The results were dramatic. Experts offer a range of best practice suggestions for top executives who aspire to become successful servant leaders. Most experts agree, however, on one bedrock principle: successful servant leadership starts with a leader's desire to serve his or her staff, which in turn serves and benefits the organization at large. This serve-first mindset can be put into practice from the beginning, during an employee's onboarding phase, says Michael Timmes, a leadership expert and consultant and coach with the national human resources provider Insperity.
During onboarding, after the initial introductions, getting-acquainted conversations, and explanations about how operations work, the servant leader should solicit the new hire's observations, impressions and opinions, Timmes says.
This conveys the message, from the onset, that the employee's thoughts are valued. And from that point, the servant leader keeps a continual focus on talent development.
He approvingly cites one expert's view that if a manager is not spending at least 25 percent of his or her time developing future leaders, then "you're really not fulfilling your responsibilities as a leader. The servant leader can enhance this talent development process in several ways. For Barter, one of the keys is to leverage the employees' strengths. Often, an employee's highest performance is on tasks they are most passionate about, yet some managers never find this out.
What really excites you? Another way to enhance the talent development process is to selectively relinquish power, so that employees can lead certain projects and take ownership of initiatives.
This can be tricky for some leaders because they equate leadership with control and they feel they should be responsible for everything.
But therein lies a paradox—leaders that are able to let go often find that they are actually in more control, because they have harnessed the resources and talents of their staff, which collectively can guide operations more effectively than one person can, he explains. This is a crucial requirement for effective servant leadership, says Falotico.
She tells leaders to "get over yourself" and realize that business objectives, whatever they are, will not be reached without sharing the load and responsibility. That's your work. If serving staff is the bedrock principle of servant leadership, two core practices toward achieving that goal are close listening and searching questions.
Darryl Spivey, a senior faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership CCL who coaches executives on servant leadership, says that asking the right questions is the "secret sauce" of great coaching, and is crucial for servant leaders. Servant leaders build relationships with staff primarily by listening closely and by asking many questions—on anything from the employee's background to detailed queries about their assessment of the firm's business environment, Spivey explains.
If an employee is struggling, leaders should ask questions about what might be impeding his or her progress. Even questions about smaller aspects of operations, such as the best use of time during meetings, are helpful.
And the emphasis on questions works both ways. Employees should feel comfortable asking the servant leader questions without worrying that the leader will feel badgered, threatened or implicitly criticized, Spivey says. Such questions help drive the development and growth of the employee.
Carefully asking questions is related to another crucial practice—listening to understand. This means listening to the employee silently and making an active effort to understand his or her point of view. A servant leader leads by example by demonstrating the values and behaviors that they want to see in others and speak to those that are not aligned to those values.
Servant leaders are great at making their teams feel like they matter. Encouraging their teams to work together, innovate, and share their opinions shows them that they are heard and appreciated. This can motivate teams to put their best effort, and often results in higher quality work. Sitting down with small focus groups of employees from across the company and listening to their ideas is a great way to facilitate feedback and allow all teams to be heard and feel like they are making a collective difference.
A servant leader is a forward thinker. They look at what they have learned in the past and how it has affected the present and could affect the future. Thinking long term helps look at what the company can become and allows decision-making about changes for the future. Traditional leaders believe that they are only accountable to their superiors, if they even think they are accountable at all. Servant leaders, on the other hand, are accountable to everyone in the organization.
They welcome feedback on their performance and want to improve their leadership. Servant leaders are committed to the growth of every employee. They want what is best for them and this includes developing other servant leaders. They hold employees accountable in a caring way for their performance and development.
Typical leaders assume that people automatically know how to do their job once they are hired. These leaders ask how their actions can serve humanity and not just the bottom line.
This approach does not discount the importance of profit, but it puts profit in the context of a more holistic view of what the company can accomplish. Employees sometimes come up with better ideas than the boss. Servant leaders show their true selves to others. They are transparent and open. Humility is what makes the servant leader approachable. Servant leaders surpass average active listening —they are deep listeners.
And because they really take in what others say, they are able to ask illuminating questions and provide intelligent and strategic guidance for a business leader. A servant leader is a confidant. These leaders act as sounding boards for important decisions. Because servant leaders are natural encouragers and want the best for others, people turn to them over and over again.
Knee-jerk decisions in reaction to immediate pressures is not the way of the servant leader. Instead, these leaders rise above the short-term noise and cultivate value according to a long-term vision. Servant leaders have genuine care and concern for people. Because this leader values people, they make the effort to form bonds and grow their social networks. Humility - Servant leaders do not promote themselves; they put other people first. They are actually humble, not humble as an act.
Servant leaders know leadership is not all about them—things are accomplished through others. Trust - Servant leaders give trust to others. They willingly take this risk for the people they serve. Servant leaders are trusted because they are authentic and dependable. Caring - Servant leaders have people and purpose in their heart. They display a kindness and concern for others. As the term servant leadership implies, servant leaders are here to serve, not to be served.
Servant leaders truly care for the people they serve. Need for Servant Leaders There is a mountain of statistical evidence linked to the proven effectiveness of leaders who have mastered the aforementioned traits. Benefits of Earning a Degree in Leadership Even if you have not yet practiced servant leadership, then pursuing a leadership graduate degree with Ottawa University will help enhance your awareness of your values and how those values are reflected in your decisions and actions.
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