Now more than ever, the world needs servant leaders!

Now more than ever, the world in which we live needs SERVANT LEADERS. You may have heard this term before. Some of you in the workplace; others of you in your places of worship, but make no mistake, TODAY the world needs more servant leaders. A lot has been written about being a servant leader. Board rooms and CEOs think it may be a good idea to "treat people right", to fuel engagement, to fuel "followership", and certainly to boost the bottom line. But is it a passing fancy, a flavour du jour, or is it indeed a viable strategy for organizations to espouse in the next quarter century and beyond? I'm not sure I know the definitive answer, but I hope you'll read my thoughts nonetheless.

After completing my dissertation work (partly on servant leadership and partly on emotional intelligence), I have had the blessing and honour of speaking at numerous places around the globe about these two topics. Not because I'm an expert per se, but I do know more about servant leadership (and EQ) today than I did a decade ago, and as a result, I am intrigued to know more, and I think this genuine desire to learn more, to aspire one day to be more of a true servant leader attracts some, and hopefully inspires others (however, that's ultimately not for me to judge).

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at a local Dallas/Ft. Worth university about this topic of servant leadership, and how true servant leadership builds trust that allows leaders to work together successfully to meet the challenges of an ever-changing industry landscape. And, as we have all come to know over the years, trust may be the single most important currency in the economy of relationships, and eventually, getting work done!

The idea of servant leadership has been around for about 40 years. It is not a nascent concept, like emotional intelligence, for instance. However, servant leadership has been misconstrued over the last several decades. For one, people seem to think it's about "weak leadership". There is a big difference between being a "meek leader" and being a "weak leader".  Only in the past 20 years or so have corporations made a push to 'operationalize' servant leadership. The grandfather of modern servant leader theory, Robert Greenleaf, summed up Servant Leadership this way:

“The Servant-Leader is servant first. . . . It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. . . . The best test, and difficult to administer is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants? Moreover, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit, or at least not further be harmed?” (Greenleaf, 1977).

In my estimation, the greatest example of Servant Leadership was exemplified by Jesus of Nazareth, when he washed the disciples' feet. It is not so much the physical act (although cleaning/washing a person's feet in that day and age was considered the humblest and dirtiest of tasks), but rather the symbolic act of stooping so low to consider others better than himself. This is the essence of servant leadership -- the natural inclination to SERVE FIRST, and then to lead. In today's world of greed, ego, and puffing ourselves up to make a show, it's no wonder that role models are hard to come by. Are you willing to do the dirty work? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and engage in the same work that you're delegating to your followers? Are you OK with not getting the glory? Then, read on...

As many of you aspire to be servant leaders, focus your efforts on being an individual of integrity, of trust, of character, who practices empathic listening, who is socially aware, who is committed to growing people, and who builds a sense of community. These are the attributes of contemporary servant leadership. It does not mean you won't fail. Chances are you will fail, and sometimes that failure will be public, embarrassing, and messy. Trust me, I've learned that numerous times over the past few years. And if that's happened to you, too, then just muster up the courageous leadership to pick yourself up. Don't let the naysayers detract you from pressing on. As a result, hopefully your followers will, in turn, see an authentic and transparent leader, one who is growing, and then serving others in various spheres of influence. The goal of servant leadership is NOT to grow more followers, but to grow other servant leaders. It's the best "pyramid scheme" going! Haha!

If you have had success in "operationalizing" servant leadership in your organization, I would be open to hearing your thoughts for potential collaboration. Thank you for making the commitment to serve first! 

In the Spirit of Service,

Dr. Emmanuel V. Dalavai

www.emmanueldalavai.com