...or at least trying to!
For a while I’ve been thinking about leadership as a learned skill and the needs and requirements for great leadership. IMHO one of the most basic trait of great leader is the ability to balance the fulfilment of the organisation’s vision with the fulfilment of the needs of those who work within the organisation.
In much of the reading that I’ve done, I question my personal style of leadership, I’ve always felt most comfortable with the style of "Servant Leadership".
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid”. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
Lao-Tzu wrote about Servant Leadership in the fifth-century BC: “The highest type of ruler is one, of whose existence the people are barely aware… The Sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When his task is accomplished and things have been completed, all the people say, ‘We ourselves have achieved it!’”
I'd like to highlight four most important aspects of servant-leadership:
1. Humility
IMO, this is the most important of all the aspects. Humility in this context represents both the attitude and an acknowledgment by the leader that he is not omniscient and that his employees will have more knowledge and experience on specific topics than he do.This is very important for leaders in industries dependent on knowledge workers (such as those I’ve always worked in), as there is high probability that employees will absolutely know more about their specialization (and in fact be employed for their specific knowledge).
We need to facilitate a learning environment in which employees are encouraged to learn, grow and develop through their own innovation, ideas and experimentation, and through interacting with and learning from others
2. Transparency
Building on the above is the ability to be real and transparent, which is an acceptance of and encouragement to the organization’s people that not only can they be themselves, but also that the company’s culture and environment genuinely encourages and welcomes this.
Transparency requires that the leader acts with integrity, does what he says going to do and remain consistent in both actions and and words.
3. Stewardship, Empowerment and Clarity
Stewardship is both the desire and the willingness to be responsible for the larger organization and to focus attention mainly on service to those whom they lead instead of on control and self-interest.
True servant leaders act in a care-taking role, but also act as important role models for those around them in the organization. Setting the cultural, value and ethical tone helps to encourage the rest of the organization to act in the common interest and with a strong view to teamwork, loyalty and the social framework and values of the organization.
Regarding clarity and empowerment: Clear acknowledgement of the skills, talents and strengths of employees, coupled with an environment that encourages employees in their actions and in their own personal growth can only assist in excellent outcomes and in creating leaders in their own right.
Finally…
4. Empathy and Forgiveness
The ability to understand and to experience the motivations, feelings and expectations of others is totally essential in a servant leadership culture. The ability to put yourself in the shoes of those whom you work with as a leader can only make for better and more impactful decision-making.
The encouragement to forgive and to move forward is again essential in the creation of a culture where it is accepted that people can, do and will make mistakes. IMO for innovation to occur naturally inside an organization mistakes/failures are bound to happen. "You either succeed or you learn!"
Today, Servant Leadership is a much talked about however, little practiced concept. It seems many people like to talk about serving as a leader but aren’t really all that interested in investing the time required to lead while serving. They also struggle with the “people are barely aware of their existence” thing. Leaders, well actually most people, tend to like getting noticed these days.
There are many reasons why people have a hard time buying into the whole “Servant Leader” thing, a big one is the fact that the terms “Servant” and “Leader” don’t actually go together well. Even many of those who would be served see “servant” as a weakness and would prefer a “stronger” leader than a mere servant could ever be.
Reference: If this blog inspired you, and would like to know more, read the book The Servant as Leader by Robert K. Greenleaf.
For a while I’ve been thinking about leadership as a learned skill and the needs and requirements for great leadership. IMHO one of the most basic trait of great leader is the ability to balance the fulfilment of the organisation’s vision with the fulfilment of the needs of those who work within the organisation.
In much of the reading that I’ve done, I question my personal style of leadership, I’ve always felt most comfortable with the style of "Servant Leadership".
A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid”. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
Lao-Tzu wrote about Servant Leadership in the fifth-century BC: “The highest type of ruler is one, of whose existence the people are barely aware… The Sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When his task is accomplished and things have been completed, all the people say, ‘We ourselves have achieved it!’”
I'd like to highlight four most important aspects of servant-leadership:
1. Humility
IMO, this is the most important of all the aspects. Humility in this context represents both the attitude and an acknowledgment by the leader that he is not omniscient and that his employees will have more knowledge and experience on specific topics than he do.This is very important for leaders in industries dependent on knowledge workers (such as those I’ve always worked in), as there is high probability that employees will absolutely know more about their specialization (and in fact be employed for their specific knowledge).
We need to facilitate a learning environment in which employees are encouraged to learn, grow and develop through their own innovation, ideas and experimentation, and through interacting with and learning from others
2. Transparency
Building on the above is the ability to be real and transparent, which is an acceptance of and encouragement to the organization’s people that not only can they be themselves, but also that the company’s culture and environment genuinely encourages and welcomes this.
Transparency requires that the leader acts with integrity, does what he says going to do and remain consistent in both actions and and words.
3. Stewardship, Empowerment and Clarity
Stewardship is both the desire and the willingness to be responsible for the larger organization and to focus attention mainly on service to those whom they lead instead of on control and self-interest.
True servant leaders act in a care-taking role, but also act as important role models for those around them in the organization. Setting the cultural, value and ethical tone helps to encourage the rest of the organization to act in the common interest and with a strong view to teamwork, loyalty and the social framework and values of the organization.
Regarding clarity and empowerment: Clear acknowledgement of the skills, talents and strengths of employees, coupled with an environment that encourages employees in their actions and in their own personal growth can only assist in excellent outcomes and in creating leaders in their own right.
Finally…
4. Empathy and Forgiveness
The ability to understand and to experience the motivations, feelings and expectations of others is totally essential in a servant leadership culture. The ability to put yourself in the shoes of those whom you work with as a leader can only make for better and more impactful decision-making.
The encouragement to forgive and to move forward is again essential in the creation of a culture where it is accepted that people can, do and will make mistakes. IMO for innovation to occur naturally inside an organization mistakes/failures are bound to happen. "You either succeed or you learn!"
Today, Servant Leadership is a much talked about however, little practiced concept. It seems many people like to talk about serving as a leader but aren’t really all that interested in investing the time required to lead while serving. They also struggle with the “people are barely aware of their existence” thing. Leaders, well actually most people, tend to like getting noticed these days.
There are many reasons why people have a hard time buying into the whole “Servant Leader” thing, a big one is the fact that the terms “Servant” and “Leader” don’t actually go together well. Even many of those who would be served see “servant” as a weakness and would prefer a “stronger” leader than a mere servant could ever be.
Reference: If this blog inspired you, and would like to know more, read the book The Servant as Leader by Robert K. Greenleaf.
