Personal Mission: Be a Better Servant Leader

I've spent much of my career developing and working within safety management systems and striving to collaborate with individuals at every level of an organization to achieve success. There is often just one essential and consistent theme in almost all the work I do: "How do I engage the people that I am charged to protect, and how do I gain their partnership to solve problems, to learn, to implement programs, and possibly and most critically, to get them to actively care for one another?” Some see this concept as organizational interdependence, but it embodies you working as a servant leader.

Servant leadership prioritizes serving others over the leader’s interests. Servant leaders focus on empowering and supporting their team members rather than controlling or directing them. Their top priority is the well-being and development of their team members, striving to create a positive and supportive environment that fosters growth and success. Servant leaders prioritize listening to and understanding the needs of their team members and work to develop solutions that meet those needs.

Here's a question. What is your personal mission as a safety leader for 2024?

Have you ever thought about your personal mission as a leader? Could it be to become a better servant leader? I am an ardent fan of John Maxwell, an author, speaker, and pastor who has spent over forty years writing best-selling books primarily focused on leadership. My shelves are filled with his books, and I read, reread, and reflect on his straightforward but essential value-based instructions.

Mr. Maxwell mentioned his own mission in an article he posted several years ago. He called them his twelve simple words that serve as a daily reminder.

“Every day, I add value to leaders who multiply value to others.”

Then, he described his "Rule of Five" as the method he actively used to pursue his mission statement.

• Every day, I value people.
• Every day, I think of ways to add value to people.
• Every day, I look for ways to add value to people.
• Every day, I do things that add value to people.
• Every day, I encourage others to add value to people.

Maybe it is because I am such a big fan, but understanding John Maxwell’s mission became a cut-and-paste activity for me because it describes well how I want to live out my purpose at work and in my personal life. This does not mean I cannot direct, make important decisions, or control a situation, but it is often unnecessary.? I have learned to prioritize serving others over my interests, which can be difficult, especially as a safety practitioner. I have learned to focus on building, training, empowering, supporting, and establishing relationships with people rather than controlling or directing them. I am striving to be a better servant leader.

Adding value is a pivotal lever for safety success. Looking back over my career and now looking forward to this new year, I see that every organization has always asked me one thing: to help achieve success by adding value.

What is your personal mission, and how will you add value to your organization?

Happy 2024, and thank you for all you do to keep the work environment and your colleagues safe!