Is Servant Leadership a Myth?

Leaders that use their position for personal gain create an unhealthy culture by the brush of their toxic example.

Thankfully the opposite is also true.

Leaders that use their position for the benefit of others create a healthy culture by their exemplary selfless service.

Leaders that use their position for the benefit of others create a healthy culture by their exemplary selfless service. Share on X

The truth is, there is no such thing as a servant leader, either you are a servant or no leader at all.

Here are five habits you can develop to become a better servant that leads.

Listening: Leaders like the late Steve Jobs are revered for their communication skills. But truly great communicators reinforce their speeches with a commitment to listen intently to others. Listening will always (yes, always) lead to better decision making. Listening widens and deepens the pool of shared meaning. Wider consultation broadens perspective to capture the necessary wisdom from the peripheries. Deeper listening provides a level of insight beyond surface level input. Not only do great leaders glean from the wisdom of the group, they increase commitment to execute because the staff see the decision and direction as their own ideas.

Truly great communicators reinforce their speeches with a commitment to listen intently to others. Share on X Collaborative leaders continually glean wisdom from the group. This produces better decisions and increases commitment to execute because the staff see the decision and direction as their own ideas. Share on X

Encouraging: When it comes to believing in themselves, most people are agnostic. Think of it, if you want to make someone blush, pay them a compliment. If you really want to make them squirm, attach an example of their greatness and watch them wallow in the warmth of your words. When great leaders see one of their staff living out the values of the organization, they make a hero of them in the next team huddle. They catch their people doing the right thing and affirm them for it. This not only re-enforces the behaviour, it inspires others to do the same.

When you catch people doing the right thing and affirm them for it, this re-enforces the behaviour and it inspires others to do the same. Share on X

Coaching: Great leaders start coaching and they stop managing. Your greatest privilege is communicating the dignity, worth and potential of your people so clearly that they begin to see it in themselves and act on it. Coaches focus on the potential greatness of others and draw it out of them. Coaches raise awareness and responsibility by asking the right questions and holding people accountable to the actions they create for themselves.

Servant leaders stop managing and start coaching. Coaches focus on the potential greatness of others and draw it out of them Share on X

Healing: Servant leaders recognize that there is a lot more to people than their life at work. Many people have broken spirits and deep emotional pain. They may walk strongly on the outside, but they are often hobbling along internally, at an emotional level. Servant leaders neither pry nor do they flee from personal conversations. They listen, offer support and check-in at a heart level. The mere fact that you make time in your day communicates a profoundly healing message to their heart, “You matter … your heart matters.” If they matter to you, then what matters to them should matter to you.

If they matter to you, then what matters to them should matter to you. The mere fact that you make time in your day communicates a profoundly healing message to their heart - you matter and your heart matters. Share on X

Influence: Servant leaders don’t rely on positional authority to gain buy-in from their people. They don’t operate as “propped up kings and queens” leaning on their titles to make things happen. They aspire to have power with people not power over people. This mind-set propels them out of their office, away from email or memo writing and into the spaces where their people work. The servant-leader manages and leads by walking around. Short check-ins are about building rapport and relationship more than consensus and compliance.The servant-leader manages by walking around. Short check-ins are about building rapport and relationship more than consensus and compliance. Share on X

Your people will forget most of what you say but they won’t forget how you made them feel in your presence.

Our most valuable resource is not the buildings we own or the technology we operate or even our financial health. Our greatest resource is emotional capital – healthy, collaborative relationships are critical and providing servant leadership is key.

Our greatest resource is emotional capital – healthy, collaborative relationships are critical and providing servant leadership is key. Share on X