The future of service: what does it mean to you?

When we discuss leadership, either in our personal lives or professional lives, we often consider which metrics to use to measure our success.

If you are in a leadership position, one metric that is necessary to consider is how you are being an effective leader that not only leads, but serves.?

I surveyed 1,000 people across the United States and Canada, and the three traits that people look for in a leader are trustworthiness, clear communication skills, and dependability.

While these traits are admired and sought in leaders, only 59% of people feel like they have a good boss.

So what can leaders do to instill a culture of trust and dependability? How can they clearly communicate with their team? What does the future of service mean, and how can leaders create a culture that values that service?

The future of service lies in leaders who ask themselves how they can serve their team, their customers or their society.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as a leader to see if you are being of service to your company, employees or community:

1. What have I done to better my team’s work environment? Are they things I can do better to facilitate a better work culture?
2. How can I make my team feel valued?
3. What can I do to better the community my company is a part of??
4. How can I leverage my role as a leader to facilitate positive change for my team and for the community?
5. Is there any way I can better represent the voice of my team? How can I be there and help them??

The questions force you to frame your thoughts into constructive, actionable items that can be applied to make a difference as a leader. That is what it means to be part of the future of service. At its core, the future of service is made up of leaders and individuals who want to make their team, their community and society a better place for the sake of goodness.