Servant Leadership-an essential trait of a powerful team leader.

Why is “Servant Leadership” such a revolutionary, important leadership trend and a essential trait of a powerful team leader? Well, the idea is not new – it’s been in practice for thousands of years, but only to a limited extent. I think we’re just realizing the power of this idea, dusting it off, and starting to put it into practice.

At first this moniker “Servant Leader” appears to be a contradiction of terms. Does it mean, ‘to lead servants’ or, ‘to lead followers’? Hardly. 

Being a Servant Leader is a radical approach to leadership that goes against the grain of our human egos because it is not about the leader! Someone who is a true servant leader is actually first a servant – they truly want to serve. They want to give themselves away.

What bothers some people is the word “servant”. We associate this word so strongly with earlier times when people were servants because they were indebted to someone and submitted to their authority because of this debt. The word itself carries a very negative undertone. (Remember the old movies: “I am but your humble servant, sir!) There was always resignation associated with this word. Even during the colonial days in United States slaves were referred to as servants.

A more modern interpretation of the word “servant” is simply a person in service to another. Think of our “public servants” or “civil servants”, which are usually associated with people working for our governments. They are employed by the government, but in service to the people of the city, state or country.

So a “Servant Leader” is someone who is in a leadership position but their main desire, their mission, is to be in service to the people they are leading. Their ego is removed from the equation. It’s not about how they look or their personal and professional accomplishments or achievements. It’s all about doing things to benefit and enhance the team or group of people who have agreed to follow them.

There are five main characteristics of Servant Leaders and their leadership:

• Relationships
• Transparency and Modeling
• Strength
• Fun
• Vision

I’d like to invite you to leave a comment below. 

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