“LEADERS SERVE THEIR PEOPLE”

If you are currently in a leadership role or desire to be, I implore you to lead from your heart with a certain posture. It is not enough to say you believe in servant leadership, you have to strive to practice it every day and in every interaction. 

My leadership mentor told me in a conversation once that "it's all about the people". He went on to talk to me about treating people with respect, trusting in them, and empowering them to do the right thing. He taught me how to deliver difficult conversations with respect - to not take dignity away from others. Those are lessons for which I will forever be grateful.

We all have moments in our leadership that lead to stress, pressure, and frustration. In that moment we can choose to react emotionally or remember who put us in the seat, who we serve, and the possible impact we can have in the moment if we choose to lead in a servant-centered way. 

In "Lead Like Jesus," the authors, Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges talk about EGO and when we lead with EGO we Edge God Out. As leaders we need to check our egos at the door and check in with our hearts so we can become true servant leaders.

Author Jon Gordon stresses that as a leader you should "focus on the root, not the fruit". People are the root of any organization. You want results? Better outcomes? Better metrics? Increased profitability? Then focus on the people.

I'm not suggesting we pass out hugs every morning at the water cooler. I am suggesting, however, that we truly love people the way we would want to be loved. Our goal should be to help every individual we interact with (below us, beside us, above us) become a better version of him/herself. Employees deserve to be valued, appreciated, and recognized.

I'm not perfect in my leadership and I often have to reflect and redirect my own thinking/behaviors that may not align with what I believe to be in line with Servant-centered leadership. However, I know each day is an opportunity to be better than I was the day before and that I have the ability to touch the lives of those around me in a positive way that helps them feel valued, appreciated, respected, and loved.

Remember always “Everyone deserves to be led well”