Servant Leadership: Serve or be Served?

When we experience servant leadership do we feel compelled to serve as well? When you land a new job or join an organization, do you think about the leadership style of the leader? Think about this, does he or she come to work to serve or to be served? Some leaders only think from a transactional perspective. The only thing that matters is the bottom line and they are not worried about casualties along the way. Albert Dunlap was that kind of leader. “Chainsaw Al” was all about making a dollar holler and a dime climb. Albert Dunlap was known for reviving an ailing company’s stock by any means necessary. His philosophy was centered on the welfare of the shareholders not the stakeholders. Shareholders are important, but how can a company sustain performance if the stakeholders are not satisfied?

Conversely, servant leadership is represented by a pyramid that depicts the employees and customers at the top of the pyramid respectively. Servant leadership is about serving and developing others which will create a learning cycle and a growth mindset. The co-founder of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, is categorized as a servant leader. The airline industry is competitive and operates on razor-thin margins. Regardless of the climate,  Southwest continues to develop their employees and make their numbers year after year. Herb Kelleher has retired but the servant leadership culture has remained as part of the fabric of the company.

The servant leader is focused on serving and investing in people to provide a great service or product. How can any company or organization reach their full potential if they choose not to invest in their employees?

What do you do when you report to a leader that only cares about creating a “win-lose” situation for you and the company? Of course, with you being on the losing side due to lack of development.

“The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?”       -Max De Pree