What is Servant Leadership?

I do not pretend to be an expert on the subject of servant leadership, but I realize I talk about it a lot. And there is a reason.

Reason: It is needed today

Today, we have a lot of people with whom we can interact on a near-constant basis. And in the process of that interaction, we can influence one another in ways hitherto undreamt of (I got that word from Iron Man, by the way). The results of that interaction are not only plentiful, but they are often powerful, impactful, and lasting — regardless of whether the outcomes of the interaction are seen as positive or negative. Another way of putting that is that we each have the ability to influence and cause ripple effects throughout our immediate community as well as that of our surrounding adjacencies. When one looks at the topic of leadership, they often will find words used to describe it that reference the ability or propensity to influence others.

Reason: We can all do it

So does this mean that we are all leaders? I would say yes. While leadership is something we often associate with a capital-letter title, they are not the whole scope of the term. See, when each of us influences another, we are operating from a place of leadership, and when this is done at scale, it is often then that we associate the term with the person — someone who often has a capital-letter title in front of their name. But positions and titles are things given unto you by another, and in some cases, they are even thrust upon you. I posit that titles, in reality, are not true indicators of one’s inclination to lead on purpose. They certainly are relevant, but what about servant leadership now? Servant leadership, in my opinion, is something one does by choice. It is a very intentional form of influencing the world around you. It is leadership that intends to serve, not to be served.

Reason: It is the right thing to do

I like to put it this way: Servant leadership says “I move first, but you come first.” When our culture tells you it is best to be inwardly focused, to spend hours cultivating an image for yourself everyday, and to always be looking out for “number 1”, we find ourselves sometimes focusing on ROI for ourselves above value creation for another. Servant leadership defies this notion, and challenges the leader to consider those they lead and serve above themselves.

And business-wise — for those who are more inclined toward that topic — servant leadership is not just an idea or a fad. It is a strategy. It is a strategic decision to surge on opportunities when they arise to do for the served and to have faith that there will be a return on investment that far exceeds the furthest forecasts in budget, performance, and market share. Build something that is worth building. Build something that makes an impact. Build something that is relevant to the needs of this world, and you will find you have built exactly what an audience needs. And you will reap what it is that you sow.