Araguaina, May 13, 2009. Course in Business Administration.

Critical Review HUNTER, James C. The monk and the executive: a story about the e
ssence of leadership. Translated by Maria da Conceição F. Magellan. Rio de Jan
eiro: Sextant, 2007.
The Servant: A story about the essence of leadership is a book that won a lot of
readers in Brazil and worldwide. The author used is a fiction, as well as fasci
nating and engaging, enables tellers to have a humanist vision of how to truly b
e the personal and group relations in organizations, be they family, business, g
overnment, etc.. The book begins telling the story of John Daily. Married, fathe
r of two children, a well known company executive, John goes through enormous di
fficulties, both in their family lives and in their professional activities. Wit
h details of his wife, ends up going a few days in a Christian monastery to try
to reflect and put things in order. We may note, we readers, which the author pu
rposely used a very interesting environment to pass on lessons of leadership. A
monastery where all the brothers have the same status: no one is better or worse
than anyone. But there is a dean, the leader they choose, which is responsible
for giving the final say in all matters. This makes a small community where the
habits and relationships are respectful and healthy. Another interesting factor
is that there is a constant concern to meet the orders, such as schedules and du
ty that the brothers have in eating meals together. Thus, it is easy to see that
in the monastery, and an extremely calm, all live and work enthusiastically in
a team. In chapter one, entitled The settings, the author, whose main focuses de
scribes what many do not know: the true meaning of leadership. Makes clear that
leadership can not be confused with power, whereas power is the power to force o
r coerce someone to do your will, because of their position or power, even if th
e person prefers not to do, "and leadership in simple words, "is the ability to
influence people to work enthusiastically in order to achieve common goals, insp
iring confidence through strength of character."
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Review: The Monk and the Executive
He emphasized that the leader uses the authority so that people, regardless of w
hether or not on their subordination, give their best in what they are doing. Wh
en someone uses the power to take advantage of a situation, you can even get res
ults, but over time it becomes very harmful, actually eroding and damaging relat
ionships. However, the leader should not just worry about relationships, but als
o with worry over the tasks. So the key to leadership is "complete tasks while b
uilding relationships." In chapter two the author shows the need and the flexibi
lity that a leader must have to learn to identify the old paradigms and adapt to
new ones. In a simple way he explains that "paradigms are psychological pattern
s, models or maps that we use to navigate in life." Therefore, the paradigms can
both help and hinder people's lives. Following, explains how companies were for
merly comparing them with those of today. In times past, but precisely the perio
d of bureaucratization, the internal structures of the companies were demanding
in order to determine their employees all the attention focused on the top level
, so that all were anxious to meet the wishes of the president, and him only, th
us aiming just profits. Turning to firms today, the new paradigms, as the book,
arrange a new structure, this based on servant leadership, because they all tend
to customer satisfaction, and profit a result of this commitment. Thus, in chap
ter three, is formulated a model of leadership, where, briefly, is based on lead
ership, authority, service and sacrifice, love, and desire. When the author refe
rs to service and sacrifice, is based on the roles of leadership, to serve, ie t
o identify and meet the legitimate needs. In the process of meeting needs you mu
st often make sacrifices for those who are served. Therefore, one should always
focus on the care of not satisfying the desires of the people, but necessary. An
d that requires much got pregnant, because the intentions mean little if not acc
ompanied by actions. And according to the author, "intentions more shares will b
e equal." Later, in chapter four, entitled The Word, Hunter,€after having worke
d the principles of leadership behavior and specified that a person must acquire
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Review: The Monk and the Executive
to become leader, then begins to exclusively entertain the most important factor
in the leadership: agape love. We can say that agape love is defined as "the ac
t of making available to others, identifying and meeting their needs, always see
king the greater good." Put simply, with the author's own words, "love is what l
ove does." In fact, leadership is closely linked to love. Hunter cites the featu
res that meet the leadership and love each other, and that a leader must have to
fit the model of leadership proposed, namely: patience (show self-control), kin
dness (giving attention, appreciation and encouragement), humility (being real w
ithout pretense or arrogance), respect (treating others as important people); se
lflessness (the needs of others) forgiveness (give up resentment while impaired)
; honesty (being free of deception) and commitment (support your choices) . Then
, in chapters five and six, the author how much debate is not easy for the leade
r to implement in practice all these skills, so we need a suitable environment a
nd a lot of willpower, and one of those responsible for building this environmen
t is the leader. As said, "will eventually produce positive behaviors positive f
eelings." Immediately, the best you can do is create the right conditions for th
at growth is taking place. For someone to be able to acquire the skills of a lea
der, as already mentioned, it takes a lot of willpower, because the path to the
authority and leadership begins with the will. Wills are the choices that someon
e makes to align their actions with the intentions. Thus, through the course, hu
mans can make the unnatural becomes natural, it becomes a habit. To finish his w
ork, the author cites the rewards that the leader will have to apply all these p
rinciples to achieve mutual satisfaction and dedication of all who live around t
hem. In short, the joy among all is the greatest reward. Remembering that joy do
es not depend on external circumstances. As the book says, "is joy and inner sat
isfaction of knowing that you believe is in line with the principles of deep and
abiding life." When people seek to serve each other rid themselves of the shack
les of ego and the concentration of themselves. My perception, both for explaini
ng the success of the book The Servant, is that the stress in the workplace has
reached a limit such that much of society is no longer holding on, the workplace
is intolerant. The explanation is obvious: in recent years, with increasing glo
bal competitiveness,
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Review: The Monk and the Executive
companies are being pressured to do more with less. This is certainly excellent
for increasing productivity because competition always benefits, especially for
consumers, but generates a strong side effect, which is excessive pressure on em
ployees. This excessive pressure begins to generate behavioral effects, causing
a disease of our century, which is the stress, and often forgetting our most bas
ic values, which are: the character, humility, respect for people, spirituality
and all that creates a positive environment, not only in business, but at home,
at school, and any other type of community. The "leaders" do everything to get t
he results, but in most cases leave a retinue of skeletons on the road. The real
truth is that people in general, focused on the competition and forget the huma
n being. That's where the essence of James Hunter, for, as was very stressed, th
e true leader is one who engages people, is one who can do with all that has to
be done, but do so with great willingness and dedication. It is he who draws wha
t each has to offer. This is what companies have revolutionized their business c
ulture are looking for: a true leader. These "leaders" have modern fully aware t
hat nothing can be done without the effective involvement of people and happy pe
ople that earn more. They know that no good results to achieve short term: if th
e relationships are destroyed, therefore, will kill the motivation of its employ
ees. They also know that the real value is in effect and that the use of power c
an lead to results contrary and frustrating.
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