The concept of Servant leadership has been around for some time now. Like many things, the idea of leadership has evolved into something more dynamic and diverse than what it was earlier. People from earlier generations would not be able to come to terms with it. Earlier, maybe a few decades ago things were basic – being at the top of the organizational chart made you the boss automatically. You were the leader, as far as employees were concerned. But now, things are quite different – everyone multi-tasks & deals with more than 1 function, leadership is more distributed and has percolated. Just being a boss does not mean you are a leader.
Simply put, Servant leadership is about a thought process and system that helps to create better organizations, fulfilled, and enriched people, thereby contributing to a better world. Individuals in top slots need to realise – the teams today are more aware, equipped with better technologies and tools – there is all the reason to be a better, more evolved leader. Being more open, more communicative and building a sharing culture helps to evolve into a Servant Leader.
These leaders are loyal to their values and tenets – making them the basis on which the organizational culture is built. Servant leaders lead by example, and heed the courage of their convictions. Regardless of status or rank, they encourage open thoughts, free expression and experimentation – and they learn from everyone. Similarly, aspiring Servant leaders must self-examine. They must identify the core values of their company and review if everyone on the staff has clarity about what the company and the leader believes in & stands for. Let us look at some basic ways to grow into a Servant leader:
Diversity Should Be Encouraged:
Increasingly, for professionals, working in a diverse workplace is important. In a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 67% job aspirants sought a diverse workplace and 57 % employers wanted to work harder to make diversity a bigger priority. Thinking differently, creatively is a core tenet of servant leadership – every different aspect is carefully considered before moving forward. Everyone’s inputs matter and thus the final decision is the outcome of every team member having contributed. Hence the power has been distributed, and everyone has had a say in the way forward, contributing to the outcome.
Cultivate leadership in Others:
True leaders know the advantages of building the 2nd line of leadership. It is crucial to mould the next generation of leaders. Millennials will need to be coached, mentored and groomed. This takes time and patience – to teach, encourage, correct mistakes and learn from them and answer questions that these new generation leaders have – and some of the questions may be difficult. With cross-cultural and societal impacts on them, building a team and a next generation of leaders is easier said than done. Here is where being a servant leader helps. They give, they are able to manage diversity, communicate clearly and embed empathy in the organization’s DNA. They give more of themselves because they want to – not because they have to.
With cross-cultural and societal impacts on them, building a team and a next generation of leaders is easier said than done. Here is where being a servant leader helps. They give, they are able to manage diversity, communicate clearly and embed empathy in the organization’s DNA. They give more of themselves because they want to – not because they have to.
Build A Culture of Trust:
Trust is fragile and needs to be zealously guarded – clear communication is key here. A leader needs to clearly communicate to the teams in the company – about the objectives, what values the company expects them to imbibe and what is the overall vision. Higher levels of trust can be built on total transparency – communications should be specific and shared across every level of the organization. The simple rule here is – unless you lead with a clear purpose and are not transparent, how will people follow or trust you? This directly impacts performance and contributes to achieving the objectives. Trust is earned and aspiring servant leaders have to remember – that trust is earned.
Work with a Giver’s Mindset:
Leaders will need to revise and reboot their self-oriented mindset. If they help others to succeed, they will identify with the success of the company. Primarily, it comes down to people – without them, there would be no one to run the business. The profit and people are not different – they go in tandem! Give credit, give responsibility, be helpful to people in achieving their goals – all the while, you are contributing to the company objectives. Appreciate their contributions and the role tey have played – this makes people more confident and fosters inclusivity.
Giving and being generous with knowledge, praise, sharing – this helps leaders to drive change and build a culture of giving. This helps to scale the business and ensure business continuity. Servant leaders help to build future-ready businesses.
Conclusion:
The world today is on – 24×7 and always. Brought together and fragmented, both – by technology, beliefs and different stimuli, it needs a breed of leaders who are, above all, other-centric. Servant leaders able to cope with diversity, build bridges, with transparency, magnanimity and trust. This will lead business continuity and society in times to come.