I find the experience of being a Servant Leader allied to the way that some people talk about volunteering and the joy that having done something extremely worthwhile makes them feel. It is always such an interesting fact of life that when you give, you get. For me, servant leadership is a very focused intention to provide whatever is needed by the team, to ensure that they have the environment in which they can succeed. The “whatever is needed” may include resources, but more than anything, this refers to the focused care and attention of the leader. A genuine interest in how things are going, where things need to move forward to; and the conditions that are needed to help that along constructively.

The Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership website says this:

“A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible”. Greenleaf developed the principles of servant leadership, a congruent leadership philosophy based on a simple but profound idea: Leaders, whom we trust and want to follow, achieve moral authority by being servants to followers and organizations, not by wielding titles or using coercive power.

Even more profound than the experience of being a servant leader, is seeing the impact this leadership style has on organizational effectiveness and engagement. While some may consider the concept of a servant leader a fluffy, people appeasing way of leading, anyone who has ever adopted this style wholeheartedly, even for a day, will immediately know what I am speaking about when I say that this lens or intention, transforms leadership for them. This is because it is a conscious choice, never a mindless default. And anytime that we lead consciously, our impact is different. Choosing to walk around the business in service to your teams, focused on providing the environmental conditions that will support their success, leads to these teams observing how much you value them and this in turn fuels enormous amounts of engagement and the intention to prove you RIGHT. A very positive dynamic is unleashed, one that can act like magic, catapulting performance to new levels.

What this is not about is the leader taking over the work of the employee or the team, it is all about the leader displaying their authentic belief that the team is capable of high levels of performance. That their role and output is so valuable that the leader is there to ensure they have what they need to keep doing the good work. The picture in my mind is the leader “looking out for the team” and focused on proactively adjusting things to give the team the very best chance of success. The ensuing culture will be one of innovation, a strong work ethic and the focused intention to do amazing work together. Added to this is the enhanced care for one another that this style engenders. When each of us is cared for, we are much more likely to care for others and this is evident in a servant leader led company.

No this isn’t some fairytale, where everyone gets along all the time singing Kumbaya. Leaders who engage at every level in their organization like this, have all sorts of raw and gritty conversations with people at every level, that regular leaders don’t have the opportunity to have (for which they are probably quite grateful!). Being available to everyone in the organization is demanding, but it is critically important, because a key ingredient of servant leadership is the myriad of questions that the leader asks to ensure that they understand “how things are going”. Of course, they sometimes have their ear bent with information that isn’t useful, but the relationships that are developed through asking and listening; and the important intelligence regarding the hidden things (activities, negative relationships and unsound practices) that can become significant vulnerabilities and negatively impact productivity; can very often make all the difference to the bottom line – something ALL leaders are definitely interested in.