Who Do You Serve?

In the post, Who Are You Leading? the concept of self-leadership, as well as the practice of servant leadership, was discussed. Self-leadership is the first step to becoming a more influential leader. After all, if you don’t have the goods, you can be an effective leader. And, you can’t give what you don’t have.

The practice of servant leadership takes the focus off you and puts it on others. If you are a religious or spiritual person, you’ll find many examples of this precept in your faith. It has been said that “you can get anything you want in life if you help enough others get what they want.” While the issue of servant leadership has been around for thousands of years, it’s as powerful and relevant today as it was then. The concept of servant leadership is a philosophy that enhances the lives of individuals and builds stronger organizations.

A traditional leadership style is one that is based on the “belief” that power is bestowed on the leader and the exercise of that power comes from the top. The power exerted is viewed as coming from tradition (those that held it before) and emanating from the position; not from the person themselves.

While this leadership style is widely practiced today, it comes with a whole bevy of problems. New ideas are not always welcome by this type of leader. It’s usually a “my way or the highway” type of attitude. This type of leader shuts themselves off from the immediate knowledge of what changes are occurring in the team. Leaders of these teams typically have high turnover because employees grow frustrated at not having input to either their individually assigned tasks or the goals of the team as a whole.

Alternatively, a servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of the people that they lead. They don’t attempt to accumulate power in a traditional top-down leadership style but instead share the power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible. This type of leader realizes that true power emanates from the team and is bestowed upon the leader. It is a position that is earned and one that in practice can be significantly more effective than the common traditional leadership style in practice today.

Robert Greenleaf was the first to coin the phrase “servant leadership” in his 1970 book The Servant as Leader. He said that "the servant-leader is servant first." The desire to serve is a fundamental characteristic of the servant-leader style of leadership. This positioning is not one of subservience; rather that of wanting to help others in a manner that meets the needs of colleagues, customers, and communities.

The servant leadership philosophy has been widely written about and expressed in many contexts. Some of the best-known advocates of servant leadership include Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, M. Scott Peck, John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rhon, Margaret Wheatley, Larry Spears, Kent Keith, and Robert Greenleaf.

Becoming an effective servant leader is not something that will happen overnight. But the good news is that anyone can adopt and learn this leadership style. If you’ve made that decision, delve into the writings of the authors listed above. In the meantime, here are three things that will get you started in becoming a greater servant leader.

1. Be a good listener: You have two ears and only one mouth and you should learn to use them all equally. That means you need to listen more than you talk. Take the time to get to know people.  Don’t just listen to what they are saying but listen to how they are saying it. What emotions are they using? If you are meeting someone in person, what does their body language say? Sometimes just words alone don't really tell you what you need to know about a person and you will need to use your other senses to find out more information. Listening will help you understand the needs of others.
2. Be Empathetic:  Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about what may be going on in their life. You really can’t show empathy unless you know the person you are interacting with and you can make connections to experiences in your own life. Get to know people you do business with—they are people too! Remember that people don't really care about you unless they know you care about them.
3. Have a good heart: Be committed to helping others. Kindness and generosity will make people feel better about you as a person. It will also make you a happier and more positive individual, which can only help contribute to your successes in life.

“You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

Rich
"Finishers Are Winners!"
Dr. Richard B. Greene, DBA, SSBB, CMPE
Speaker, Author, Peak Performance Business Coach

© Copyright 2020 Rich Greene
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Dr. Richard B. Greene is an International Speaker, Best-Selling Author, and Executive Business Coach who helps business executives get to the next level in business, their careers, and their personal lives. Through his IronCode (www.IronMindSuccess.com) acceleration program, he offers one-on-one coaching, group coaching, live seminars, and do-it-yourself development products to significantly increase levels of personal and business success. He’s been featured on radio shows and various news sites including KVCG Radio, The Miami-Herald, The Denver Post, Wall Street Select, Financial News Today, Fox, and ABC.