At the time of writing this, I am 45years old, slightly(?) overweight, transitioning to more and more grey hair following the highs and lows of 25years in the IT industry. Whilst no journey is the same, I'd say I've had the standard opportunities and experiences of someone my age. I've worked frontline operations; I've managed teams and I've held financial responsibilities over people and business units. I've got (many) great memories recalling what worked & when things went well, and I've got (many) "bruises" from when things did not go so well.
At 45, I'm at the mid-point of my working life. Some would argue that the second part of my career might be somewhat "simpler", as I can replicate the "successes" and utilise my poorer experiences to navigate potential problems. Whilst using my backlog of experience to help "rinse and repeat" might be helpful, I'm looking forward to the second half of my career with a smile to continue my journey as a Servant Leader.
For those new to the term, Servant Leadership strives to provide freedom, flexibility and an organisational purpose that inspires employees. To highlight, in contrast to the traditional command and control style of leadership, Servant Leadership emphasises the need to put your team's needs before your own and to be a mentor rather than a "manager" or a "master".
The mindset shift from "go and do what I tell you" towards "How can I help" often evokes scoffs of "how woke" or "kumbaya" from many I've spoken to. This does not upset or discourage me given that (as you will see below), I've had to unlearn and challenge several ingrained, traditional, long-held beliefs around leadership myself. My decision to adopt the Servant Leadership style was not made due to popularism nor a need to appease, a recognition of its merits to bring the best out in people and get results. The Art of Servant Leadership by Mark Tarallo is a great read on the topic and references the successful case of Southwest Airlines who by "putting employees first resulted in a highly engaged, low-turnover workforce and 35-plus consecutive years of profitability, an unheard-of record in the turbulent airline industry"
Rather than explore the virtues and concepts of Servant Leadership, I've captured some of the common beliefs that were common when I joined the workforce, augmented by my current perspective drawn from my experiences and beliefs in Servant Leadership.
What I was told | What I've come to believe |
"Managers are there to tell you what and how to do something" | The traditional "do what I say" mentality can close the door for innovation. It is true that a more senior persons experience can establish patterns for results, but without allowing those patterns to be challenged we lose the opportunity for improvement. As a servant leader, your role is to clear the path to allow your team to do their work. As a respected Servant Leader, your team will decide themselves through asking your advice as to the best approach to getting their work done and likely improve upon it. By empowering people to work through and action work themselves they will take ownership of and self-correct versus dropping into the all-too-common catch cry of "but they told me to do it" when it does go off the rails. |
"Managers are where they are because they are good at what they do and have gotten there through hard work" | If only this were the case. Not to say that there are not great Leaders that have risen through the ranks are the best and brightest; but let's face it, people are often promoted for reasons such as;
Because so many organisations are structured around a hierarchy where influence and money are tied to the level within an organisation, people who don't want to become managers simply take on the position as the next thing. I'm not sure where I sit on the concept of leaders being "made or born", but we do need to learn that what we need are more Leaders, not Managers when it comes to getting actual results in organisations and simply promoting is not the way. As a servant leader, your reward comes from being a guiding figure or an advocate for your team as opposed to your title and "the corner office" |
By in large, we are all contributors and when working in a happy environment, we will work above and beyond….because we are happy. This one was hard for me to change, and I confess to having relied on traditional control mechanisms such as office hours and presence in an office. Despite being seen as the "cool" manager to work with, I was a clock watcher. So, what changed? The first was my own personal awareness that I am not a 9-5er myself (I hate mornings) and that not only was me enforcing these hours was a disservice to myself but also to others in not following "the norm". COVID-19 of course had a hand in us all needing to try (and buy) new flexibility, but the biggest change was in me developing a greater trust in people and moving from a negative default position of staff wanting to "skive off". It is commonly noted that Servant Leadership does require taking a leap of faith in your team…..it is a leap of faith that creates a two-way trust that is returned to you as a Leader. | |
"The managers get to take all the credit" | Servant leadership focuses on the success of those who are in your service, and it is the team, not you in the limelight. Happy, respected staff are more likely to perform. It's that simple, and for me the joy of seeing others flourish is more rewarding than the occasional personal backslapping when things go right. The truth really is and always has been that we are nothing without the people that surround us. |
"Leave yourself at home ie. Don't bring personal issues, problems etc. into the office." | Allowing people to be human is a key attribute of Servant Leadership. Importantly, this means allowing yourself to be human. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable, empathetic and "being real" will elicit the same in return. An environment where the anxiety of feeling the need to confirm is not only optimal for mental health but will foster a supportive environment where everyone wants to contribute as a shared group. |
References:
Tarallo M, May 17 2018. The Art of Servant Leadership, SHRM ,viewed 31 January 2022, <The Art of Servant Leadership (shrm.org)>
Post not marked as liked
Featured Posts
Comments