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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/740454
8 BCBUSINESS NOVEMBER 2016 PORTRAIT: CLINTON HUSSEY; CLOTHES COURTESY OF NORDSTROM The man on this month's cover—UBC's new president, Santa Ono—is a self-proclaimed servant leader. Servant leadership is a con- cept that's been around since ancient times, though the phrase was coined by former AT&T executive Robert Greenleaf in a 1970 essay. "It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead," wrote Greenleaf. "That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions." To serve does not mean to be servile. Rather, servant leaders focus first on the suc- cess of their organization. They're good listen- ers. They're thoughtful. They weigh both sides of an argument before making a decision. And when they do make a decision, it's one that benefits not just the organization but as many key players as possible. These are leaders who inspire trust and build loyalty. As such, servant leadership is con- sidered something of a management holy grail. Those who tend to get pro- moted are not the humble, thoughtful ones but the self-promoting know-it- alls. Servant leaders don't toot their own horns—and as one writer noted in a recent Harvard Business Review, "Even if [servant leadership] is more prevalent than we think, we will never hear about it—and what we never hear about, we never copy." Put another way, servant leadership is a recessive organizational gene. That's what makes the hiring of the hugging/sharing/vulnerable Ono so remarkable. In the past, UBC focused mostly on the what: what did the new president bring to the university in bonafides, and what would s/he bring in fundraising power and prestige. But this time, UBC's needs for a new president went much deeper than boosting its endow- ment or world rankings. UBC was an institution that was hurting—and yes, in need of a hug. It needed somebody who would listen to the many grievances aired against it and chart a more inclusive path forward. It also needed somebody ready to act— something Ono argues isn't mutually exclusive. "Servant leadership is in no way, shape or form in conflict with being a visionary or transfor- mational leader," he tells Frances Bula in "The Healer" (p.28). "I would argue that a servant leader can be a more transformational leader than one focused on his own career. Because the vision should not be about yourself; the vision should be about the institution." Ono will be inaugurated as UBC's 15th presi- dent on November 22. All eyes will be on him to see what that vision is—and how much the institution can ultimately be transformed. C O N T R I B U T O R S Matt O'Grady, Editor-in-Chief mogrady@canadawide.com / @BCBusiness After graduating from UBC with a major in geography, Jenny Peng studied journalism at Langara, where she won a Langara Peace prize for a project about musicians with disabilities. When interviewing Fairchild Group CEO Thomas Fung ("The Great Handover," p.22), she says she was struck by "how, despite his tough childhood and life's challenges, he still insists on treating others fairly and 'staying hungry.'" While researching "The Healer" (p.28), Frances Bula sat waiting for her interview with UBC's new leader, Santa Ono. A man appeared next to her asking if she'd like some tea. "It took me a moment to realize it was Ono," says Bula, a veteran civic affairs reporter. "He combines an extraordinary humbleness (touched by a little nerdiness) with a persona that is also self- assured and visionary." editor's desk Our third annual ranking of the Best Cities for Work in B.C. Who will come out tops in 2017? IN DEC/JAN The Following Leader