5 Reasons Why Servant Leadership Works
I have worked in my field for twenty eight years. I have served as a leader and have served under a number of leaders during that time. Some have been good while some have not. Good, healthy leadership is out there but you have to look for it. I have learned just as much from the mistakes of those around me, as well as my own, as I have from the successes. I have also had the privilege of working for some incredible servant leaders as well. One in particular I served with for almost ten years and to this day he is one of my closest friends. He showed me what a servant leader looks like and has had a profound impact on my life. So I can tell you from experience that these five principles work.
What is a servant leader? It's not complicated really. If you see people as a means to serve you, then you are not a servant leader. I would call you a manager or simply a boss. If you view your role as a leader to empower others to become better at what they do, to achieve greater levels of skill and ability, and become better, more productive people in the process, then you are a servant leader. Read on to get a better picture of what it means to be a servant leader and why it works.
#1 - It fosters an atmosphere of teamwork. This is a natural byproduct of servant leadership because the servant leader doesn't make everything about him. The typical leader uses words like "me" and "I" while the servant leader uses words like "us" and "we". Teamwork is achieved because everyone feels a part of the process and not just a faceless cog in the wheel. A servant leader naturally fosters a servant mentality in the overall team and as a result, productivity and creativity increases because there is an absence of competition. People thrive in a team atmosphere. The added bonus is that if something fails, the whole team shares the responsibility rather than just one person. This adds a feeling of protection in the group and gives people more incentive to contribute. When the team succeeds everyone shares in the glory rather than the leader getting the sole credit for everyone else's work.
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