6 Qualities That Define Servant Leaders. How Many Do You Have?
“Good leaders first must become good servants.” Not only is that true in so many ways, it may be more necessary than ever right now. It feels like in a world driven by politics, disrupted by a more than eighteen-month pandemic, the need for leaders that choose to serve others before themselves is an impossible dream.
Do you first choose to serve others or protect what you already have?
How would you answer that question? Do so honestly because there will be no fooling others. Your actions will speak far louder and wider than a simple yes or no. With so much going on, even if you want to answer the question in the affirmative, you may not be in that space at this time.
Servant leadership is not for everyone. I suspect that there are far more people that want to answer yes to the question and hope to be a servant leader than are actually delivering on the promise that comes from true servant leadership. It is not easy. It requires continual work.
The nature of a servant leader is to be a developer, a listener, and a coach. However, in addition to those qualities and characteristics, there are some additional attributes that I believe are worth exploring. As we continue the journey to become a more effective servant leader, a good place to start is to assess our current state and understand how many of these characteristics we employ on a consistent basis.
Common characteristics
There are common characteristics of those who function as servant leaders. I have covered them in previous articles: What is a Servant Leader, Servant Leadership is Not Weak Leadership, Examples of Servant Leaders, and Creating Engagement Through Servant Leadership all provided insights in what makes a servant leader. Some of the more obvious are actively listening, developing strong leaders for the future, or being outwardly focused. There are others that may be more subtle, yet equally important.
Building Trust
Almost any effective leader will build trust. Trust is established through one’s actions over a period of time. When someone is spending their time to serve your needs, that will build trust. You believe that they have your best interests in mind. You feel comfortable sharing with them, and in turn, they continue to provide feedback and coaching that leads to further learning.
Defines a Vision
Knowing where someone is going will make it easier to follow a leader. Servant leaders share, share, share their vision, so everyone knows the direction they are headed. They will ensure that everyone has the knowledge they need to reach the same destination.
Self-Aware
At the beginning of the article, I mentioned taking some time to assess your progress on your journey towards servant leadership. Being honest with yourself and being self-aware is a characteristic of being a servant leader. Having that knowledge allows you to not only work on any improvements you need to make, but also to seek that feedback and coaching from those you serve. Letting others around you know where you need help is not only beneficial in improving, but helps to build trust, create empathy within the team, and enable an environment where others are willing to share their opportunities as well. Being vulnerable as a leader is an important quality and sign of strength.
Diversity of Thought
Thinking outside the box isn’t just a cliché, it is a skill. To heighten and maximize the idea of thinking differently, servant leaders will seek out people with different points of view. Think about those examples of servant leaders. Do you believe they only had their own ideas? No. It is well documented that they had many people around them that they sought an opinion from, included their ideas, and continued to look for new thoughts from people that were not just like them. Thinking outside the box also means to think outside your circle of friends, coworkers, or influence.
Humble, someone who serves with humility
Once you believe that servant leadership is not weak leadership, then this attribute begins to make more sense. Because servant leaders see their role as being in service to others. They are humble in their actions. They do not seek the limelight, they are not looking for attention, and they happily share in the success of those around them. They do not feel the need to ‘be the smartest person in the room.’ And even if they are (and many times they are, and people just don’t know it), their agenda is a greater good and not about their knowledge or ideas. Perhaps the most ironic thing about servant leaders is they do not seek any of the glory or recognition of their efforts, yet time will define them as among the most successful, empowering people who make a difference.
Celebrate winning
Servant leaders push people to be their best, and with that comes many successes along the way. These leaders always celebrate those wins. Not only does it reinforce the behaviors that got you there, but they know that everyone wants to take time to enjoy what he or she has achieved. Servant leadership isn’t just about creating a ‘feel good’ environment, it delivers results. These leaders take the time to call those wins out and celebrate.
There is no finite list of qualities for servant leaders. I encourage you to research the topic further to find more qualities that matter most to you in your quest for servant leadership. An excellent article, How to Manage with Servant Leadership from ProjectManager.com, has a checklist of servant leadership qualities, many of which we just discussed. Servant leadership is not made up of a list of behaviors to ‘complete,’ it is the consistent behaviors of these characteristics that make a leader, a servant leader.
Serving as a leader is not something that can be started and stopped, or used only when needed. It is a way of being. It is a choice.
Are there other characteristics you see in servant leaders? Which areas do you feel you are strongest in? How does that help you lead?
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