Servant Leadership: Inspiring and Powerful

Posted by Ann Deaton Share Your Voice

I keep meeting powerful leaders, and I've been noticing that they all have one thing in common. Somehow,despite the position they've attained in their companies, they have put their own egos to the side and are focused on serving those who fall below them on the organizational chart. These leaders are powerful because they inspire a level of loyalty, commitment, and effort that seems to come almost effortlessly. How do they do it? One example is Bailey.
Bailey, a 50-some year old leader, is second in command at his mid-size company. Bailey sees himself as destined to serve those whose paychecks he signs. According to the Greenleaf Center on Servant Leadership, "The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first....[This leader seeks] to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?"

For Bailey, servant leadership means that he notices when others are not performing up to standards. When he sees this, Bailey takes the person aside and asks them how he can help. Sometimes Bailey has assisted by explaining a challenging task or concept. Other times, he has helped by giving his staff member a few days off to take care of personal issues that are keeping them from focusing on work. On occasion, Bailey has shared the vulnerability and fears he's experienced during his own journey. In all cases, Bailey seeks to empower instead of blame his employees when they don't perform. In return, they are grateful and inspired to do the same for those who report to them. Slowly but surely, Bailey is establishing a culture of service in his organization. The impact is excellent personnel retention, strong bottom line performance, and a deep sense of appreciation and joy at the end of each day--for Bailey, and for those he serves.

How do you serve others as a leader?

How can you put others first, while still staying true to yourself and your own values?

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Ann Deaton I am a leadership coach, and Managing Partner in Bounce. I love to coach and facilitate with individuals and systems experiencing significant change and growth. The clients I work with, regardless of their age or position, are talented and creative individuals willing to look with fresh eyes at their challenges and opportunities, and to take action based on their discoveries. As a result, they find that they are capable of accomplishing far greater things than they ever imagined. What do you want to accomplish today? Who do you want to be?