The foundation of every strong leader’s success is Servant Leadership.
In employing a Servant Leadership model, the goal of a leader is to serve their employees and provide them with the help they need to enhance their abilities and achieve their objectives. This differs from traditional leadership in that a leader does not enforce his or her power or consider others as inferiors.
Servant Leadership Characteristics
1. Listening
Servant leaders must be excellent listeners. It aids them in getting to know the business’s employees and what they’re about. With listening, servant leaders will discover insight into workers’ needs that will help them best meet their demands, whether it’s comprehending areas for personal growth or simply learning how employees feel at work and if anything requires attention.
2. Empathy
Empathy is really important for a server leader because it’s one of the greatest ways to help team members grow. An employee, for example, may say they want to improve a certain talent and wish to feel as though you’re listening to them and comprehending their needs. Empathy makes this easier since you’ll be able to connect with their enthusiasm
Empathy is also crucial in service leadership when it comes to changing behaviors. Say, for example, that an employee fails to reach a goal at the end of a quarter. You could tell them they need to improve without providing practical suggestions that might assist them in doing so under traditional leadership.
Instead, a servant leader will be sympathetic to the problem and want to understand the obstacles that have prevented them from performing well. Of course, you’d still wish to ensure it doesn’t happen again, but you’ll collaborate with the employee to guarantee they have the tools they need to improve their performance and meet their objectives in the next quarter.
3. Healing
A servant leader must comprehend the significance of healing, as people are not used to dealing with a leader who does not assert authority and require compliance. A servant leader needs to realize that they may need to work with staff in order to become acclimated with the procedure and establish a working environment that fosters trust and allows them to accept your leadership style
4. Self-awareness
Self-Awareness is required for a leader to be effective. They must be self-aware since they must comprehend their role and perception in the team. You’re not a service leader if you enforce your power, and you’ll likely drive people away. As a result, it’s critical to keep track of how much room you take up on
Self-awareness also aids servant leaders in recognizing their strengths and limitations when assisting employees in becoming the best they can be. If you receive criticism that you’re not very good at communicating, for example, you should recognize your shortcoming and try to fix it: Employees won’t be able to thrive if they don’t understand you.
5. Persuasion
A leader that serves his or her team is more interested in persuasion rather than power and authority to persuade them and get everyone on the same page. You should persuade others and gain buy-in without implying that they must comply or telling people that they only have to do something because you say so.
6. Conceptualization
The process of concept formation is what allows service leaders to establish a course for their teams that will lead to company success. This is an important aspect in terms of the other abilities listed here. Assume, for example, that a servant leader comes up with an objective for his or her team. They should be able to persuade others without forcing it on them.
7. Foresight
The ability to project or the action of predicting what will happen or be required in the future is defined by the Oxford Language Dictionary as foresight. This means utilizing past accomplishments and current goals to estimate future outcomes and requirements for employees who will assist them achieve.
For example, if your teams have a history of failing on a particular activity and that task is required to meet an upcoming goal, your foresight should alert you that you’ll want to be there when people are performing it, and maybe offer extra help so they don’t get stuck.
8. Stewardship
In terms of responsibility, stewardship and accountability are synonymous. The leader may take responsibility for their conduct and understand how their assistance for their staff helps to improve the overall performance of their teams.
9. Commitment to the Growth of People
Servant leaders want their employees to have the tools and resources they need to thrive and are eager to assist the company in doing so. As a result, servant leaders must be dedicated to people’s development and growth. This may look like ensuring that employees get the training they require for their responsibilities, organizing developmental opportunities, or even checking in with staff.
10. Building community
Workplace communities encourage people to trust one another and get along, which can help them feel as if they are working together towards a common mission. As a servant leader, you’d want to make sure that your workplace feels like a community by connecting with others and encouraging them to do the same.
Servant leadership differs significantly from traditional leadership models, as previously stated. The leader is more of a collaborator who works alongside staff to assist them in accomplishing their goals than an autocratic dictator. To elaborate, we’ll go through some examples of what servant leadership may look like in action below.
Servant Leadership Examples
Leading by Example
To be more specific, let’s assume that the employees are rushing to fulfill monthly targets. Rather than telling workers to work harder, a servant leader would rather sit down with them and assist them in achieving their goals. Maybe they pick up some duties, inspire staff members, and offer practical tips that aid them in achieving their goals.
Collaboration
A bossy leader demands that employees give input on business processes and whether they help them do their tasks. The servant leader actively listens to comments, absorbs what they’ve said, and attempts to make changes to assist workers in completing their tasks without problems.
Empathy
A servant leader cares about their staff as individuals. If a person comes to them and informs them they’re having difficulties, the servant leader doesn’t tell them to check their feelings at the door or caution them against falling short of objectives. Instead, they collaborate with the employee to create a strategy for overcoming adversity.
Servant Leadership Helps Companies Succeed
While distinct from conventional leadership methods, servant leaders can help create motivated and capable teams that succeed in business. If you’re a leader wanting to use this type of leadership, make sure you understand who your workers are as people, give them with the tools and assistance they require to succeed, and be there for them regardless of what they want.
