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Many of us have heard of the servant leadership style, but what does it mean to be a servant leader? The concept of servant leadership was popularized in the 1970s by author Robert K. Greenleaf, who considered servant leadership the act of placing the emphasis on employees rather than focusing only on the company. While the concept came about some time ago, it is still considered a newer leadership style.

Servant leadership may be a style you would like to explore for yourself or your management team for a consistent tone for the good of the organization. It may not work for everyone, and there are pros and cons to the leadership style.

Characteristics of a Servant Leader

If the characteristics below are part of your leadership style, you may be a servant leader. The list is not meant to be all-inclusive but to give you an idea of some traits a servant leader may possess.

Servant leaders will:

• Commit to and invest in their employees’ professional growth and development. Providing learning opportunities to employees to further and strengthen their skills gives them a sense of value. Employees develop greater concern for the company’s business, gain confidence, and perform their jobs more effectively. Good servant leaders will strive to have their team as the focus and be fully committed to their growth and development.

• Engage with their employees. Sometimes employees may lose sight of or be unaware of how their role fits into the organization’s overall success. Consistent engagement with your employees allows you to hear any concerns they may have and shows you are approachable. Take the time to ensure employees understand their contribution to the organization’s success.

• Encourage and support their employees. Encouragement can go a long way. Sometimes it is not enough to give a directive on a task or project. It is OK as a leader to give a directive and add some encouraging words, such as “you’ve got this” or “you can do this.” Support can be making sure your team knows you have their back.

• Listen to their employees. It is important that leaders know what their employees think and how they feel about what may be happening in the organization, whether positive or negative. Being a good listener means making sure your employees have your undivided attention. Pay attention to nonverbal communication and tone of voice as these are also parts of listening.

• Influence without being forceful. A good leader will find ways to be collaborative and include the team in the decision-making process. It allows employees to feel like they have a stake in driving the organization’s goals and success.

• Be good stewards. Stewardship can mean accountability. It is not always about accountability of the dollars and cents but also having the ability to take responsibility for the actions and performance of your team.

• Build a culture of trust. Trust is earned and not given, and once broken, it can be exceedingly difficult to reestablish. Servant leaders will ensure they are clearly communicating the vision, mission, and values of the organization. These are the guideposts that the organization expects to live by. If leaders are not clear and transparent about the purpose to all levels in the organization, they diminish the trust factor. Transparency is one of the building blocks of trust and helps aid in the performance of your team.

• Help build leadership skills in others on their team. It is essential to plan for the organization’s future, which should include being aware of who may possess the potential to take your place one day. Helping develop the next generation of leaders can be vital to the direction of an organization.

Pros and Cons

An article by Aida Lopez Gomez on the website of BetterUp, a business coaching organization, lists some pros and cons of servant leadership. The pros include building deeper trust, developing future leaders, and boosting morale. Some cons, according to the article, are difficulty in communicating the concept, the time it can take to train managers, and the potential for confusion because of multiple leadership styles across the organization.

While some people naturally gravitate toward servant leadership, it is not for everyone. If it is not your style of leadership, assess whether adopting it could help move your organization in a positive direction. And remember that developing a new leadership style, like other skills one may try to attain, takes practice.

The servant leader’s overall goal is to guide the organization’s vision, mission, and values through the dedicated support of their employees. Is the servant leadership style right for you and your organization? If you have any questions, please email the Employers Council Member Experience team.