Servant Leadership

I was recently introduced to the concept of Servant Leadership. As someone who is motivated by serving and caring for others, you can imagine my excitement when I learned about this organizational philosophy. The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970s. In that essay, he said:
"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. 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…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."
The 1984 Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu shares his thoughts on the quality of the greatest world leaders - servant leaders who serve others.


You don’t have to be a world leader solving world problems to be a servant leader. Greenleaf was a retired AT&T executive. After leaving corporate he felt there was a void in the way institutions served customers, community and employees. He felt many leaders operated under an autocratic style of "listen to me and follow what I say." He felt this approach was self-serving, domineering and controlling.  However, his concept of servant leadership encourages those leading to think hard about how to respect, value, grow and motivate those reporting to them. Greenleaf felt that leaders and employees practicing servant leadership principles would create more joy, productivity and positive outcomes in their life and the lives of others. He also felt that these “serving organizations” would become stronger and better companies. And he felt communities at large would also benefit from serving leaders and organizations.

In a culture of servant leadership, the great leader is seen as servant first – serving others is intrinsic to his or her nature. The leader is seen as the steward of organizational resources. He or she is responsible for articulating the organizational goals and vision to the team while ensuring results are achieved in adherence to corporate values. In so doing, a servant leader’s focus becomes:

  • Serving the needs of those they lead. (As Tom Peters put it, the leader assumes the role of CHRO – Chief Hurdle Remover Officer)
  • Empowering employees to make decision for the benefit of the customer
  • Coaching and mentoring employees to facilitate self expression and personal growth
  • Listening and building a sense of community
  • Encouraging collaboration, openness, trust, foresight, and the ethical use of power
10 charactertics of a servant leader:
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualization
Foresight
Steward
Commit to growth
Building Commitment

Leadership Quote:
“But of the best leaders, when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people will say~We have done it ourselves!” Lao Tzu, 684 BC

Leadership Lesson:
1. For whose benefit do you serve? Is it for self or for others?
2. Are those you are leading growing as persons?
3. Are those you are leading becoming healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous?
4. In what area of your leadership is your desire for title, money, advancement or personal interest getting in the way of those you serve?
5. Do you set clear boundaries and goals for your employees?
6. Do you realize that serving others isn’t about being “nice” – that it’s about real caring and growth and sometimes that means difficult choices, conversations, risk taking and boundary setting for others?
7. What have you done in the last 24 hours to be of service to your employees?
8. Of the 10 characteristics of a servant leader, which ones are your strengths? Which ones provide opportunities for growth?

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