A Look at Servant Leadership: A Must Have Skill for New Leaders

Your team is your mission, not your self-advancement

Originally written by Graham Peelle on Medium, July 18, 2023

Servant leadership is referenced often, but since it’s so common, the definition and what it really means isn’t always discussed. Servant leadership is about everyone else and not you as the leader, and it’s about truly embracing the concept of serving your team instead of having an authoritative mindset and serving your own selfish priorities.

How do you show up for your team? Do people fear you or respect you? Does your team act the same while you are there, as when you are not? Are you truly putting your team’s well being and trajectory ahead of your own? All of this while delivering on business objectives can be quite overwhelming when you list it out. John Maxwell is commonly known as the expert on the topic, but let’s dive in here on what you can do to serve your team.

Servant leadership sounds like it comes with a significant responsibility, and it does. Leadership, generally speaking, does come with an enormous level of responsibility. You have someone’s career in your hands. You can then continue to beat yourself about it, like considering what is your purpose? Are you serving you or serving the team? Are you building a team or controlling a group of people? How are you bringing others along for the journey?

Heavy questions for any leader, so how do you model this? Trust, empowerment and providing the tools to get the job done. Taking away pressures that are not suited for your team, and putting your team first. Putting your team first involves considering your team’s development, tools, and positioning before your own and also having their back to ensure they have the support needed to feel free from undue encumbrance from corporate or organizational pressures. I really like empowerment, as it breeds engagement, ownership and accountability within a business operation. Empower your team to own their world.

From the opposite side of empowerment, comes micromanagement, which breeds fear and lack of transparency. Micromanagement when utilized as a broad tool and mindset, is toxic, and should only be the path when an associate shows they need the oversight at that level during increased performance management, or possibly during an intense training program for a new hire. Micromanagement is where you limit an associate’s growth, empowerment and confidence and truly cuts professionals down, eating away at their self-worth and attitude. Micromanagement destroyed my work spirit in a past org and position, and I can share from experience, it can be a dark feeling of isolation, pressure and self-questioning. It’s hard to shake it even when you’re in family time — you never feel like you’re even good enough to be there.

So how do you know if you are you building a growth-minded team or a group of followers? Much of it can be seen by when the team has a decision to make and how they handle the process. If they can run without you, this is one good sign. Another is the interest in taking on increased responsibility, a showing of care for their work and focus on driving the business forward. If your team takes initiatives forward, focuses on priorities and has a positive mindset, you have the right start at taking your team along for the journey, instead of riding them for their worth.

And remember as a leader, don’t forget to share your care, before your demands. If an associate feels your care for their well being and growth, that trust built translates into productivity, performance and organizational alignment to own their business, which drives your business forward. Be a servant leader and continue to learn how to support your team with care, resources and empowerment. This will allow you to take your team to the ideal state of opportunity and excellence.

Hopefully, this added a little value to your business or your career. Thank you for reading.

Climb Higher, Raise Your^ROI