What is Servant Leadership?
The idea and term of servant leadership is becoming more prevalent in discussions around styles and types of leaders. But many people may still not know what servant leadership really is. Over the course of the next several articles I am going to explore this subject and share my thoughts and insights into my own learning on this skillset of a leader.
Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge. - Simon Sinek
This quote from Simon Sinek puts the idea of servant leadership in quick perspective. Effectively leading others means serving others first.The concept of servant leadership was originally coined by Dr. Robert Greenleaf in the 1970’s. He published an essay titled, “The Servant as Leader” which lead to the movement around leaders serving others first. I would stop short of referring to this as a style of leadership, but liken it more to a way of being. It is a choice to be a true servant leader. A choice that requires significant discipline, commitment, and patience to stay true to serving those around you first. As we explore the topic further, I believe it becomes clear that the biggest challenge is working against the perceived ‘norm’ of what a leader should be versus what they could be.
“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. - from: Greenleaf.org
Conceptually, it sounds simple, almost intuitive. “Of course I want to serve others. I will place their needs ahead of my own and do right by them.” However, pause for a few moments and then explore your own realities. Really be honest with yourself and challenge your actions and interactions to see if you are living that. Don’t be hard on yourself if you aren’t perfect at this. I expect few are, because being selfless and thinking of others first from a leadership standpoint is a difficult thing to do. As much as I would like to believe that I do this well, I know that I fall short many times in how I act or react to situations in my everyday leadership role - both personally and professionally.In a future article I will explore additional traits that define the servant leader. All of them sound familiar, sometimes simple, yet challenging to consistently embody.
Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? - from: Greenleaf.org
The servant leader is one who develops others. The idea of serving takes on many forms. Teaching, coaching, and developing are all components of serving those around you. Think about your favorite teachers from school. Or a coach that made a difference in your life - not just your sport, but who you are as a person. Would you identify with them as serving you? At the time, and even in a different context, serving may not have been the first word you would use to describe what they did for you. But when you frame it with a leadership mindset, it is hard to describe it any other way. That experience likely created some desire in you to share that same feeling with others later in your career or life. Thus, due to their serving of you, you are more likely to serve others.
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. - from Greenleaf.org
At the beginning of the article I shared a quote from Simon Sinek that spoke about leaders being in charge. He turns that completely around and states that leadership is about taking care of those in your charge. I believe this accurately reflects what is at the core of being a leader as servant. The best leaders do not hoard power. They do not seek glory for themselves. Rather, they look for ways to allow those around them to take part in decisions together. They look for ways to share responsibilities for the outcomes of the collective actions. They celebrate your successes and encourage you to do more. Not only are those all fundamental to being an excellent leader, they are paramount to serving others in an extraordinary way.I would encourage you to visit the Center for Servant Leadership website to learn more about what servant leadership is. It is an excellent starting point to deepen your knowledge on the subject.In the next article looking at servant leadership, I want to explore the concern many people express about the idea of servant leadership: Serving others doesn’t sound like what people in change do. No one wants to be seen as a weak leader and giving oneself to everyone around them sounds like losing control. I believe the bigger picture view dispels that myth and we will look at ways that serving others is really a strength of leadership.What are your initial thoughts about servant leadership? What other ideas would you add to what this way of leading is all about? Share your views in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash