Seven Ways to Serve
Blogs, magazines, and books are filled with tips and tools on how to become a “great leader.” This blog is no exception. Many of these insights are helpful and needed. However, while the focus of most leadership literature is on “doing leadership,” perhaps our focus could be better spent on the “how” of leadership.
The paradox of authentic leadership is that one becomes “great” by serving. People are impacted by the way we lead, as much as by what we do. Robert Greenleaf is famous for developing the Servant Leadership model. Rather than simply implementing a leadership technique, servant leaders serve first. In fact, they gain leadership by serving the people they lead.
The leadership expert, P. Northouse, identifies seven ways servant leaders achieve success. Consider these steps to being a successful servant leader:
1. Conceptualizing: This refers to how well you know your organization. You can’t serve the needs of your team if you don’t understand the complexities of the organization you lead in and what your team is experiencing.
2. Emotional Healing: This means you care about the people you lead and you are sensitive to their needs. You may want to stop reading here, but great leaders can connect with their people at a deeper level than just mission and goals. Be human.
3. Putting followers first: This action is the identifier of Servant Leadership. Do your people know you really care about them, or are you simply using them to get results?
4. Helping followers grow and succeed: A servant leader always invests in the growth and development of those he/she leads. Make sure you create opportunities for your people to try and learn new things.
5. Behaving ethically: Great leaders always do the right thing—especially when it’s hard.
6. Empowering: Servant leaders give away their power. They give their people the freedom to make independent decisions and lead on their own.
7. Creating value for the community: This means that leaders give back. What are you investing back into your community, your company, and your people?
Evaluate yourself against this list. A leader that implements these seven actions will have lasting and authentic success, as well as deep and rewarding relationships with those he/she leads. Join Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, who led by serving.