How can you transition from a traditional leadership role to Servant Leadership?

In my personal experience, the best leaders are the ones who lead out of necessity and drive to impact, not for the sake of personal achievement or own gain. Leadership means guiding others, not putting oneself on a pedestal and necessarily just giving orders. This is increasingly true and effective in the post-COVID world and with the newest generations accessing the labor market. The 1800s concept of "company owner" leading by ownership of the production means is, to me, utterly outdated and it is increasingly losing competitiveness on the market where more agile, employee-inclusive models are emerging.

Moving from traditional leadership to servant leadership requires a shift in mindset. Servant leadership mindset emphasizes on serving others, building trust and empathy, promoting collaboration & de-centralized decision making, empowering the team & a team first culture, continuous learning and improvement, encouraging personal and professional growth, promoting experimentation etc. Whereas traditional leadership emphasizes on goals and results, has command and control strategy, centralized decision making, top down communication and does not promote open dialogue. Though, each leadership style has their own strengths.

It's always good to do a check-in with yourself to understand what is the importance of you making your decision. You need to be clear on the moves you are making, and be able to lay out the path ahead if you were to adopt a servant leadership mindset. - Are you prepared to accept that you may be wrong sometimes? - How will the way you guide your team change moving forward? Is there a new method of communication you need to adopt? Do you need to do more check-ins? - How are you going to enhance the way you support your team in a way that helps them grow and still achieve your objective?

Servant leadership stands out for its central emphasis on serving others. Individuals aspiring to embody servant leadership should assess whether their motivation genuinely originates from a desire to enhance the well-being and development of others. This differs significantly from motivations solely centered around personal power, recognition, or authority.

It’s an iterative process also depending on the context or sector you work in - more difficult to run a shop floor at Macy’s as a servant leader than managing prompt engineers in an AI start-up. The concept of situational leadership still holds true. And you first have to appreciate traditional line management skills before you eventually morph into a servant leader.

Empathy entails the capacity to comprehend the viewpoints and experiences of others. Servant leaders actively seek to understand the unique perspectives and challenges faced by team members, stakeholders, and those they lead. This understanding forms the basis for empathetic leadership. Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence. Servant leaders cultivate emotional intelligence by recognizing, understanding, and appropriately responding to the emotions of individuals within their sphere of influence. This emotional awareness contributes to effective and empathetic leadership.

Providing autonomy is a crucial aspect of empowerment. Servant leaders recognize that individuals are best positioned to make decisions related to their specific areas of expertise. This autonomy fosters a sense of ownership and accountability among followers.

A good leader must Grow enough to help his followers grow by learning, unlearning and relearning. Until then he'd be a thorn in the flesh should the followers outgrow him.

Growth-oriented leaders instill a mindset of lifelong learning. Servant leaders encourage followers to embrace a proactive approach to learning, seeking opportunities for self-improvement and skill acquisition beyond formal training programs.

Dabei geht es darum eine komplett neue Art und Weise des eigenen Denkens zu entwickeln. Das Mindset ist hier entscheidend und dieses muss zuerst in einem selbst entwickelt werden. Bei Servant Leadership geht es darum das eigene Ego im Zaum zu halten und zu lernen, dass es nicht darum geht als Leader selbst im Mittelpunkt zu stehen, sondern die Sache bzw. das eigentlich gewünschte Ergebnis dort zu positionieren.

Servant leaders instill a sense of social responsibility within the community. This includes promoting ethical practices, environmental sustainability, and a commitment to social justice. Leaders advocate for responsible behavior that benefits both the community and the broader societal context. Serving the community requires a commitment to inclusivity. Servant leaders actively seek to include and amplify the voices of all community members, fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

Transitioning from a traditional leadership role to Servant Leadership is a seismic shift, but a profound one that echoes the essence of true leadership. It's about evolving from command and control to empowerment and service. Modeling behavior is your superhighway to this transformation. Lead by Serving! Break free from the chains of conventional authority. Embrace the spirit of service. It's not about dictating; it's about uplifting. You've got to flip the script. Instead of barking orders, roll up your sleeves and dive into the trenches. Show your team what servant leadership looks like by doing, not just saying. Encourage autonomy and empower your team to make decisions. Empowerment breeds ownership, and ownership breeds dedication.

Understand the needs of the organization and by extension the people working in it. Listen to the people who do the work and realize what they need from you is neither to be managed or being lead. Do your best to create the best environment for people to excel and grow which includes not letting traditional managers and archaic processes hold back that organizational evolution. Be curious and never stop learning and encourage others to do the same even in lean times. Innovation is not a luxury but the life-blood of modern organizations.