A Winning Formula to Help You Lead Yourself and Others Better

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Whether your company is a startup or?an established firm, I want to share a compelling leadership model that will get the best out of leaders and their employees.

It's?based on servant leadership research that makes up the framework we teach in our top-ranked course.

Out of a mountain of data, six characteristics (or building blocks) of servant leadership were discovered that when actively demonstrated up, down, and across levels, can lead to a thriving and result-oriented?work?culture.?

The winning formula behind servant leadership

If you're new to the idea, servant leaders are people-centric, not egocentric. Their winning formula is to grow?people and serve by shining the spotlight on their employees.

Wharton professor?Adam Grant, author of?Give and Take, calls such leaders "other-centric," meaning that they give more than they take;?they "serve others" first.

Servant leaders are far from soft; they demand excellence and command a much higher level of trust from their tribe. Over time, according to Grant, they're much more successful.

Today, scores of successful companies embrace the practice of servant leadership, including Southwest Airlines, Zappos, WD-40 Company, and Marriott International.

Practicing the Six Characteristics

Organizations looking to boost their leadership effectiveness can start by pursuing the practice of these six traits across all levels of management in order to have an impact on the people they employ?and on the customers they serve.?

1. Demonstrate authenticity

Based on the research, the best leaders are learners; they are open to input from others, even those below them. They are transparent and?self-aware?-- seeking to understand themselves and others to quickly problem solve to an agreed solution.?By showing up daily with their most authentic selves?and maintaining a high level of?integrity, they generate trust seamlessly and develop?more productive relationships than their less authentic counterparts.

2. Value the whole worker

Servant leaders maintain?a high view of their people,?show?them respect, and listen?receptively to their needs?in a?nonjudgmental way.

In his seminal essay, The Servant as Leader, Robert K. Greenleaf, the founder of the modern servant leadership movement, said the difference between servant leaders and self-centered leaders "manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served."

To seriously impact your role as a leader in a way that will immediately change how others view you, there's only one question you need to ask yourself moving forward: What is one thing -- just one thing -- I could start doing today to improve the life of an employee in the workplace?

3. Grow people

Great leaders provide?for learning and growth and develop?potential and career paths for others.?They also model?appropriate behavior and?build?up their people?through encouragement and affirmation.

4. Provide clear direction

Servant leaders will envision?the future and use?intuition and foresight to direct the organization forward; they take?initiative and move?out ahead; and they consistently clarify?goals and expectations to get to the vision.

5. Share leadership

The strength of effective servant leaders comes from sharing power?and decision-making and pushing authority down to empower?others. Because of their selfless nature, sharing status in relation to position or honor?is a given.

6. Develop healthy community

The research has found that servant leaders enhance?relationships and relate?well to others at all levels. They?promote?a?sense of belonging?and connection for all team members, work?collaboratively, emphasize?teamwork, and value?the differences of others.

Bringing It Home

Whatever your belief about which evidence-based?leadership framework or philosophy is most effective, it isn't as important as clearly understanding how employees feel about the environment?they work in.

What I know is this: Most organizational crises happen?under managers?unable to communicate effectively, inspire workers, and positively manage change. To reiterate a clear and simple path to leadership development, the first step is always?to assess?who your managers and executives are and whether they're truly fit for the esteemed role of "leader." This is what will make or break any organization. You can take that to the bank.

Developing Your Leaders in 2024

For the last 20 years, I've helped high-level leaders and management teams flourish through?executive coaching, leadership development training, mastermind groups, and speaking engagements and workshops (virtual and onsite).

If you want to work with a seasoned executive coach who will explore possibilities, implement actions, evaluate your success, and help you or your managers adjust to new, improved habits to produce the desired outcomes you/they want, then let's chat.

Schedule a?no-obligation, 15-minute discovery call to explore how we can work together. Serious inquiries only.

About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is a global speaker whose keynotes and workshops spotlight the human side of work and how cultures of care, connection, and belonging outperform the competition. He's an executive coach, syndicated columnist, and the creator of the highly-acclaimed "From Boss to Leader " course. Marcel has been recognized as one of the "Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers." His work is regularly featured in?media outlets all over the world, including Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, and CNBC.