much for this invitation • Thanks to Elmer Mulder of VUmc as initiator • Follow-up on conference Atlanta • Interesting programme, now establishing is at stake

Serving Leadership

• Today’s world requires a new sort of leadership • We face a financial, a moral and a climate crisis • Morality is an important issue from my point of view • Robert Greenleaf connected two phenomena that seemed incompatible: ‘serving’ and ‘leadership’

• A delicate balance, we try to find at VU University as well • Core values VU: open, responsible, on a human scale, go well with it

SL requires • Listening, receiving and sending in balance • Interest, openness, empathy • Management by trust, not by fear • Creating room for creativity, no fear making mistakes • Empowerment, modesty, responsibility • Disposal of ethical vision and courage

Some Challenges on Servant Leadership we face at VU University

Rules - exceptions

• Rule is a tool, not a goal on its own • We should create ‘hyperculture’ in two ways: • Local practice and global service on a higher scale • Global level reaches higher level by diversity

Section - total organization • SL should be and feel responsible for the whole organization • Autonomy high: now towards more cooperation with other faculties • To: new system of governance

Control - passion

• SL could use and evoke passion • Creating ideal circumstances for excellence • Empowerment

Specific - diffuse

• From: specific culture, starting with concrete point • To: more diffuse culture, to build from the context • Finding a balance between these two is a challenge • More related with the world around us, is a need: • New partnerships • Zuidas, Community of Amsterdam, colleagues, companies

Long term – short term

• SL should balance between short term and durability • Prioritize • SL should solve this topic in a creative way • No ‘tunnelvision’

On the agenda of VU University

• Strategic Plan (IP) • Training Academic leadership • Curriculum Tactical leadership • Exchange with VUmc • Identity (Werkgroep Identiteit) plays a part as well as VU-Connected • I feel most grateful that SRLE has been established • Hereby I declare SRLE open

Conclusion At VU University we made quite some efforts over the last years. Servant Leadership will be fruitful: internally, by creating the conditions for excellence and creativity. Externally: we are and will be more connected to the world, working motivated, in a safe, inspiring environment. Less dependent from the State, more international. In liberty and in responsibility.

René Smit