What A Servant Leader Looks Like
What springs to mind when you hear the word leader?
For many, you imagine a boss similar to the one my husband had years ago who rarely had a positive word to say and was quite critical. My husband and I still chuckle about the fact that he never took the time to find out what my name was or how many kids we had, and he worked for that boss for eleven years!
That particular boss’s focus was on getting the job done right, period. Important factors like morale, empathy, or developing his people – none of that was on his radar.
In stark contrast, I had a boss that took the time to care for me personally, recognized and nurtured the potential in me, and created a work environment that was a joyful one!
What have your interactions with leaders been like? It matters because your interactions have a way of coloring your perspective on what leading looks like.
Some struggle to see themselves as a leader because their perception of a leader is someone who is confident, driven, and pursues the mission of the organization in an authoritative or aggressive fashion. For them, to be perceived that way would be very negative.
To add to the confusion, many imagine that only certain personalities are poised to lead. If you aren’t the “leader personality,” leading isn’t an option for you.
The truth is that no matter what personality you are, you will have to manage your strengths and learn to step out of your comfort zone.
The best leaders focus on serving no matter what their personality is!
The Leader Stereotype
If the image of an authoritarian or domineering leader is the stereotype you have, you are not alone. Perhaps someone like my husband’s boss, who is more focused on tasks and getting results than on the people who are working hard to get tasks done.
When leaders are more focused on tasks than people it impacts the way they communicate and how they interact with their people, and generally not in a good way!
It’s also common for leaders to not want to get involved in the messiness of conflict or performance issues, hoping the problems will naturally resolve themselves, but they don’t. Instead the issues grow and drag morale down!
Of course, no leader fits 100% in the “stereotypical” category, but rather leaders land somewhere on the continuum between the “typical leader” and the “servant leader.”
Servant Leadership
If you’ve worked under a servant leader, you know the benefits of that style of leadership.
A servant leader makes serving others their priority and they put the needs of others before their own. They actively develop and motivate those under them to step into their full potential. Servant leaders intentionally set out to share the power rather than being authoritarian.
The term “servant leader” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in his essay published in 1970 called The Servant Leader, which was later turned into a book. Robert passed away in 1990 at the age of 86, but his philosophy of servant leadership lives on through the Center of Servant Leadership in New Jersey.
Servant leadership has been advocated by many well-known leaders, like Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard.
Modeling Servant Leadership
Jesus modeled servant leadership long before Robert K. Greenleaf was even born! Jesus loved His disciples – His heart was for them. He led with a happy balance of authority and empathy.
Jesus was not a “wimpy leader” – He had the power of His father at His fingertips, and yet still prioritized serving His disciples. Remember how He washed their feet?
Jesus saw the needs of the men following Him and responded. He cultivated strong, close relationships with them and actively developed them. The decisions Jesus made benefited others at a great cost to Himself.
Some two thousand plus years later, what Jesus demonstrated is still a powerful way to lead!
Wondering if you are a servant leader?
Ask yourself are the people under me…
- Learning, growing, and developing in essential ways?
- Operating out of their maximum potential?
- Functioning in healthy and autonomous ways?
- Confident that I have their back?
Am I…
- Cultivating a culture that is collaborative and positive?
- Intentionally being stretched and growing so that I am able to improve my ability to lead and serve?
- Approachable? Do my people feel comfortable sharing their needs and desires with me?
- Willing to give my team the credit while I assume responsibility?
- Actively sharing the power?
- Genuinely cultivating relationships with those I lead?
If you are able to answer yes to these ten questions, congratulations! You are well on your way to being a servant leader.
If you answered no to any of the above questions, that’s OK. It just means there’s room for you to grow!
Lack of confidence, fears, and unresolved issues in your past have a way of hindering your ability to be a servant leader. If you truly want to lead like a servant, you must overcome the beliefs and mindsets that get in the way.
How Does Servant Leadership Apply To Me?
Now you might be thinking, “I’m not a C suite leader, executive director, or someone with a spiffy title, does this apply to me?”
It does! You have the all-important job of leading YOU!
You may not consider yourself a leader, but people are watching you! They are observing your habits, how you make decisions, how you respond to tricky situations, and more! They are taking notes and determining whether or not they will follow in your example.
You may not have thought about it this way, but if you are a…
- Parent, you are leading your family.
- Coach, you are leading others is significant ways.
- Business owner, you are leading.
- Team member, don’t underestimate the opportunity you have to influence – aka lead!
- Friend, your friends are paying attention!
Being a servant leader is about helping others and you can do that without any title at all!
Why put in the effort to become a servant leader? Here are some very compelling reasons to consider:
Servant leadership creates a…
- Humble, positive, and cohesive culture that’s inspiring.
- Substantial surge in productivity.
- Team that is flourishing personally and professionally.
- Environment where creativity and innovation thrive.
- Setting where people are excited about work and engagement is elevated.
- Drop in staff turnover.
- Diverse team because you appreciate the unique abilities that others contribute.
- Team of empowered folks!
- Purpose-focused team.
- Natural duplicating of servant leaders that keep the vision of your organization alive and well.
- Greater trust.
- Safe enough atmosphere where genuine feedback can be offered and received.
- Place for strong relationships to be cultivated with the team and stakeholders.
- Desire to follow the vision.
These are amazing benefits in whatever capacity you lead: a Fortune 500 company, your family, or your own business!
Inspired To Be A Servant Leader Yourself?
Larry C. Spears has summarized the key characteristics of a servant leader as one who is able to…
- Listen – really listen and be receptive.
- Empathize – appreciate and care about the unique needs of others.
- Heal – help others become whole.
- Be Aware – to be self-aware and aware of the needs of others.
- Persuade – never manipulate or dictate, but win others over in a winsome way.
- Conceptualize – seeing the possibilities, dreaming big dreams.
- Have Foresight – learn from mistakes and uses that learning to make future decisions.
- Steward Well – use their skills, talents, and abilities to serve others.
- Develop Others – strive to help others grow and develop.
- Build Community – cultivate and environment where relationships are fostered.
I think Larry succinctly described the kind of leader Jesus was!
Ultimately, it’s not what a leader accomplishes that matters. It’s how they get it done. When servant leadership is done well, it is contagious! And teams tend to get more done!
What Now?
Take the next step! Ask your team (work team, ministry team, clients, or your own family) “How can I help?”
Now they might be surprised at first, because servant leadership is unexpected; even radical. The servant leader takes the typical concept of a leader and completely flips that philosophy.
A true servant leader is NOT all about me, me, me! No, they are all about others and creating a culture where everyone thrives! Imagine how that kind of approach would make a world of difference in your “team” or organization!
Are you ready to grow as a leader and develop your servant leadership skills? Consider one-on-one coaching, participating in the upcoming webinar: What The Best Leaders Do Differently, completing the Trusted Leader 360, or joining The LAB!
Originally posted on 8/27/19, this post has been updated and revised just for you!
Awesome article on servant leadership. I don’t know anyone who would read the list of those benefits and not want to have those things in their sphere of influence. I have served under both servant leaders and authoritarian ones, and I can tell you the atmosphere in the workplace is completely different between the two. I’m praying the Lord will help me to become more of a servant leader like Jesus.
Dustin – So great to hear from you! I agree – a servant leader makes all the difference! To be a servant leader like Jesus is my desire as well. I know that’s your heart.