SERVANT LEADERSHIP TRAITS EXPLAINED
SERVANT LEADERSHIP is a concept where the leader serves those in her charge rather than simply "managing" them, or seeing to her own needs, or excluding others. The concept is the opposite of the power-hungry leader or the leader who does the job only to amass wealth and self adoration by exploiting those whom she leads.The servant leader ensures that everyone else is successful and then shares in their communal success. At its most basic level, servant leadership is about everyone winning instead of just the leader winning. As Robert Greenleaf noted, society has grown to the point that mere person-to-person caring has morphed into a situation where institutions do most of the caring. He cautions that these large, impersonal institutions can become corrupt through the efforts of "me-first" style leaders and that the only way a society will grow is for these organizations, as well as the individuals who make up these organizations, to adopt a philosophy of servant leadership.
Our world is changing, and so are the institutions that we work for. The leaders who will push these institutions through rapid change and thrive in an uncertain future must also change their leadership style accordingly. Tomorrow's leaders are not only drivers but servants too. And if you envision yourself as a leader in the future, adopting the characteristics below can help you succeed.
TOP 15 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LEADER
1. Empathy
First, empathy. Why? Because the servant leader must be able to connect with all types of people. She must connect with her direct team and with her customers. She must truly understand their emotional needs and see the world from their perspectives. She must execute with the mindset that fulfilling those needs comes first before fulfilling her own needs.
💥💥💥 LEADERS EAT LAST by Simon Sinek 💥💥💥
2. Ability to Listen
To know what people's needs are, the servant leader must listen actively to words, body language and overall implications. Nonverbal cues are especially important because they speak truer than words. The servant leader must also be curious and ask questions that arouse deeper conversation. This allows her team to speak frankly and build trust.
💥💥💥 GOOD TO GREAT by Jim Collins 💥💥💥
3. Valuing People
Servant leaders value people as people and not as assets to exploit. They see them as equals and try to help them achieve their personal goals, rather than just “opportunities” to help the leader herself or the organization that they lead. By valuing people, the servant leader continues exercising empathy and build trust.
💥💥💥 HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie 💥💥💥
4. Humility
Servant leaders recognize their place in the cosmos and never aggrandize themselves. As people who serve others and apply their power for the good of all, they achieve their success through the elevation of others. Self-interest runs counter to this philosophy because it exaggerates the needs of the leader as one person to the exclusion of others.
💥💥💥 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE by Stephen R. Covey 💥💥💥
5. Self-Awareness
Before recognizing others' strengths and weaknesses, a leader must recognize her own. When a leader can admit her own faults, she can leverage such honesty and vulnerability to empower others. Conversely, she can also take action on her strengths, demonstrating confidence to her team.
💥💥💥 TURN THE SHIP AROUND by L. David Marquet 💥💥💥
6. Trust
Leaders, and especially servant leaders, cannot succeed alone. It takes a village, literally, to create award-winning products and organizations. Servant leaders must, despite discomfort and ambiguity, must trust others. They must engender a climate of trust in their organizations so that every employee trusts each another.A servant leader must also gain others' trust. She must act with complete selflessness and look out for everyone else’s interest but her own. The servant leader must lead by example, and put herself at risk first. This “walking the walk,” act instills trust in and inspires others.
💥💥💥 DELIVERING HAPPINESS by Tony Hsieh 💥💥💥
7. Healing
The truly effective servant leader shows a true interest in the well-being of those she leads. She motivates them, challenges them and cares for them.
💥💥💥 SERVANT LEADERSHIP ROADMAP by Cara H. Bramlett 💥💥💥
8. Ability to Conceptualize
One of the necessities of success in the 21st century is the ability to see what’s “coming down the pike” and then to reconcile that with what’s happening currently. By preparing the organization for as many eventualities as possible, the servant leader helps all to succeed at the best of their ability.
💥💥💥 THE 5 LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP by John Maxwell 💥💥💥
9. Foresight
Having foresight allows the servant leader to conceptualize the future. By being aware of past trends, the servant leader relies on her intuition to project and prepare for the future. This intuition is not pure talent but from practicing active listening and focusing on her people.
💥💥💥 THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger 💥💥💥
10. Persuasiveness
Servant leaders never browbeat, intimidate, or threaten to achieve their objectives. Instead, they rely on exceptional powers of persuasion because willing participants achieve more than their fear-driven counterparts. Besides, it would belie the entire concept of servant leadership to force rather than to persuade.
💥💥💥 The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win 💥💥💥
11. Stewardship
Servant leaders protect and insulate both their charges and their organizations. It is part of the spirit to serve others to keep them safe to the best of her ability. If people feel safe, they will be more willing to trust others and to work for the betterment of the whole. By being good stewards, servant leaders build that trust in everyone, which furthers growth.
💥💥💥 THE POWER OF POSITIVE LEADERSHIP by Jon Gordon 💥💥💥
12. Community Building
Not only will an effective servant leader strive to build her own community in her organization, but she will also endeavor to build a larger community with other organizations. The concept of servant leadership embodies the success of all, which means that the success of other organizations is also central to the concept. United with a common purpose, both servant leaders and those whom they lead will be mighty indeed.
💥💥💥 START WITH WHY by Simon Sinek 💥💥💥
13. Kindness
It doesn’t hurt to be kind. Servant leaders should follow this mantra because it goes hand-in-hand with caring and empathy. The Golden Rule is paramount to the servant leader, and this cannot be mere lip service. Without believing in the power of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, a supposed servant leader is merely a farcical pretender.
💥💥💥 Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box 💥💥💥
14. Teaching
By being dedicated to the growth of others, the servant leader serves not only as a leader but also as a teacher. She knows that she will not always be in the position she is and prepares for that eventuality by inspiring and teaching “the next generation.”
💥💥💥 Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization 💥💥💥
15. Learning
The servant leader should also realize that she doesn't know everything and that she must always be learning. She must be able to realize who can teach her and what those people can teach her. As long as she applies the knowledge gained for the betterment of all, then she will have lived up to her mandate as a servant leader.
💥💥💥 Be Our Guest (Revised and Updated Edition): Perfecting the Art of Customer Service (A Disney Institute Book) by the Disney Institute 💥💥💥
Places Where Servant Leaders Can Hone Their Craft
Cornell University, the No. 17-ranked university in the United States, provides an exceptional certificate program that helps develop new servant leaders.Alison Fett's excellent TED talk on servant leadership focuses on self-discovery. By applying the precept of community building, the servant leader can also develop a network of other servant leaders from which she can also learn. The final precept of the 15 qualities of a good leader is, after all, continual learning.
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[ Disclaimer: this article includes affiliate links.]
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