The Surprising Truth About Leadership

For most of us, leadership is associated with telling people what to do; having the power, being first, sitting at the top – leading.

But the most inspiring leaders of this world know that if they want to rise, they need to lift people up around them first. This was the philosophy of some of the most influential leaders our world has ever seen. Such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.

This philosophy is called Servant Leadership.

Today, some of the world’s leading CEOs are following suit. They’re realising the benefits servant leadership can offer; especially during times of change. As a leadership style, it is infinitely more effective at mobilising and activating people to unite and perform at their full potential.

If you want to develop a servant leadership style, the good news is you can start making some changes today.

- Be less controlling; more inspiring. Unite people with a vision and then step back and trust them to get their way. Sincerely believe in their capabilities and spend your energy on eliminating any blockers or stumbling blocks that stand in their way.

- Do less talking; more listening. Being present and actively listening are a servant leader’s super powers. Listen to understand, without judgement and personal biases. This will enable you to connect with your people and truly understand their needs and respond to them; making them feel valued, supported and capable to succeed.

- Be less authoritative; more collaborative. Nothing is below a servant leader. Do what needs to be done to support your people and ensure they excel. Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in to get the job done, no matter how trivial the task. If it makes your people succeed, you should do it.

Businesses are increasingly understanding the inextricable link between leadership and employee engagement. Adopting a servant leadership approach is one way that can drive employee engagement.

So if your leadership team want to learn some of the core skills that drive engagement, give us a call. We’d love to help.