Serving as a Leader

Servant Leadership is one the most effective ways to make a positive impact on your organization and the members within it. We have all heard the saying “Lead By Example,” but Servant Leadership takes leading by example to the next level.

Leadership is about developing, growing and serving others. Servant leaders focus on the needs of others instead of command and control. Servant leadership allows self expression, personal development, a sense of community and ownership. Valuing, respecting and motivating your team is the core of a servant leader.

4 Values of a Servant Leader

When I consider Servant Leadership, four values come to mind:

Self Expression – Allow your team to give their views on how to improve their projects, work and results. Noting the goal may not change, but you are open to their feedback on improvements to make their work better and more efficient.

Personal Development - The only way for your employees to develop is if you invest your time in helping them. Every one has opportunities and a servant leader identifies the opportunity, develops a plan, teaches and coaches to help their team member grow and achieve.

Community - Serving the needs of others will become contagious and your team members will start doing the same. It will bring everyone closer as a team to help work towards a common goal.

Commitment - Once the three pieces are in place the team members will have a sense of ownership and importance to their team and their work. Their ownership will lead to greater commitment and results.

Robin Sharma says, “If you’re in business, you’re in show business. The moment you get to work, you’re on stage. Give us the performance of your life.” As a leader, you are in a fish bowl where everyone is always watching your attitude, performance, and how you react in situations.

Servant Leadership compliments the “Fish Bowl” atmosphere very nicely. It reminds me of the Liberty Mutual commercial where you see a person helping another person, then that person helps someone else, and it becomes a domino effect. Once you create the Servant Leadership culture you will see that in your own team and Peer to Peer Coaching will become subconsciously part of your team’s every day routine.

Are you serving as a leader? What other values come to mind for you as a servant leader?  What can you do differently to serve the individuals you might influence or impact?

Picture Provided From http://www.robinsharma.com