What is Servant Leadership?
Leadership is the art of inspiring others to work toward the achievement of a common goal and Servant Leadership is its highest expression. What separates Servant Leaders from the crowd is how, who and why they serve.
The leader who recognizes the value of every team member and prioritizes co-workers on par with the investor constituencies that traditionally take precedence is more likely to create a culture of excellence and sustainable success.
I had the good fortune to align my professional brand with several companies who incorporated servant leadership into their culture. After you have worked for a company that cares about its employees, organizations where people are considered replaceable cogs in a larger machine stand in dark relief, career stops to be avoided at all costs.
Corporate culture should be a key consideration in any job search. Alignment with your values will make the time you invest there more meaningful and your ability to effectively contribute more likely.
I first encountered the concept of Servant Leadership when a mentor shared Robert K. Greenleaf’s seminal 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” The AT&T executive was inspired by Herman Hesse’s 1932 book, Journey to the East , the story of a League of powerful men, in search of the ultimate truth. Their journey is uneventful, until Leo, a…
