Leadership Is About Serving Others

Sarah has been hired into a leadership role. She is new to leadership and is uncertain about how to lead in her current capacity as a director in a mid-sized business. The only role model she's ever had was a previous boss who led with an iron fist and a my-way-or-the-highway mentality. This left Sarah feeling undervalued for her talents and ability to contribute to the company's well-being. She felt stuck and unfulfilled in her position.

When the opportunity came to become a leader herself, she jumped at the possibility of leading in a way that would allow those she served to thrive and live up to their greatest potential in the workplace. She attended several trainings on leadership as she began her new role. A recurring theme emerged in every course. Leaders are servants at heart!

From the very first day at her new job, Sarah worked hard to serve her team. She did this by encouraging them to grow and get out of their comfort zones. She made a safe place for people to share ideas, to brainstorm, and to think outside of the box! By supporting her team first, and serving them with a servant's heart, she quickly developed meaningful relationships with those around her. Moral greatly improved in her department and the company benefited from a team that felt seen, appreciated, and valued.

Where are you in your leadership role? How are you using that position to serve those in your charge? If you find that you've drifted into a style that isn't very productive, try these two suggestions this week with your team and see the difference it can make. First, ask those on your team for their opinion on an issue. Second, give your team permission to fail.

These suggestions seem so easy because they are easy. However, as a leader, it requires you to get out of the way and allow your team to shine! Are you humble enough to set aside your opinions and your expectations to allow the talents and abilities of your team to shine?

Go ahead, I dare you to try it this week and see how you can change the culture in just one short week! Serve your team well and you will find fulfillment as their leader!