The term Servant Leader is credited to Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. …”It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.”
But what does that mean? As a leader the natural instinct is to lead, isn’t it, not to serve?
Over the years I have found for me the most successful leadership approach is being a servant leader—especially in the role of a Chapter Lead because not only is it effective as a leadership style, it actively builds a culture of growth and strengthens relationships.
It’s not about handing responsibility to others; it’s about taking responsibility for uplifting those around you so everyone is part of the solution.
A working example of this is to ensure that your team receives training on the regulatory requirements that come with your business. It uplifts everyone so they can be part of the discussion and provide credible solutions.
For your effectiveness:
Better team performance—When you focus on removing obstacles and supporting your team, productivity and quality of work naturally improve.
Stronger trust and credibility — Prioritising others’ needs builds genuine respect, making it easier for you to influence without relying on authority.
Lower turnover—Teams with servant leaders tend to stay longer, reducing the cost of recruiting and retraining. You’re not watching that knowledge walk out the door.
For relationships and culture:
Deeper loyalty — Employees who feel genuinely supported become more committed, not just compliant.
- Psychological
safety—Teams feel safe taking risks, admitting mistakes, and
innovating, which leads to better outcomes, such as increased creativity and improved team performance.
- Reduced conflict — A culture of listening and empathy tends to prevent interpersonal friction before it escalates, resulting in a more harmonious workplace where collaboration and productivity can thrive.
- Psychological
safety—Teams feel safe taking risks, admitting mistakes, and
innovating, which leads to better outcomes, such as increased creativity and improved team performance.
For long-term leadership growth:
Develops future leaders — By coaching and empowering others, servant leaders naturally build leadership pipelines, which reflects well on you and them and is great for your organisation.
- Resilience
under pressure — Teams with higher trust tend to work better in times of a crisis, giving you as their manager more stability when things go wrong.
- Personal fulfilment — For me, and I know for others, this style is more sustainable and meaningful than command-and-control approaches, reducing burnout.
- Resilience
under pressure — Teams with higher trust tend to work better in times of a crisis, giving you as their manager more stability when things go wrong.
Clear goals and accountability:
Don’t let things drift — This style of leadership works best when it is closely paired with clear goals and accountability. Without these, your leadership might be seen to be easy or overaccommodating to some, which can undermine results. The most effective servant leaders are still decisive—they just make decisions in service of their team’s success.
The following topics all fall broadly under the umbrella of empowering teams and how leaders can better help those who report to them. These are not ranked, and there is much overlap with other topics on this site; they should not be viewed in isolation. If there are other topics that you would like to see discussed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.