Tips for Balancing Servant Leadership and Organizational Needs

We need to distinguish empathy & kindness from niceness. While related, empathy & kindness are not synonymous with niceness. Kind people are generous, helpful, friendly, and considerate of other people. Empathetic people understand and share the feelings of others. Both characteristics should be desirable in the workplace. And what about niceness? Overly nice people may be pushovers, don't want to hurt someone's feelings, or are worried about being liked. Don't mistake niceness for kindness. One of the first places I worked for created the undercurrent for my leadership style today: servant leadership. Servant leadership is typically practiced by people who are empathetic, good listeners, self-aware and want to create a healthy working environment. Servant leadership means you work to create the environment that enables your team to thrive, be the best they can be, and achieve the highest value results. Why am I telling you all of this? Many people believe that to maximize profits, you only need good managers. They think you can't be empathetic and kind to get the best results out of people. This is a fallacy. Being empathetic and kind doesn't mean we don't demand results from the people around us. It means we'll understand if they're not always at their best. We'll accept if they make mistakes (and we'll ask that they learn from them). We'll step in and "get our hands dirty" when they need help. It also means we must be open and honest if their work needs to be contributing more. Because (1) we have to contribute to the company's success & we have to be held to high standards, and (2) we should care about them as individuals; that means we have to be able to have hard conversations with them and sometimes that may mean parting ways. Yes, a business has to be profitable, but aren't well-run teams what contribute to lucrative businesses? There are businesses out there that are outperforming their competitors AND are great places to work with great managers & leaders. We need to stop pretending that these are mutually exclusive. Are kindness and empathy the only skills a leader or manager needs to possess? Absolutely not; that would be absurd. But they are essential and should be valued just as much as technical capability. Make no mistake: every business would benefit from leaders being more empathetic and kind. P.S. If you struggle with giving feedback in a caring & direct way, please pick up a copy of Radical Candor by Kim Scott. #people #team #leadership #leader #kindness #business #work #empathy #leaders

I once had a boss who was big on Servant Leadership. So I focused on serving... a lot. But then I noticed something. The more I served the more people took advantage of it, and our results began to slip. Frustrated, I called my boss and told him what was going on. "I'm serving...but people are underperforming. So what's the deal?" And then he said, "Serve them by challenging them to be better." And that reframe was all I needed. Servant Leadership isn't about trying to make the lives of your employees easier. Servant Leadership is where you're willing to put the needs of your people above the needs of your own. Needs... not wants. And sometimes that means their need to be better and reach their full potential not your need to be liked and accepted as a leader. One of the highest forms of Servant Leadership is helping people become the best version of themselves.

Efficiency in leadership is crucial, but too much focus on tasks can lead to unintended consequences. The relentless pursuit of productivity often sidelines vital aspects like building relationships, inspiring teams, and showing empathy. Research indicates that an intense focus on efficiency might make leaders less effective overall. The downsides include negative impacts on organizational climate, team burnout, and personal costs for leaders, such as blocked promotions or termination. Balance is the key! Successful leaders harmonize task-focus with people-focus, recognizing the importance of going slow to go fast. It's not just about being efficient; it's about being effective. The power of effective leaders lies in strong people skills. Leaders who strike a balance understand the broader organizational needs, avoid reactive behaviors, and empower their teams. If you sense an imbalance, take proactive steps: - Seek Feedback: Gauge your task-focus vs. people-focus through candid conversations or involve an executive coach for a third-party perspective. - Identify High-Value People Practices: Incorporate feedback to establish genuine practices like regular career development talks, distraction-free conversations, or casual coffees with colleagues. - Self-Observation and Reflection: Be present in real-time, reflecting on impatience or haste. Explore your underlying motivations and fears. - De-bunk Limiting Beliefs: Challenge beliefs hindering balance by talking to leaders who successfully manage both aspects. - Practice Self-Management: Enhance self-awareness to pause and choose a balanced approach, ensuring both tasks and people are valued. - Efficiency without a balanced people-focus may limit success. Strive for effectiveness by embracing the synergy of task and people orientation. #Leadership #EffectiveLeadership #Balance #LeadershipDevelopment #TaskFocus #PeopleFocus