The Foundations Stones of Great Leadership Part 4
You may have ended up in your leadership role by accident finding yourself holding the baton when others didn’t pitch up. However, you came to leadership. Let me ask you a question: what is your motivation to lead? There are many leaders, good and bad. I believe if you are to fulfil your potential as a leader the why of your leadership is crucial. This final foundation stone addresses your motives.
How do you define it?
In the business world, the concept of servant leadership—leading by serving others—is a powerful but often overlooked approach. True leadership is marked by a commitment to serving the needs of employees, customers, and the broader community. In short, in your decision making, actions and thoughts what needs to be uppermost is the highest good of those you serve. However, this ethos seems to be lacking in many corporate environments today.
The Impact of Your Motives
Motivations are powerful and yet invisible drivers in leadership. The driving motivation we have will dictate how resilient we are at a time of sustained pressure. The leader motivated by status and reward is more likely to buckle under pressure, focused as it is on the leader’s needs. A focus that is outward and focused on how to serve others, actually serves as a resilience factor in crisis. If the motive for getting into leadership is around status, money, attention or reward then when the tough and challenging times within the team come, this leader is likely to find it harder to keep going.
The Causes of a Lack of Service-Oriented Leadership
1. Self-interest:
When you prioritise personal gain and career advancement over the needs of your employees and customers. It is not something others, particularly those you lead don’t notice. Relationships are two way and when there is no reciprocity then your leadership influence will decrease.
2. Disconnected Leaders:
A disconnect between you and the everyday experiences of your employees can lead to decisions that do not reflect the needs of the workforce. Get out of your ivory tower and spend time with those that report to you. What I would call walking the room and just touching base with people.
3. Erosion of Civic Duty:
The traditional sense of civic duty and public service has diminished, leading to a focus on profits over people. What’s in it for me is a common refrain. Counter intuitively serving others leads to a greater sense of value and happiness for all.
4. Control:
When you seek to control those you lead then it quickly leads them to the conclusion you don’t trust them. There can be a temptation to focus more on advancing corporate agendas than addressing the needs of your employees and customers.
5. Bureaucratic Hurdles:
Complex corporate structures can hinder leaders’ ability to serve effectively and responsively. Policies are faceless; they all need a human touch at the end of them to simplify as much as possible.
Creating an Environment of Service-Oriented Leadership
1. Community Involvement:
Encourage leaders to actively involve themselves in their communities, understanding firsthand the issues and challenges people face. Thinking about how they can serve this should be internal as well as externally to the community you are in. This must be modelled.
2. Responsive Leadership:
Establish mechanisms for rapid response to employee and customer concerns, demonstrating a commitment to service.
3. Empathy and Compassion Training:
Provide training for leaders to develop empathy and compassion, enabling them to better serve their teams and customers.
The work of building character is not the easiest but it means you know you have not compromised who you are. What next step can you take to work on your character?
4. Recognition of Service:
Highlight and celebrate acts of service within the team and the organisation in ways people want to be recognised (not the same for everybody) to inspire a culture of servant leadership.
The work of building character is not the easiest but it means you know you have not compromised who you are. What next step can you take to work on your character?
5. Streamlining Bureaucracy:
Simplify bureaucratic processes to enable leaders to serve more effectively and efficiently, removing barriers to responsive leadership. Make sure your processes don’t hinder the very people you are aiming to serve be it your team or the customers.
The work of building character is not the easiest but it means you know you have not compromised who you are. What next step can you take to work on your character?
By focusing on these key characteristics—integrity, character, trust, and serving others—business leaders can begin to rebuild trust and foster a more ethical and supportive corporate environment. These qualities are not just aspirational but essential for creating a business that genuinely serves its stakeholders and upholds the principles of effective leadership.
This is the final blog in this series. I hope you have found the different foundation stones helpful. I would love to know what you believe are the foundation stones of great leadership. You can DM me here: mark@smartculture.uk
