The concept of servant leadership has been around for a while but has received growing consideration over the last decade because of its positive individual and organizational outcomes.
According to a , Servant Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review and Network Analysis, 鈥渢he moral nature of leaders has started to be considered not only necessary for the good of society but also essential for sustainable organizational success.鈥�
Service before self is becoming the mantra of our time. And servant leadership has become a defining characteristic of organizations that are attractive to employees, successful in their industry, and impactful on society at large.
What is servant leadership?
Coined by in his essay, The Servant as Leader, the term 鈥渟ervant leader鈥� means one who focuses primarily on the well-being of their employees and the communities they鈥檙e part of. They are a servant first and foremost, always putting the needs of their team above their own. In contrast to traditional forms of top-down leadership, servant leadership is a philosophical approach, a set of behaviors and practices, that emphasizes the growth and humanity of the employees being served.
What sets the servant leader apart is that they put the well-being, growth, and success of those they lead and manage before their own personal ambitions. They see their success as measured by their employees鈥� successes, and thus have a greater incentive to lead by example and invest in the growth of their team. They weigh their responsibility to their team as greater than their responsibility to the company鈥檚 bottom line.
A servant leader is someone who others genuinely want to follow.
A servant leader is someone who others genuinely want to follow.
Why is servant leadership important?
In today鈥檚 workforce climate, it鈥檚 imperative to adopt the practice of servant leadership if you want to be a successful leader or manager. Putting a strong emphasis on workplace culture, pay equity, and fair employment practices, employees today are done putting up with managers and leaders who don鈥檛 live out the values of their organization.
According to the , more than 40% of the workforce is already made up of Millenials and Gen Z 鈥� and this percentage will only continue to rise.
These generations have made it clear that their top priority when choosing an employer is that the company cares about the overall well-being and development of its employees. According to , the primary characteristic that Millennial and Gen Z job candidates are looking for in an employer is that they 鈥渃are about their employees鈥� well-being.鈥� This differs from previous generations, whose primary concern is to work for an ethical organization, and instead demonstrates the importance of caring leadership in the future of our workforce.
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Servant leadership traits and skills
Arguably displaying the most intentional form of leadership, the servant leader sees their own long-term success defined by the success of those they lead. To lead this way requires humility and the ability to acknowledge when you鈥檙e wrong, and for most of modern history, admitting fault was unheard of among executive-level managers. That practice, however, has not aged well as more and more of those engaged in and entering the labor force want leadership that .
There are traits and skills to being a servant leader that must be learned and practiced continuously 鈥� even the most renowned leaders are not perfect. Despite your best intentions, you may sometimes fall short of these criteria.
Let鈥檚 use a common scenario in any work environment:
What would happen if your boss was unsatisfied with your team鈥檚 output?
- How would you respond?
- By taking full responsibility and protecting your team and co-workers, or throwing someone under the bus to your boss in order to avoid the blame?
You鈥檝e probably been there before and know that these situations can arise quickly or without warning. Often, you don鈥檛 have much time to consider how you should act, and it鈥檚 easy to protect yourself without considering what would happen to others. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 crucial to cultivate your beliefs into practice so that when the moment counts, you鈥檒l be there for the people you work with, those you care about, and those who depend on you.
How to become a servant leader
Servant leadership is a practice. It鈥檚 a daily process of learning and unlearning fundamental habits you may have as a leader that contribute to your employees鈥� experience and your company鈥檚 growth. Becoming a servant leader often means going against any base instincts of self-protection and self-promotion, and instead, choosing to rise above those instincts in order to help those below you. It means lowering yourself so you can raise up the people who you are responsible for and ensure their success, growth, and positive well-being.
With intentional time and effort, servant leadership is something that can be learned.
Though this is not a one-size-fits-all journey, there are three important qualities that all servant leaders must possess:
Emotional Intelligence:
To become a leader who truly makes a difference, you must devote time to growing your , the ability to acknowledge how you feel and respond instead of react. As millions of new graduates enter the workforce, it鈥檚 important for leaders to model this vital characteristic to their employees and future leaders.
Self-Awareness:
Awareness of self and others is crucial to being a servant leader. In published by the MIT Sloan Management Review, self-awareness was found to be the most important capability for leaders. When you鈥檙e self-aware, you can adjust your behavior to change how you鈥檙e perceived by your employees and how you make them feel. The bottom line: understanding yourself is key to cultivating who you will become.
Persuasion:
This is where the leader part of servant leadership comes into play. Larry C. Spears, CEO of the Larry C. Spears Center for Servant Leadership, 鈥渢he servant leader seeks to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular element offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant leadership.鈥�
The servant leader seeks to convince others, rather than coerce compliance.
Take the next step at 国产剧麻豆剧
Invest in the success of your employees and business by becoming a servant leader. In 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 M.A. in Organizational Leadership program, you鈥檒l have the opportunity to discover your management and leadership styles and learn how to apply your strengths through the lens of servant leadership. Watch our video below to learn more.
Through personal leadership assessments and rigorous academic work, gain crucial tools that can be applied immediately in your career and life.