This is not only a beautifully articulated definition of Servant Leadership but a clear and direct definition of “leadership,” period.
Servant Leadership is a smart leadership approach with a moral imperative to lead for the sake of others. Great leaders model behaviors that equip and inspire others toward individual and community greatness. They do not see their employees as tools, but as humans with dignity that they can empower to make a difference. Servant Leadership is designed to increase the self-determination, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice of everyone.
(Courtesy of the Servant Leadership Institute)
I struggle with the fact that the leadership we see in our organizations today is so far from the “servant” model that we have to classify it as a unique leadership approach. I also imagine that the idea of leadership as a “moral imperative” makes many leaders deeply uncomfortable.
As for me, I love that language. It’s a call to action to not allow a single drop of human potential to be wasted. That the leaders biggest and best responsibility is to ensure that his followers have every opportunity to maximize their strengths and deepen their learning in pursuit of a cause larger than themselves.
“Servant Leadership” is simply leadership in its best, most appropriate and most productive form.
How long is it going to take us to figure that out?
