What is Servant Leadership and How Can It Help Today’s Tech Businesses?
In recent years, leadership within the business world has changed dramatically. The top-down authoritarian management style has fallen out of favor. Today’s management styles are more team-oriented, with power being shared. Daniel M Hurt has spent 20 years in the tech industry and resides in his hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Daniel M Hurt explains what servant leadership is, and why it matters to tech companies.
“The concept itself is timeless, but the phrase first appeared in 1970. The essay was titled “The Servant as Leader.” Fifty years later, the words still ring true,” Daniel M Hurt states.
What is Servant Leadership?
It starts with a passion to serve, according to Daniel M Hurt. Then, the desire evolves into the determination to lead. This is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the person who desires to lead first and then serve. The underlying motivation influences every decision and action. A leader first focuses on improving their own station in life. The servant desires to meet the needs of others first, Daniel M Hurt explains.
Most people will fall somewhere in between these two extremes. However, anyone can make the choice to put service first and lead as a way of states.
Daniel M Hurt Explains How It Applies to Tech Companies
According to Daniel M Hurt, the network effect is one reason that servant leadership is so critical. The network effect means that an increase in usage creates a direct or indirect increase in value. Air BnB, Uber, and Facebook are examples of this effect. Associations are also a vital aspect of the tech world today. According to Daniel M Hurt, technology sharing and collaboration are becoming commonplace.
The authoritarian leadership style doesn’t fit into this model, but the servant leader does. It allows leaders of companies to work together smoothly. It’s a driving force behind the democratization of AI. The idea is that things that benefit everyone will ultimately help the individual and the business.
Leading From the Bottom
Servant leadership is a bottom-to-top leadership style. Instead of the leader being at the top of the pyramid, wielding the majority of the power, and being difficult to access, the leader is on the ground floor. According to Daniel M Hurt, the easiest way to determine someone’s attitude on servant leadership is to look at how they spend their time.
Servant leaders spend a significant amount of time, up to half of their working hours, meeting with their employees. Their goal is to empower the employees and give them the tools they need to get the job done.