Servant leaders lead by putting others’ interests first with a selfless attitude. This leadership philosophy encompasses a holistic approach and a wider focus in comparison to other leadership approaches. Greenleaf, in his essay in 1970, defined servant leadership as an emerging leadership style that focuses on team members’ personal growth by treating them equally. He asserted servant leaders as “primus inter pares” or “first among equals,” highlighting their priority of choosing others over their own interest.
This article sheds light on the traits of servant leadership and its benefits with 5 real-life examples of leaders who adopted this style of leadership.
What is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership is a moral-based leadership in which leaders prioritize the fulfillment of followers’ needs rather than satisfying their own interests. In the 21st-century business environment, the morals of leaders are getting prioritized for not only society’s well-being but also for sustainable organizational success. This leadership is attributed to some crucial traits such as behaving ethically, empowering, helping followers grow, creating value, and many more. In a nutshell, servant leadership has a serving nature and doesn’t focus on instructive leading.
Empowering Servants to Lead
Empowerment of followers is what servant leaders do as they continue to serve and provide the opportunity for followers to lead. Here are some benefits that this leadership poses to empower the followers:
- Positive Team Culture: The serving nature of the leader fosters a positive team culture by building trust and collaboration among team members.
- Amplified Motivation: As the needs and developments of followers are prioritized in this leadership, they are likely to feel more motivated than usual.
- High Employee Satisfaction: More motivation equals higher job satisfaction. Servant leaders, with their persuasive attitude, manage to satisfy the needs of employees.
- Empowerment: Under the leadership of a servant leader, employees are allowed to showcase their skills and participate in organizational decision-making. Through open communication, developmental training, and a positive work environment, employees are empowered to take charge of their work.
- Enhanced Communication: Active listening and open communication in this leadership eventually enhance team communication, leading to better decision-making.
5 Real-Life Servant Leadership Examples
As Ken Blanchard rightly said- “Leadership is about taking people from one place to another. One of a leader’s top priorities must be to assure that the team knows where you are headed.” An insight into the examples of servant leadership will highlight how servant leaders determine their team’s direction in business contexts.
- Herb Kelleher, former CEO, Southwest Airlines
The former CEO and co-founder of Southwest Airlines is an exemplary servant leader who believes business is all about people. His 10 Customers First Principles is at the core of Southwest’s foundation, indicating his prioritization of customers. On the other hand, his Employee First Principles are directed towards fulfilling employees’ needs and creating a positive work culture. This serving attitude drove Southwest to success.
- Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric
As Jack articulated – “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” This clearly reflects his servant leadership approach that transformed the growth of General Electrics during his reign.
- Susan Wojcicki, CEO, YouTube
Susan is regarded as a great servant leader, during whose tenure YouTube flourished exponentially in the global market. Her words echo her serving approach- “it’s the people in power who pass power to others…in a way that, in the end, will benefit everyone.”
- Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks
Howard, with Starbucks, created an inclusive work environment by prioritizing purpose over the individual, as the purpose is what unites people. Through collective understanding of mission and values, purpose locates between people. This reflects the influence of servant leadership on Schultz’s leadership approach.
- Fred Smith, Founder, FedEx
“When people are placed first, they will provide the highest possible service, and profits will follow.”- Fred Smith. With the foundation of FredEx, Fred emerged as a thought leader who relied on the philosophy of ‘People-Service-Profit’ to grow rapidly, indicating his servant leadership approach for both employees and customers.
Although servant leadership has multiple positive aspects, adoption of this leadership can be challenging. Building servant leadership is a time-consuming process and requires strong interpersonal relationships. One of the biggest drawbacks of this leadership is that it may not be suitable for the fast-changing environment of an organization. Too much empathy can lead to protective behavior towards followers, discouraging them from taking up pro-active roles. Despite these challenges, the relevance of this leadership is quite strong in a workplace environment where inclusion is highly valued. Through these examples, the positive impact of this leadership style can be apprehended.
