The servant leader

Daniel Laidlaw

Steve Waugh. The very name now invokes images synonymous with Australian cricket: Aggression, mental toughness, fighting spirit and above all, achievement. So much has already been written about those very traits and characteristics that it is difficult to find anything original to say. What has perhaps not been analysed in detail, though, is the style of Waugh's leadership.

By any measure, Steve Waugh is a great captain. The results alone support that title. Since being awarded the Australian captaincy two-and-a-half years ago, Waugh has led his team to World Cup glory and a record winning streak of 16 consecutive Tests, although still unable to conquer subcontinental strongholds Sri Lanka and India. Whether it is entirely deserving or not, the captain receives the credit or blame for the team's results and, as such, Waugh can only be commended for his team's achievements.

Judging him by the spirit of his team, Waugh has also distinguished himself for the unity he has engendered. Although a winning team is naturally a happy team and vice versa, and taking into account that Australian sportsmen have an inherent propensity to praise their mates by putting a positive spin on events regardless of what they really think, the comments that can be read about Waugh by his players suggest the Australians genuinely are a closely-knit team.

Tactically, Waugh has developed. From the days of uncertainty and self-doubt when first handed the one-day captaincy in 1997/'98, Waugh has apparently learnt that while encouraging contributions from others is important, ultimately he must listen to his own instincts. He seemed to come of age in this regard at the last World Cup - when he probably would have been sacked had Australia failed to progress to the Super Six round - and after the hiccup in Sri Lanka when he broke his nose in a horrific collision with Jason Gillespie, which was reported as a defining moment, managed to transfuse that success into the Test arena from then onwards. Far from being the conservative on-field general some thought he might be, Waugh has flourished and commanded the most attacking side in the world. He has overseen just two draws; both of them heavily rain-affected matches in Sri Lanka.

The other question mark to be found over Waugh's captaincy appointment was the less vital but still influential area of public relations. From our vantage point, Waugh had indeed seemed like a dour and humourless character. Not for us the witty one-liners team-mates used as testimony to his sense of humour. Whereas his predecessor Mark Taylor was the affable diplomat, Waugh was perceived as more the austere autocrat. In such a high-profile and demanding role, how would he cope?

That concern was also proved unfounded as Waugh's comportment in front of the cameras and media has served to enhance his image and give us a more enlightened insight into his character. Like it or not, the image of the captain goes a long way towards determining the perception of the team. Waugh's refreshingly honest approach, at least by sportsmen-to-media standards, has positively shaped the perception of the Australian team.

All of those are the features of Waugh's captaincy. But how would one define those characteristics? Under what category do Waugh's leadership methods fall?

By chance, I was shown a textbook called Supervision: Management in action, by Kris Cole. In the chapter on leadership, I was surprised to discover almost all of the attributes of the Servant Leader perfectly matched Waugh's principles. Steve Waugh is the embodiment of the 21st century leader.

Cole wrote that today we expect leaders to be participative and democratic. "We expect them to empower their work teams, to coach them and support them. We expect them to create a sense of purpose, lead the way by example, and introduce and manage change sensitively. We expect them to innovate and maintain an unwavering customer focus. We expect them to inspire loyalty, dedication and commitment. Leaders have become mentors, helpers and coaches. They are enablers and inspirers." It could have been written about Waugh.

Cole referred to servant leadership writer Robert K. Greenleaf, and a quote attributed to Jesus: "The greatest of you should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves." - Luke 22:26. Cole said that there are very few leaders who can demonstrate this quality in the real world, however, and "for this reason, servant leadership is sometimes thought of as an untested ideal."

In the field of sports leadership, Waugh has tested that ideal and proven it an unmitigated success.

"In essence, servant leaders help followers to grow and reach their potential in their job. They release potential and bring out the best in people." Reading that, one can't help but think of Matthew Hayden, and how he attributed Waugh's belief in him for the confidence that enabled him to have a record series in India.

The attributes of the servant leader describe Waugh's leadership philosophies with remarkable accuracy. Below are just few attributes of the servant leader, from Management in Action:

* They listen carefully and non-judgementally to others' thoughts and opinions, and reflect on what they have heard.
* They make informed decisions based not on short-term benefits for a few but on long-term repercussions (think of Australia's one-day rotation policy, and Waugh's preparedness to omit leading players to give the whole squad experience with the 2003 World Cup in mind). This requires courage and self-denial, since sometimes the best decision will be unpopular (Waugh has been reported as saying he considers telling players they have been dropped the hardest part of his job).
* They have and display empathy and compassion.
* They are not concerned with protecting their own position but with doing what is 'right' according to their own values and standards (Waugh offered to abdicate the one-day captaincy in 1997 due to his own poor form and that of the team).
* They are decisive and flexible: having weighed up the alternatives they commit to a path of action unreservedly while remaining open to new information.

One important feature of Waugh's captaincy the Servant Leader chapter does not describe in depth is leadership by example, one of the chief hallmarks of his tenure and a valuable quality for any cricket captain. Waugh remains Australia's best batsman and continues to inspire by personal example. He reinforces his ideal of "backing yourself" by doing just that, utilising self-belief to consistently face down the best bowlers and rescue his team.

It is one thing to speak about believing in yourself, but when the players see that faith in one's own abilities lead to success for the man championing it, how can they help but believe and follow his example?

During Australia's last 18 Tests, commencing with the start of the streak of 16 victories and encompassing the two defeats in India, Waugh remained Australia's leading batsman, his 6 centuries in that time three more than the next best. In two of those, Waugh came to the crease when Australia was three down for less than fifty. And successfully backed himself to overcome. The servant leader, leading from the front.

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