imapMyTeam Blog

Merits of Servant Leadership

Many leadership experts believe that in today’s knowledge based economy the principles of servant leadership better position you and your organization for success than autocratic methods of leading.

The basic premise of the servant-leader is that they share power, put the needs of others first and help people develop and perform as highly as possible. 

The concept of servant leadership is far from new. Lao-Tzu wrote about servant leadership in the fifth-century BC: 

“The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware…. The Sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When his task is accomplished and things have been completed, all the people say, ‘We ourselves have achieved it!’”

Whether you are a proponent of servant leadership or not there are some wonderful principles that servant leader scholars generally agree are key to the development of an effective servant leader.  All of these principles are supported in and through the use of imapMyTeam®

· Awareness: A servant leader understands his or her own values and feelings, strengths and weaknesses.

· Commitment to the growth of people: Is responsible for serving the need of others. 

· Empathy: the need to understand others' feelings and perspectives.

· Building community:  Helps create a sense of community among people.

· Stewardship: Holds an organization's resources in trust for the greater good.

Use of imapMyTeam certainly builds self-awareness and, whether you are a leader now or aspire to be one in the future, the lessons of commitment to the growth of people, empathy and building community [teams] is critical to business success.

Take time this week to consider how adopting the mindset of a servant-leader might help you be more effective in achieving the results that are critical to your success as well as that of the team.