10 Servant Leadership Principles

Servant leadership is a type of leadership that prioritizes the development and welfare of its followers. Additionally, it emphasizes creating and fostering connections within teams.

Robert Greenleaf asserts that the goal of servant leadership is to mend interpersonal relationships. This has the potential to transform people.

Empathy

The capacity to identify, comprehend, and share the feelings of others is known as empathy. It’s an effective tool that can support you in developing fruitful personal and professional relationships.

Empathy, according to research, can improve working relationships and productivity. It’s also an essential trait for leaders to have.

Listening

Listening is one of the most effective strategies to promote a servant leadership culture. Employee engagement and motivation to perform well are more likely to be high when they sense their leaders are paying attention to them.

A variety of abilities, such as paraphrasing, clarifying, and summarizing, are required for effective listening. Additionally, it entails watching for both verbal and nonverbal reactions.

Appreciation

Making your staff feel unique is a terrific approach to show your appreciation. It also fosters a sense of inclusion and improves the comprehension of their position within the organization.

The finest aspect is that admiration may be expressed with straightforward, regular behavior. There are several methods to show your team you appreciate them, from taking the time to acknowledge their work to letting them assist.

Humility

Being humble is having the capacity to put other people’s needs ahead of your own and to consider their thoughts and beliefs before your own. It’s a quality that enables you to show your team members more understanding and compassion.

Additionally, it’s a terrific method to boost your team’s respect for you. In fact, research has proven that followers of humble leaders do better at their work than those who follow overbearing or haughty ones.

Stewardship

The fundamental idea behind stewardship is that a leader should be concerned with the organization’s long-term success. It requires exercising judgment and discipline as well as a commitment to making sacrifices for the greater good.

A leader must exercise caution in their role as stewards and not prioritize their personal interests over that of their team members. Instead, they ought to put more emphasis on the general health of their team and assist them in striking a good work-life balance.

Dedication to fostering human development

Prioritizing team members’ needs allows servant leaders to build a culture of trust and cooperation. Additionally, it results in better performance and greater staff engagement.

Being able to assist others in moving past their past wounds is one of servant leadership’s greatest advantages. This is a crucial leadership skill because so many workers quit their employment due to unfriendly work environments.

Empowering the entire community

The idea that servant leadership aims to empower the community as a whole is one of its most crucial tenets. It attempts to create an environment where everyone is inspired and motivated to do their best job rather than focusing on individual gain and personal objectives.

The success of a team depends on this mindset. Additionally, it fosters a culture of trust and a sense of common purpose among all team members.

Accountability

Setting expectations and holding people responsible for their performance are two aspects of accountability. This is crucial in the workplace because it promotes collaboration over competition among teams.

Accountability also gives team members the impression that they have a voice and can advance the company. It motivates them to exert more effort and yields better outcomes.

Teamwork

Teamwork brings out the best in each member of the group. It makes the most of their individual abilities, which in turn enhances their complementarity and improves the caliber of the work they do.

Employee stress is decreased by the collaboration principle since it gives each worker the freedom to execute their job well and by sharing responsibilities. Additionally, it enables problems to be resolved quickly.

Self-awareness

One of the most crucial leadership abilities you can master is self-awareness. It can assist you in improving your connections with coworkers, achieving higher levels of job satisfaction, and effectively managing your emotions.

Being able to see yourself unbiasedly, without resistance or judgment, is a crucial component in growing self-awareness. Additionally, it works well for reducing stress and preventing burnout.