The Lasting Impact of Servant Leadership

I firmly believe that influential individuals can come from absolutely anywhere. Influence is not reserved only for the wealthy and charismatic. In fact, I would argue that some of the individuals that have had the most significant long-lasting impact on others did not set out to be influential leaders at all.

When I was 19 I had the opportunity to spend 2 years living in Ecuador. I’ll never forget the day I came across a small hut deep in the jungle. It looked abandoned. To my surprise, it wasn’t. Diego was 92 years old and had been living alone in the jungle for decades. His age was catching up to him. He was out of food and only days away from starving to death.

It took about an hour of walking through dense jungle just to find a house where we could purchase a small handful of rice, beans, and pasta to give to Diego. We then spent about 5 hours harvesting chocolate pods form the trees surrounding his hut and spreading the beans in the sun to dry so he could sell them. 

As we prepared to leave, we knocked on the makeshift door of the hut to say goodbye. Diego hobbled to the door, kindly invited us in, and offered his bed as a seat. Without saying a word, he handed me a bowl. In the dim light of the hut I could see that the bowl contained a small amount of soup. Diego had prepared it from the meager rations we just gave him.

Diego was starving. He had only days left to live. But when he received barely enough to make a meal for himself, he didn’t hesitate to share it with his new friends. 

I don’t think Diego had any intention to have an impact. In fact, I’m not sure if there’s anyone else who even remembers Diego. Quite frankly, I’m not sure anyone knew he was out there. But, his simple act of selfless service has had a major impact on my life.  An impact that will surely last for many years to come.

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." ~Martin Luther King Jr

Primary Elements of Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is not complicated. That’s one of its strengths. It doesn’t take years of study to learn. You don’t have to read book after book trying to understand it. You don’t need an advanced degree to become a servant leader. The simplicity of servant leadership makes it a truly authentic approach to leadership. Don’t over complicate it!

Servant First – A servant leader is a servant first and a leader second. Servant leaders are raised to the level of leadership by their followers, not out of a self-serving desire for power over others. 

Empower Others – A servant leader’s focus is on the mentoring and empowering of their followers. The servant leader’s intention is to lift others.

Value Perspectives – A servant leader is one that recognizes the valuable perspectives of others. The servant leader listens to others to involve their insight.

"Feeling a bit stuck?  Ask yourself what can you do to make someone's day better."  ~Richard Branson

Example of a Servant Leader

A great example of servant leadership is that of Douglas Conant. During his ten years as CEO of Campbell’s Soup he took the time to write ten to twenty handwritten thank you notes every day to his employees. During his time as CEO profits soared and Campbell’s became known as an organization that cared about it’s employees. Mr. Conant’s example of writing thank you notes continues to influence leaders throughout the world. His service to his employees has truly had a lasting impact.

"It has generally been my experience that the very top people of truly great organizations are servant-leaders." ~Stephen Covey

Conclusion

I realize that many of the readers of this article will be skeptical of a service-oriented approach to leadership. Many will have doubts about whether such an approach will ever result in a real return. Consider the following scenario.

You’re working for large manufacturer in a small town. You’ve been there for most of your career and over the past few years you’ve become board with the repetitive nature of the work. Your immediate supervisor has noticed that you are not performing as well as you have in the past and he has decided to lay you off. He gave you a two week notice but due to a lack of other major businesses in your small town, you haven’t been able to find a new job. Today is your last day. You and your wife are terrified, not knowing what to do or how you will continue to provide for your children.

As you’re clearing out your locker, the CEO approaches you. He happened to be in town visiting from the corporate office. He was informed that your low level of performance had been costing the company money and that today is your last day. The CEO asks you how long you’ve been with the company. He asks about your family. He asks about your job prospects. After gaining an understanding of your situation he tells you to stop cleaning out your locker. The CEO goes back into your supervisor’s office and informs him that today will not be your last day. 

How would this act of selfless service to you and your family change your attitude to the job? Would you be more grateful for it? Would you take more pride in your work? Would your performance improve? 

How would the CEO’s service change the way you view his leadership? Would you be more likely to pay attention to his direction? Would you more energetically support and follow him?

I certainly can’t speak for everyone. But I for one would be far more likely to support and follow a leader who has served me and my family in some way. I would support him/her because I want to, not because I’m obligated to. Influence is the hallmark of effective leadership and, in my mind, one of the surest ways to produce a lasting impact as a leader is through sincere, selfless, servant leadership.

"Organizations exist to serve. Period. Leaders live to serve. Period." ~Tom Peters

Thank you so much reading the article. Feel free to follow me for future posts. Thanks!

To learn more about this and other important topics please see the book Strategic Excellence in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries: How AEC Firms Can Develop and Execute Strategy Using Lean Six Sigma written by Gerhard Plenert and Joshua Plenert (ISBN-13: 978-1138478855).

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