What is servant leadership? How can you benefit from it? To serve in its core meaning is to set aside your own needs and desires, in order to help or help others with their needs. Note that I didn’t mention “wants”, this is about helping others achieve their legitimate needs. The benefits for you are endless. Here are some examples. It builds trust and enhances your good reputation with others. It creates loyalty and strength in your relationships with your family, friends and business associates. Exponentially add purpose and personal growth to your life. Let us review some characteristics of this phenomenon.
Humility is above all in servitude. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking less of yourself. It must be done with authentic sincerity, without ulterior motives or manipulation. Pride, arrogance, and a big inflated ego have no place in humility.
Be respectful of others. Treat others as if they are important, and they really are. Most people want to feel appreciated, valued, and want to be treated with dignity. Treat others with the amount of respect you expect to receive from them. By being respectful of other exhibits you have respect for yourself.
Being kind is also a prerequisite. It is about following the golden rule “treat others as you want to be treated”. A kind word and a warm smile can do wonders. Look for the good in others instead of being cynical.
“Honesty is the best policy”. Trust is the cornerstone of honesty. You must be truthful and transparent. Your truthfulness must begin within you. “Be true to yourself” as William Shakespeare said. If you are true to yourself, it is not difficult to be true to others. Being honest is telling the whole truth and not telling part of it.
Being committed requires one hundred percent effort and follow through. It is useless to start a worthwhile task or project and not continue working to completion. It is a waste of time and grossly unfair to others who depend on you. It is a waste of your precious time and that of others. If you “talk the talk, then you must walk the path.”
In short, part of being a great leader within your sphere of influence is serving the needs of others. Being committed, honest, kind, respectful and humble are the main ingredients of your “bondage soup”. It is essential that you always remember, it is not about thinking less about yourself, it is about thinking less about yourself. You have just been given the essence of servant leadership; you’d better join this incredible phenomenon.