SERVant Leadership...ON Purpose!

Posted on August 07, 2017 by Mark Myette, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Fortune Magazine‘s annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For is out. Noteworthy is 5 of the top 10 “100 Best Companies to Work For” are also identified as companies practicing servant leadership – 50% of the very best companies to work!

​What Is Servant-Leadership?

Coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, often referred to as the father of servant leadership and founder of the Greenleaf Institute for Servant Leadership, the concept of servant leadership defines a leader who is, very literally, a servant first. “Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and ultimately creates a more just and caring world,” states the Institute.

Core Competencies of Servant Leadership

Greenleaf defined ten core competencies for servant leaders. These competencies form the basis from which all other research, writings, and books on servant leadership are founded.

- Authentic Listening – The servant leader understands the will of a team and clarifies that will. The servant leader is always listening with an open heart to what is being said and not said. The servant leaders hears one’s own inner voice with reflection and contemplation – critical to an emerging servant leader.
- Empathy – The servant leader shows empathy and understanding with others. Individuals are accepted and recognized for their unique energy. The servant leader sees the good intentions of people and does not reject them as people, even when certain behaviors or performance are deemed inappropriate. Servant leaders are skilled empathetic listeners.
- Healing – Servant leaders seek wholeness in themselves and others.
Self-Awareness – Servant leaders seek awareness at all levels and particularly in issues involving ethics, power, and values. Their view is integrative and holistic.
- Persuasion – Persuasion is seen as a way to convince others, not through positional authority or compliance through coercive tactics. Persuasion in this manner distinguishes the leadership between the authoritarian model and the servant leadership model. Servant leaders are effective at building group consensus.
- Conceptualization – Servant leaders seek to conceptualize challenges, thinking from a holistic and broad perspective. They dream big and use systemic thinking to approach day-to-day operations. Servant leaders are forward thinkers, seeking balance in the dream and daily life.
- Foresight – Servant leaders use strategic intuition in thinking and behaviors. Foresight is intuition based in the past, the present, and the future decision-making process. Foresight is known within the intuitive mind.
- Stewardship – Servant leaders are good stewards and are concerned for individuals, organizations, and the world at large. Servant leaders make good use of all that is given to them and understand stewardship from a global perspective.
- Commitment to the Growth of the People – Servant leaders are concerned about the growth of the people and as such, encourages and empowers personal and professional growth of individuals and teams.
- Building Community – Servant leaders enjoy building community among people and teams. In organizations, building community means bringing people together around a cause (whatever that cause may be) and developing that community with other organizations and institutions.

Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership

- Being A Person of Character – who maintains integrity and humility.
- Putting People First – someone who is there to serve and cares for people.
- Skilled Communication – showing empathy and encouraging feedback.
- Compassionate Collaboration – giving congratulations when they are due, negotiating conflict well.
Foresight – being able to predict future developments and problems.
- Systems Thinking – being comfortable working with complicated systems with many facets.
- Leading with Moral Authority – moral authority is something that can only be given by others, and this is a reflection of how well a leader encompasses the previous six pillars.

Can it be taught?

YES! Servant leadership can be taught / influenced by understanding the “Servant Leadership Competency Model”. The reality is NO ONE is going to be proficient at ALL of the competencies and pillars outlined above. Yet, with an open mind, willingness to learn / understand what YOU bring to servant leadership, AND open to feedback / coaching / practice – we all can be a UNIQUE servant leader. So, creating or supporting a servant leadership program, an “academy” / curriculum to enable participants to become “consciously competent” @ Servant Leadership could be a real plus!

Servant Leadership in Your Organization

“Servant leaders know by helping to guide the people who work for [and with] them, they will help their employees learn vital skills that will both improve their performance, and improve them as people,” said Peter Economy in his book “7 Secrets of ‘Servant Leadership’ That Will Lead You to Success.”

Employer Benefits of Practicing Servant Leadership

- You will attract the best employees!
- The quality of your team members experience will improve.
- You will be respected for your treatment of employees.
- Increase the overall creativity, productivity and other critical attributes of your greatest asset – your employees.

Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For With Servant Leadership

The following 20+ organizations from Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list are also considered companies practicing servant leadership:

SAS (#1 on the list of Best Companies to Work For)
Wegmans Food Market (3)
Zappos.com (6)
Nugget Market (8)
Recreational Equipment (REI) (9)
Container Store (21)
Whole Foods Market (24)
QuikTrip (34)
Balfour Beatty Construction (40)
TD Industries (45)
Aflac (57)
Marriott International (71)
Nordstrom (74)
Men’s Wearhouse (87)
CH2M Hill (90)
Darden Restaurants (97)
Starbucks (98)
TD Industries (45)
Aflac (57)
Marriott International (71)
Nordstrom (74)
Men’s Wearhouse (87)
CH2M Hill (90)
Darden Restaurants (97)
Starbucks (98)
Southwest Airlines
Toro
Publix
Chick-fil-A

Of course, “making a list” should NOT be the ultimate goal. If you decide to implement servant leadership principles in your organization, you will recognize countless benefits. In fact, you may find achieving a top position on a “Best Companies to Work For” list is simply a side effect of following a servant leadership mentality.

Servant Leader as Partner, Employee, Manager, Volunteer

The competencies and 7 pillars are great attributes to aspire to and practice. If you can demonstrate any combination of these as a partner, employee, manager, volunteer you WILL set yourself apart from others and WILL not only be sought after but INDISPENSABLE! The ongoing opportunity will be self-regulating the competencies / attributes to the situation. Think of it as modulating the knobs on a stereo or a cook-top stove…you won’t need ALL the controls turned on – or all on high…you modulate based on the recipe being prepared.

To learn more about Servant Leadership:
- Greenleaf Institute for Servant Leadership
- Modern Servant Leader
- To Serve First

My best to your quest!

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LEADership….ON Purpose!

Mark
WhatAreYourGifts.com

​I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum performance.

​Interested to Learn About Yourself or Your Team? Mark is a Certified CliftonStrengths Coach and TotalSDI Facilitator and happy to discuss your situation / team.