Servant Leadership - Become a better leader by putting others first

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Anna Sroka
IT Service Manager
Automatic Summary

Understanding Servant Leadership: A Journey towards becoming a Better Leader

Hi, I am Anna Rocca, currently based in Krakow. Today, we'll be discussing an impactful leadership style - Servant Leadership. The aim is to enhance your leadership skills even further. However, before we commence, let's see where everybody is joining us from today. Please feel free to drop your location in the comments section.

Understanding the Concept

In this discussion, we're dissecting Servant Leadership, one of the foremost leadership themes. This leadership style is about listening to, understanding, and empathizing with team members to improve productivity and overall efficiency. Setting the stage for growth requires a high level of self-awareness, and sometimes, achieving this mindset can seem daunting, but it's certainly achievable and rewarding.

The Crucial Aspect: Self-awareness

At its essence, Servant Leadership is about guaranteeing that the entire team's needs are met while still leading from the front. However, for this to be effective, you as the leader have to fully engage in proactive, secondary thinking to prioritise your team. The starting point is achieving self-awareness, which will be instrumental in your journey as a leader who genuinely serves.

Addressing the Needs of People: A Case Study

We encountered a challenging situation during the digital transformation of our company. With a team comprising both veterans of 15-25 years and newcomers, it was imperative to address their distinct fears, expectations, and aspirations. The senior employees were concerned about being indispensable, while the newer members were apprehensive about integrating effectively. Aligning these perspectives required empathetic listening and reassurance. Every member was made to feel valued, supported, and irreplaceable. A sense of trust was fostered within the team, eventually leading to their willingness to collaborate.

Propagating Empathy

The ability to listen empathetically is key in a Servant Leadership role. Understanding each team members' struggles and ensuring a supportive environment will help harness their energy and expertise to guarantee success. Your individuals are essentially your most valuable assets, and a Servant Leadership style can help capitalise on this.

Q&A With Anna

During an engaging Q&A session, I was able to answer some fascinating questions about Servant Leadership. One question, in particular, revolved around executing Servant Leadership as an individual contributor within a team. Here's a sneak peak:

  • Rachel from USA: In Servant Leadership as a non-manager, how do you lead up with your leadership?

Even as an individual contributor, you can always embody the role of a leader by leading by example. This approach is particularly effective and recommended in software development teams, where developers can prove to be individual leaders in their respective domains.

Concluding Thoughts and Action Points

To imbibe the teachings shared here, here are some exercises you can try. First, endeavour to pen down what kind of leader you aspire to be. Then, compare this with a list of your strengths and areas for improvement. The next step is to improve on empathetic listening. Try asking your team members open-ended questions that stimulate in-depth conversation, helping you better understand their needs.

Thank you for attending this session and spending time with me. Remember, to grow and succeed as a leader, work on your self-awareness, empathize and listen to your team's needs, and be their biggest support. Let's stay in touch, learn, and grow together.


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