Servant Leaders: What Servant Leaders Can BE and What They CREATE

Real leadership is servant leadership. I have written before about servant leadership, and I will continue to do so. It is difficult for me to separate those two words when defining what the essence of leadership is. Even in forms of more directive leadership (think military), it is still in service of the enlisted men and women who serve the country. The leaders of those groups are preparing those in their charge to support one another for their safety and completion of the mission. Isn’t that what leadership is all about, helping everyone achieve the stated objectives, allowing everyone to be and feel successful, and delivering consist results mission after mission?

There are competencies and outcomes that define servant leaders. Here are a few to begin—I am not sure if there will ever be an exhaustive list, but these were some that immediately came to mind. Beyond the behaviors we see, it is also evident in the outcomes they create.

• Be authentic

If you are not showing up as your “true self” you are likely not exhibiting servant leadership behaviors. People see through inauthentic leaders. Others can sense you’re doing something because the “big boss” said so, or doing it only for the recognition. Those around them will not provide the full output possible. Their commitment will only ever match the authenticity of the leader they work for.

• Be there

Being present seems simple, but how often do you find yourself or your attention drifting off to other things. A ding from a new email has you wondering what is the new message. Is it important? And that is noticed by those around you, especially someone you are directly working with. Stay in the moment, schedule the time to be there when having one-on-one conversation so they know they have your full attention.

• Be humble

No one likes a braggart. Think about how you feel about someone who is continually telling the world how great they are and all the things they accomplish. Servant leaders are all about we, us, and the team’s accomplishments. The ‘I’ is reserved for personal accountability and when things go sideways. Humility is an extremely powerful state of being for strong leaders.

• Be ambitious

There is a huge difference between being humble and ambitious. Ambition means working towards the vision you’ve set. It means looking for ways to continually improve and make everyone on the team better. Personal ambition defines humility and authenticity. Team ambition embraces and amplifies both.

• Be available

Your team needs you. They want to know you are accessible. That doesn’t mean you have to walk around looking like you have nothing to do. Rather, it is about making the time when that time is necessary. It is about being approachable and flexible to support the needs of your team. Whether it is a scheduled time on the calendar or just those few moments when someone needs a little advice, direction, or support, being available will show the team they are first.

The actions, words, and daily behaviors listed above that are evident in servant leaders create the outcomes we so often admire and seek. Here are some results of what that looks like.

• Create accountability

Ownership. Isn’t that one of those basic things everyone wants in each other? Just take accountability for your actions. Servant leaders not only demonstrate that, they expect it in others. When everyone feels accountable to the outcomes and each other, that is when magic begins to happen. Easy to say, hard to do. It is a critically important outcome that servant leaders ensure they deliver on.

• Create trust

Authenticity, humility, visibility, and availability. Those are the recipe for trust building. Servant leaders build trust in them and among the team. Trust must always be a two-way street. Servant leaders extend trust to earn trust. It is an enormous part of what servant leaders create through how they engage and interact with their team.

• Create engagement

Fully committed to the goals and vision of the team. Fully committed to the team and the partners that support them. That is engagement. Engagement is the willingness of others to see projects through to completion and perform at the highest level. Engagement is not a score on a survey, or having an ice cream social on a Friday afternoon. Engagement comes from servant leaders serving their team, providing the support and resources necessary for the team to generate their best work.

• Create vision

Servant leaders have a vision. They share it often, they continue to refine and enhance it. But everyone knows it. Servant leaders start with a vision and end with a vision. It is both what begins the journey and is what is created from the actions and leadership of a servant leader.

Servant leadership is powerful. It makes a difference for those who work for them and the companies that embrace, reward, and empower their leaders to be servant leaders. It can be easy to say someone is a servant leader, it is much more difficult to demonstrate it with each person, every interaction, and in any situation. The actions speak loudly; how servant leaders show up and their state of being is what drives what they create in their wake. Wouldn’t we all like to be servant leaders, as well as work for one?

How do you demonstrate the states of being above and generate the outcomes that they create?

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