We all know that diversity is a buzz word in the business world today. Diversity in the context of servant leadership means valuing different opinions and seeking out contrary views. By doing this the servant leader builds stronger connections and more robust teams within their association.
How do you seek out contrary views, embrace and value diverse opinions? It starts with believing there is value in different opinions. If you only seek out owners who think exactly like you do as a board member and only seek feedback from those residents that you know agree with you, you won’t make any different decisions, you won’t make better decisions and you certainly won’t be more connected with those you serve. You’ll just feel better about what you already decided.
Diversity isn’t about finding people that have different values from you but rather understanding, listening to and caring about peoples’ different opinions. One of the easiest ways to gain understanding from diversity is to ask one simple question….”Why do you have that opinion?”