Servant Leadership: The Power of Leading with Purpose

We all have worked with different bosses – just to simplify let’s assume there are only 2 types – first is ‘A’ boss type – this boss focuses on empowering and serving the team. They prioritize the growth, well-being, and success of their team members (“I lead by serving others and helping them succeed.”). The second is ‘B’ type boss – this boss emphasizes authority and control, often directing team members to achieve organizational goals (“I manage and give orders to ensure the team delivers results.”). Boss A shares power and involves team in decision making while Boss B maintains a top-down hierarchy where decisions are handed to the team. Boss A is empathetic and has open communication style – they listen to the team and encourage open communication, while Boss B is directive and transactional – communication is often one way focusing on instructions and performance expectations. I’m sure you get the picture. Who would you like to work with? Type A is called ‘Servant Leader’ while Type B may be called ‘Directive Leader’ – so would you like to work with a Servant Leader who focuses on empowering and enabling team to thrive or Directive Leader who focuses on managing and directing the team to achieve results?

What is Servant Leadership?

Coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s, servant leadership flips the traditional power dynamic. Instead of focusing on hierarchical authority, servant leaders prioritize the needs of their teams and organizations. The hallmark of servant leadership is the belief that great leaders are first and foremost servants—they nurture, empower, and support their people to grow, perform, and succeed. They serve the people they lead!

Key Principles of Servant Leadership

Its not easy to become a servant leader as it requires many selfless attributes like –

1. Empathy: Listening actively and understanding team members’ perspectives fosters trust and inclusion. Listen with your heart and eyes and not just your ears!
2. Commitment to Growth: Investing in people’s personal and professional development is at the heart of this leadership style. You should focus on making ‘stars’ – as one of my bosses taught me, create a culture where making champions is inevitable!
3. Awareness: Building on empathy, a servant leader is acutely aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and understands the larger organizational and team dynamics. I love this quote of Billie Jean King on this attribute – “I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.”
4. Foresight: I think of this as intuition – by anticipating challenges and opportunities, servant leaders guide their teams through uncertainty. Servant leaders use this vision to protect and guide their team ensuring maximum benefit with minimum risk.

 

Why HR Must Champion Servant Leadership

HR professionals have a unique opportunity to shape servant leaders within organizations. By embedding servant leadership principles into leadership development programs, performance management systems, and organizational culture initiatives, HR can drive sustainable growth and employee engagement.

Consider these impacts:

• Enhanced Employee Well-being: Servant leaders create psychologically safe environments where employees feel valued and heard.
• Improved Collaboration: By fostering trust and mutual respect, servant leadership enhances teamwork and innovation.
• Stronger Talent Retention: Employees are more likely to stay with organizations where leaders genuinely care about their growth and success.

I believe servant leaders can help the company to achieve higher level of growth, quality, and profitability (GQP), something that every business aspires.

 

Making it practical –

Let me talk about some practical challenges / situations you will face as you make this your preferred style –

1. Am I truly a Servant Leader?

One of my colleagues once asked me on how to assess your leadership style – will not every leader think they are Type A unless someone tells them they are Type B? So, I made a small self-assessment for leaders to evaluate for themselves on their style. Do remember, the assessment is just for your reference so think of some specific situations on the subject and then answer these questions –

As you score yourself –

• Mostly “Servant Leader” responses: You are likely practicing servant leadership. Keep nurturing your team!
• Mostly “Directive Leader” responses: Reflect on whether this approach serves your team’s long-term growth. Consider incorporating more servant leadership principles.
• Mixed score – see point below

 

2. Should we not be situational leader also? What if situation demands me to be directive leader?

Above assessment subtly helps leaders self-identify their style without labelling them negatively and encourages growth toward servant leadership principles. However, most leaders I came across have mixed scores as situations demand them to act in a certain way despite their preferred leadership style. For example, in high pressure situation even leaders who prefer servant leadership style, need to prioritize clarity and swift action. Once the immediate challenge is addressed, they can return to nurturing and empowering their team. A preferred servant leader style leader also needs to adapt their approach and become say directive based on the team’s competence and commitment level. E.g., a new hire may require more directive style with hands-on guidance needed.

Situational leadership complements servant leadership. It allows you to adapt tactically while staying rooted in the servant leader’s core principles: building trust, prioritizing the team’s well-being, and focusing on their development. This flexibility enhances both immediate outcomes and long-term relationships.

 

3. My preferred style is servant leadership, but my boss is directive leader – what should I do?

This is clearly a challenge, but that’s also an opportunity for you to learn and adapt. I’m highlighting some of the practical strategies you can use to navigate this challenge –

1. Incorporate directive elements when interacting with your boss to align with their preferences (e.g., provide clear action plans and timelines, be prepared with solutions rather than seeking collaborative brainstorming) while continuing to practice servant leadership with your team.
2. Directive leaders value measurable results – provide updates that combine progress metrics with anecdotes about team development to show both efficiency and impact.
3. Demonstrate accountability by showing that your approach doesn’t mean a lack of control or oversight – regularly update your boss to assure them you’re in charge and that their directives are being met.
4. Frame your servant leadership approach in a way that resonates with your boss. Instead of saying, “I’m empowering the team to take ownership,” say, “I’m ensuring the team is fully equipped to deliver results independently.”

There can be some learning for you also from your boss’ style. For example, setting clearer expectations, acting decisively when situations demand it and even balancing collaboration with structured decision-making. But while you adapt to your bose’s style don’t abandon your principles. Continue to empower, support, and grow your team.

 

4. My preferred style is servant leadership, but how do I deal with some team members who need more directive style?

Balancing servant leadership with the need for a more directive style in some situations is part of being an adaptable and effective leader –

1. Assess Team Member’s preferences: different people thrive under different leadership styles. Some may feel motivated by autonomy, while others may need clear direction to feel confident.
2. A directive approach can make some team members feel more secure in their roles. They need support to break down tasks into clear steps, set measurable goals, and a check in frequently at first. While providing direction, focus on building their competence and confidence so they can eventually work independently.
3. Use coaching to help directive-style team members develop problem-solving skills. Instead of simply giving answers, guide them to find solutions themselves. E.g., ask questions like, “What do you think would work best here?” before offering your input.
4. Celebrate small wins to reinforce their sense of competence and reduce their reliance on directive guidance. E.g., “You’ve done a great job following this process. Next time, I’d like you to take the lead and tell me how you’d approach it.”

My broader point is that you can use directive approach as a tool to meet the needs of specific team members while staying committed to principles of service, empowerment, and growth.

 

5 – How do I start? Are there a list of actions to embrace Servant Leadership?

I think of servant leaders as leaders who ‘lead from their heart’, but I’ve put below some simple actionable I’ve seen servant leaders use –

1. Start with Self-Reflection: Assess your motivations as a leader. Think of your growth as a leader and reflect how can you serve others to grow.
2. Seek Feedback: Regularly ask your team for honest feedback and act on it. Make it either a quarterly exercise or after any long project if you are in a project-based role.
3. Invest in Relationships: Build genuine connections by understanding individual team members’ aspirations and challenges – I think of it as ‘discovering the hot buttons’ sessions and it will likely take multiple conversations to get it right.
4. Empower Others: Delegate responsibilities and trust your team to deliver, offering guidance as needed. Don’t be insecure about your role – your role as a leader is also to make better leaders who can grow beyond you.
5. Celebrate Successes: Recognize and reward contributions, fostering a culture of appreciation. Remember, as a leader, celebrate and acknowledge contributions publicly, but always deliver constructive feedback privately, one-on-one.

 

The Journey Ahead

Servant leadership isn’t just a leadership style; it’s a mindset and a way of life. By adopting this approach, we can create organizations that are not only high performing with focus on GQP, but also humane and fulfilling places to work.

As I reflect on my own journey from a business role to HR, I see parallels between the principles of servant leadership and my career decisions. Shifting to HR was about service—helping individuals and organizations unlock their potential – I try to do the same as a coach as well. Today, as I’m moving into consulting, I aim to inspire leaders to lead with purpose and heart, because true leadership lies not in commanding, but in serving.

***

What does servant leadership mean to you? Have you experienced it in action? Let’s spark a conversation on how we can lead with purpose and make a difference in the lives of others.

At Rescon Partners, we specialize in strategic HR advisory and tailored talent management solutions. Our services include driving digital transformation, enhancing employee engagement, and optimizing workforce operations to ensure your organization thrives in a competitive landscape.

Partner with us for innovative HR strategies and impactful organizational development. For more information, reach out to us at info@resconpartners.com. Let’s transform your HR landscape together!