Adopting a servant leadership mindset

- My first boss gave me a paperweight in 1984 that still lives on my work desk today. It says, "Conduct yourself so that the people around you will want you to succeed." That is still the best professional advice I've ever been given. That paperweight reminds me every day to be someone who lifts up other people, someone who celebrates the strength somebody brings to a team and cheers when they reach new heights. In other words, to be someone that other people want to work with and for. The philosophy I believe best embodies this is servant leadership. Being a servant leader means prioritizing others' needs over your own, putting team members first, prioritizing the teams and the organization's goals over your own personal interests, being committed to the wellbeing of your group as a whole and the individuals in it. When managers adopt this unselfish view of the world, they genuinely want others to succeed and grow. They step aside and let others shine giving credit away rather than demanding it all for themselves. And when this happens, both the work team and the organization benefit. Significant research shows that when leaders adopt a servant perspective, companies have higher employee satisfaction. They have workers more committed to the organization and its purpose and employees are willing to take risks to learn new things and to grow. As if that weren't enough, it improves employee retention. You may be familiar with that old saying that people don't leave companies, they leave bosses. Well, people stay with servant leaders because they're given opportunities to learn and advance their careers. So, what should you do to demonstrate servant leadership, particularly as a new manager? Here's some tips to get you started. Number one, practice empathy. Now, this doesn't mean you feel sorry for people or give them everything they want. Empathy is trying to really understand what others are going through and how they view a situation. So, for example, let's say you ask someone for a brief meeting in your office. You may see this as just a quick conversation about something small, but in the eyes of the other person, they've been called to the boss's office. Practicing empathy would mean telling the person what you want to talk about when you set up that meeting so that they don't feel anxious while waiting for the conversation. Significant research shows that when leaders adopt a servant perspective, companies have higher employee satisfaction. They have workers more committed to the organization and its purpose. And employees are more willing to take risks, learn new things, and grow. Second is listening. You need active listening skills to ensure that you recognize people's concerns or hear all sides of a conflict. When you're listening, focus all of your attention on the speaker. Ask questions or rephrase what they say to make sure you understand. To paraphrase the prayer of St. Francis, seek first to understand, only then worry about being understood. Number three, humility. CS Lewis defines humility as not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Know your strengths, but also be aware of your weaknesses. Admit it when there's something that you don't know. Next, remember gratitude. Show tangible appreciation for your team. Incorporate a ritual into your team meetings where you express gratitude and ask others to thank their coworkers for a job well done. A 2023 study by Great Place to Work found that being personally recognized for good work was the most important driver of motivation to do good work. And a genuine thank you from the company's leaders led to a 69% increase and the likelihood of employees showing extra effort on the job. The final piece of your daily servant leadership practice is ethical decision making. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, define this as making decisions that demonstrate values such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring. We make better quality decisions when we apply ethical frameworks, but perhaps more important, when we as leaders show integrity, our example contributes to an overall culture of morality. When you develop habits around empathy, listening, humility, gratitude, and ethics, you demonstrate servant leadership every day. These qualities will go a long way toward making you someone others want to work with and someone they want to work for.