How do you use your network to advance servant leadership?

For me, my network building has evolved from a phonebook to eminent networking platforms such as Linkedin. Due to structure on this platform, it has been easier to leverage mutual benefit. As even considering professional network, consisting of all hierarchies from peers, mentors, colleagues in the past and present and even juniors and youngsters are part of my network. This has given a different facets for expressing myself.

In our company, the RN Administrators meet every month and we share our challenges and successes. There is one who is a well-seasoned administrator on whom we rely for policies and another who is well-versed with computers on whom we rely for digital and software resources. Attacking these issues leads to better consumer outcomes because it allows us to generate improved high-quality healthcare and ultimately deliver patient-centered care

I don't usually ask 'what can my network do for me?' but rather 'how can I contribute?' My diverse network enriches me with shared knowledge and perspectives. I connect based on what I can offer, aligning with my philosophy of servant leadership. Empowering others gives me joy and fuels my own growth. While my focus is on authentic, long-term connections, I do periodically review my network to maximize positive impact for all.

@smita The approach to networking is very interesting and useful too. As you rightly said, just having a contact on FB or LinkedIn does become networking. Value addition is very relevant Well said

I believe in the simple principle "Say what you do and do what you say" to build trust & credibility. Having realized the importance of this after fumbling a few times. Being in L&D function, where the role starts from Training need identification (TNI) rapport building has played a pivotal role which has also developed empathetic perspective. That's the cornerstone for servant leadership.

Building trust and rapport is a cornerstone in servant leadership. When those you work with trust that you’ll do what you say you’re going to do and you’ve organically built relationships with those in your charge, you’re able to deliver more value as a team and get more across the finish line together.

Trust is a feeling, and as a servant leader, you have to earn it. It cannot be just an instruction that you trust me. No... The team should feel that we can rely on this person, and they will do their best for us as much as possible. To gain the trust, what is most important are values – the life force that guides everything we do, whether it's on a personal or professional level. Your values will remain constant as they fuel your life. For example, if collaboration is a core value by which you are living your life, it will undoubtedly be much easier to gain trust from the team as it brings establish Psychological Safety. Which is very critical for gaining Trust. Trust is mutual, and our values guide our first steps.

Lead with Care: Building Trustful Connections. By following these tips as a Servant leader you can build trustful connections with others that will benefit you both professionally and personally. Creating strong connections with others usually begins by genuinely caring about them and understanding how they feel. When you're honest and keep your promises, it helps make your relationships real and dependable. Being humble, which means not being too full of yourself, can help people trust you because you're showing you care more about them than showing off. Forgiving and moving on after disagreements also helps build trust and good relationships.

You need to be authentic in caring for other people. As a servant leader, you can't just participate in another management course to learn a few buzzwords. People can sense when you are not sincere and authentic, so you need to make it part of your own character before you can apply it to others. One thing I've found helpful is investing time in self-awareness; understanding oneself is the first step in leading others with empathy.

Vision is important, and as a leader, we have to provide the vision. However, more important is the 'why' behind it. How will this vision improve the lives of others? What kind of comfort or ease will it bring to the people impacted by this vision? Once this why is clear, what and how team will come up by their own.The team can create an action plan that will be truly innovative. They will have a purpose—to bring happiness by believing that this vision will bring smiles to other human beings, which is a great pleasure. To achieve this, values play a crucial role. We must respect each other, encourage the flow of ideas without discouragement, and engage in discussions to collaborate and create an action plan as a team.

I have regular catch ups with my team, covering the basics like current work, issues, blockers, new projects etc. In these calls I will openly praise the whole team for the week and specific individuals. I do one to ones we're I try to get to know my team. If I have to critique it's done privately and constructively. We use MS Teams to share information and I share my vision to have the best team in my area. We set each other goals to achieve and I hold my self to account if something goes wrong. I work for my team so they want to work for me.

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry (1900-1944, pronounced Sant-Exoopairee), was a French writer and aviator. Vision & Values are meant to be inspiring, not informational. One of my core leadership practices before meetings is pausing to consider, "What stories can I integrate and how can I inspire in this next meeting?"

I communicate inspiring values through empowering quotes, comment on inspiring leadership quotes that alignes with Servant leadership that is uplifting and inspiring.

Starting evey meeting by reading vision and values gives good results. Reaching a consensus on which one value will be demonstrated in the meeting more can help members become conscious about living with values rather than talking about them..

Living the path of Servant leadership through meaningful contributions Right at the core of being a Servant leader is the idea of giving and getting back. This idea pushes me to walk a path where I connect with people in a meaningful way on LinkedIn. I share my thoughts in posts and comments that match the values of Servant leadership. It feels good to echo the ideas that guide my own journey of growing and at the same time help others thrive too. So, as a Servant leader, I'm all about doing and giving. I'm not just about talking the talk, but also walking the walk. I'm here to help people grow, and by using hashtags as #servantleadership which makes it possible for me to connect with even more folks who want to make a difference.

The people who are best at “provide value and support to their networks” are the people who, without ego, connect like-minded folks, people asking similar questions or who might grow from working together. In essence they ask, "Have you met ____ ?", "I bet you would really learn a lot from ___ because...." Servant leaders serve those they lead by connecting them with people, opportunities and experience in their network for which the people they lead or the people they serve have interest, desire to grow, expertise or knowledge.

As the name suggests, 'Servant Leadership' means helping the team reach its goals. To teach others important values, you should show them through your actions. Values should spread like a positive influence. If you want to teach empathy to the team, lead by example by showing empathy in your actions. E.g. Parents who provides values to their child's through their action, they are genuinely interested in growth of the children and provide all support needed.

Going an extra mile for guiding & supporting and even coaching others to achieve their goals and ambition has been a part of personal & professional life on the go. To get the perspective of it being the cornerstone of servant leadership is a delightful feeling.

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." -Winston Churchill. We are empowered to use our gifts and talents to make a profound difference in the world. Collaboration and co-creation are essential to living a fulfilled life as a Servant leader. When we unite as Servant leaders, we amplify our impact, achieving more together than alone. By collaborating and co-creating, we craft a roadmap to an elevated world – one that is just, loving, and peaceful for generations to come, inspiring transformational change.

Sharing ideas always multiplies knowledge and adds to wisdom. This is possible only through collaboration. Trust and rapport building gives the impetus to collaborative culture in the team. A servant leader will be able to co-create greater achievements through collaboration & shared vision.

I recommend modeling by sharing your leadership philosophy. My Leadership Philosophy for a Winning Team is to S E R V E ! S_ervant leadership -Help enough people to get what they want & you will get more than you ever deserved E_mpower your team to be great leaders -Inspire a learning culture -If it is their idea they will run thru a brick wall to make it happen R_ecognize & Reward for Results -Give them the credit and inspire them V_ision for success that attracts & inspires talented leaders -Put the best team on the field, hungry, humble & smart E_xpect to Win! -Inspect what you expect, Core Values (Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, Collaboration & Inclusion) -Plan your work, Work your plan! PYWWYP it works both ways! 👍🏼

Absolutely, servant leadership isn't a one-time effort; it's a living practice. It's not something you can fully grasp by reading a book, which perhaps is why it it is so challenging for many to embody. Being a servant leader means bringing values like humility and empathy to life, making them part of your core self. Once you've internalized these values, you're in a position to mentor others, guiding them to integrate these principles into their own lives. This not only enhances individual leadership skills but also resonates through the culture of the organization, making for a more compassionate and effective workplace

To live every day in line with the traits a servant leader must demonstrate in day to day activities can inspire team members to model the leader. And of course, once respect like that takes roots, leaders gets considered as a member too. Isn't it a more effective way when things happen more naturally without conscious effort..

Also, servent Leadership, has nothing todo with title or position. It's a choice you make. It has to be part of your character and not just a few fancy words you can learn in a management course. It has to be part of your DNA, its a life style. A true servent leader, is servent both in business, at home and out shopping.