Epilogue
I hope you have enjoyed Colleen Barrett’s loving Servant Leadership philosophy and the simple truths I have found over the years that make it work so well at Southwest Airlines and other great companies. Don’t make the fatal mistake of thinking that others—like your boss—would benefit from our chat more than you would. Although we hope you pass this book up the hierarchy, don’t miss how Servant Leadership as love in action can help you bloom where you are planted. Every day, we are tempted to see the world through self-serving glasses. And yet, we really make a difference in the lives of others, the performance of our organizations, and our own self-worth when we realize that we are here to love and serve and that leadership is not all about us.
If you feel yourself resisting the message in this book, try reading it again with an attitude of discovery. Perhaps you’ll realize, if you didn’t get it in the first reading, that leading with love is the only way to get great results and human satisfaction at the same time.
Colleen and I are convinced that human beings, working together in service to each other, can make a real difference in the world. You may say, as John Lennon sang, that we’re dreamers. But as Harriet Tubman said:
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Always remember, you have within you the strength,
the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars
to change the world.”
Blessings on you and the people whose lives you touch.