Becoming a Servant Leader - Principles and Habits of Servant Leadership
Updated: Dec 10, 2023
Recently, Kellerman (2012) suggested that leadership has come to an end, and that over the last 40 years, leadership and followership has changed due to cultural and technological evolution. She observed a shift in the balance of power between leaders and followers, with leaders becoming weaker and followers becoming stronger.
Within this context, one leadership style that has the propensity to succeed is servant leadership. Servant leadership is based upon the theory that leaders serve their followers by putting the betterment of their followers above their own self-interests. Servant leaders put the needs of others first and work to empower those they lead. Servant leaders create a collaborative environment where everyone can contribute their ideas and expertise.
While there are many benefits to servant leadership, many leaders make the error and confuse its application with simply being nice and helpful. Servant leadership is not about making your team happy at all costs without acknowledging corporate goals and challenges to performance. A servant leader still needs to set expectations - the aim is that you are dedicated to equipping your team with what it needs to succeed.
Several Habits to Embrace as a Servant Leader
Put the needs of others before your own This is the main principle of servant leadership. Your team members need to come first, almost removing yourself from the equation. This can be hard for many leaders as a key attribute of successful leaders is their drive to be successful themselves. Applying servant leadership requires a change in mindset, where the leader realizes that their success results from the team's successes.
Actively listen and be empathetic To actively listen with empathy is one of the best ways to show you care and are there to serve. When you do this, you not only understand what people are saying but also learn how they are feeling. This habit builds trust and helps you enhance the working environment in a way that boosts team morale and productivity.
Act as a role model As a servant leader, you need to model the behaviours you would like to see in your team rather than tell your team what to do. You need to set an example and behave in a way that is reflective of company values.
Take ownership of your team's actions A servant leader understands their responsibility for the team's actions and performance - this applies to both the good and the bad. A servant leader should never blame their team for something that goes wrong, they look to themselves and reflect on what they could have done differently. Team success should be seen as a reflection that the leader's efforts are yielding desired results, yet the credit goes to the team.
Implement effective feedback mechanisms An effective servant leader gives valuable feedback to team members, but also proactively seeks feedback from the team. As a leader, you should provide regular and timely feedback to team members on their performance, give praise for good work, and provide constructive critique and coaching where performance needs to be improved. In addition, a servant leader should seek feedback from team members on what they can do to make the team's day job better or easier.
Develop others As a servant leader, you are focused on the growth and well-being of your team members. You strive to develop others, and create leaders, while focusing time and energy on serving them. You need to provide the opportunity for people to grow and thrive both personally and professionally.
Take a people-first approach Servant leaders tend to adopt people-first policies. Where possible, they make decisions that put people first and demonstrate that they always back their team members.
REFERENCES
Kellerman, B. (2012) The End of Leadership. New York: Harper-Collins
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