The calling of organizations
Organizations are servants too
Organizations are called to pursue their unfinished business. Leaders have to bring their organizations under a noble purpose and invest resources in the well-being of others. Applying the three principles of servanthood achieves three things.
Alignment
What purpose do organizations serve? Organizations serve a master, too. This means individuals can organize because they know the endeavor is greater than any one of them can undertake. Like-minded individuals can work together because they share a common purpose to create something of lasting value.
Differentiation
Organizations' priorities derive from their purpose, and pursuing those priorities distinguishes them from the pack. Pursuing the unfinished business of servanthood shows stakeholders what makes such organizations different. It also means such organizations complement each other, each bringing its distinct competencies to bear on the situation. Individual members take up their organizations' priorities and organize their efforts around those priorities.
Value
Organizations create value for others, generally called their stakeholders. Stakeholders are those affected by what organizations do and therefore are concerned with organizations' decisions.
Transformation
Transformation is the outcome of pursuing the unfinished business of servanthood because organizations understand the need to change and do what it takes to make it happen.
Organizations need two types of people: leaders and managers