Selfishness is an unfortunately popular characteristic that doesn’t discriminate amongst race, gender, class, or status. Being selfish in itself is not an inherently negative thing. However, when working with a group or team, it can show to have serious implications.
Businesses have often met their demise when it comes to a selfish CEO or boss. Just as every employee has their job specification, so does a leader. Servant leadership emphasizes that the leader is not a separate entity of the corporation and that employees are just as integral in the overall aim. Leaders will see that having a serving attitude can increase the productivity level among their employees as well as cultivate a healthy work environment.
People, Not Machines
At the end of the day, employees are all human beings with emotions. In a work setting, it is sometimes encouraged to keep feelings outside of the workplace and to remain as objective as possible in order to fulfill whatever task is at hand. However, people can attest to the great quality work they receive once they invest genuine time in their jobs. Leaders must do the same and provide a great quality of leadership which will then be of service to them in the future.
Receptiveness
Leaders should pay attention to what their employees are telling them. This includes salary, bonuses, days off, work hours, switching positions, promotions, and overall treatment in the facility. By catering to those basic needs as well as going above and beyond, employees will hold a greater amount of respect towards their occupation and their boss. Listening requires conscious consideration of any advice, recommendations, insight, concerns, or judgment calls that employees may be relaying.
Serve Them and They Will Serve You
As stated previously, everyone has their own respective role in a company. Leaders should not dismiss or disregard employees. They should encourage freedom of expression within their businesses. Transparency will allow everyone to be on the same accord and prevent any potential hiccups or mistakes. When employees feel like their needs are being met and that they are wanted by the company, they typically want to work harder to make sure they can continue being rewarded.
Servant leadership is ideal in improving the self-esteem and self-efficacy of employees, which will increase work productivity and employee performance by a surplus. Leaders can learn a lot when they put others before themselves, and employees will likely go above and beyond to do more than asked to show their appreciation.
