What Servant Leadership Is All About

Everyone's definition of leadership is different. Some prefer a democratic approach, making final decisions after soliciting input from team members. Some are individualists, focusing on personal growth and enhancement, while others serve as coaches, assisting employees in developing their talents and forming effective teams.

Although they differ in practice, most leadership styles share the fact that the leader is a figure of authority in their firm – a stark contrast to servant leadership, in which power is purposefully avoided.

 

Servant leadership

In servant leadership, a leader's priority should be to help their team members thrive at work by providing them with the resources they need to grow professionally. In contrast to traditional leadership, leaders do not impose their power or regard others as subordinates.

In his 1970 writing The Servant as Leader, Robert K. Greenleaf described a servant leader as someone who "focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong" and "puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible."

In essence, the leader exists to serve the people who work for the company. Employees supported by a leader with their best interests at heart are more motivated, empowered, high-performing, and capable of providing the greatest possible experience to customers.

 

Characteristics of Servant Leadership

Greenleaf presented ten key characteristics of servant leadership:

 

1. Creating a sense of community

Workplace communities generate a sense of trust and togetherness, making workers feel as if they are working toward a similar objective. As a servant leader, you'd want your company to feel like a community by fostering relationships with coworkers and encouraging others to do the same.

 

2. Commitment to people's growth

Servant leaders want their staff to have the skills and resources they need to succeed while also feeling compelled to help the company prosper. As a result, servant leaders must be committed to people's growth and development.

In practice, this can mean ensuring staff receive the necessary training for their assigned jobs, creating growth opportunities, or even checking in with employees to understand their career objectives and determine how to help them achieve them.

 

3. Accountability

The leader can accept responsibility for their actions and see how their support for their employees helps their teams' overall effectiveness.

 

4. Foresight 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, foresight is the ability to foretell or the action of forecasting what will happen or be required in the future. Using historical performance and present goals to predict future outcomes and what employees will need to help them achieve is what servant leadership entails.

For instance, suppose your teams have historically struggled with a specific task, and that task is required to meet an upcoming objective. In that case, your foresight should alert you that you'd like to be present to assist when employees are completing that task and possibly provide extra resources to ensure people don't get stuck.

 

5. Conceptualisation

Conceptualisation implies that servant leaders may chart a course for their teams that will lead to company success.

This essential attribute is directly related to the other skills on this list. Assume a servant leader envisions a goal for their employees. In that situation, they should be able to convince without coercion, equip employees with all they need to achieve the goal, and be available to them throughout the process.

 

6. Persuasion

Servant leaders utilise persuasion rather than power and authority to influence their teams and get everyone on the same page. You should persuade others and get their support without coercing them or telling them they must do something simply because you said so.

 

7. Self-aware

Servant leaders must be self-aware to understand their team's perception and position. For instance, if you assert your authority, you are not a servant leader and are most certainly alienating your people. As a result, it's critical to be conscious of the space you occupy within your team daily.

Self-awareness also assists servant leaders in understanding their own strengths and weaknesses while encouraging employees to be their best. For instance, if you receive feedback that you aren't a great communicator, you should recognise your flaw and seek to improve because employees can't succeed if they don't understand you.

 

8. Healing

Servant leaders must grasp the value of healing because individuals aren't always used to working in conditions where their leader doesn't impose their power and expects compliance.

A servant leader must recognise that they may need to work with employees to help them become comfortable with the process and establish a working atmosphere that fosters trust and allows them to be at ease with your leadership style.

 

9. Empathy 

Empathy is a very effective strategy for servant leaders to help employees grow and become the best they can be.

For instance, an employee may express a desire to learn a new skill and want to know that you are listening to and understanding their needs. Empathy helps with this since you'll be able to relate to their passion and ask follow-up questions to help them progress.

Empathy is also vital when it comes to correcting behaviours. Assume an employee could not reach a goal at the quarter's end. 

A servant leader would be sympathetic to the situation and seek to understand the blockages that caused them to suffer. You'd like to ensure that it doesn't happen again, but you'd also work with the employee to ensure they have the skills required to perform better and accomplish their goals the next quarter.

 

10. Great listener

A good listening ability allows leaders to get to know the people that work for the company and what they stand for.

Listening allows servant leaders to gain insight into their employees' needs, whether discovering opportunities for personal development or knowing how employees feel at work and what can be done to improve their experience.

 

 

Examples of Servant Leadership

 

1. Collaboration

A servant leader meets with employees and asks them for input on company processes and whether they assist them in performing their tasks. 

The servant leader always listens to feedback, learns from it, and seeks to make the necessary changes to help workers execute their jobs more effectively.

 

2. Empathy

Servant leader values their staff as individuals. If someone approaches them and informs them that they are going through a difficult time, the servant leader does not advise them to leave their emotions at the door or that they must not fall short of expectations.

Instead, they collaborate with the employee to devise a strategy that would enable them to achieve despite their circumstances.

 

3. Setting a good example

Servant leaders are prepared to do anything their staff asks them to do. 

Assume that the staff are scrambling to reach monthly quotas. Rather than simply telling people to work harder, a servant leader will sit down with them and work with them to get there. 

Perhaps they will take on certain chores, motivate colleagues, and provide actionable suggestions to assist them in meeting their goals.

 

If you want to pursue this leadership style, ensure that you understand who your employees are as individuals, provide them with the tools and support they need to thrive, and serve as a continuous resource, no matter what they require.

 

Source: Hubspot