Servant leader- what is it? In a business movement introduced in the early 70’s is the idea of servant leader. These leaders put their company or organization before themselves. They don’t view employees as the means to the end but rather the employee’s satisfaction is the end. This can be a big shift in thinking for an entrepreneur. Some points on leaders adopting this style.
- Treat employees like customers, and where reasonable do their bidding
- Ask the question “how can I help you?”
- Fill in for an employee and do their job to lift a burden from the employee’s colleagues
- Lead like you are leading a group of volunteers and ask, “what problems do you have?” Volunteers don’t have to listen to autocratic leaders.
Servant leadership does not necessarily say you are a great boss, but rather its realizing that being a boss and leading are not the same.
Here’s to adopting servant leadership traits to build a better company!
Mike