Serve Employees ... Not Manage Them

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January 23, 2009

The concept of management has changed greatly in the past few years. Employees of organizations today are seeking the softer, more loving kinds of leaders. Think of it this way: management styles today should be like a nice hot cup of hot chocolate, snuggled next to a fire with a good movie. Train your managers to be like this, or give me a call and we can discuss strategies. Servant leadership has this kind of warm, cozy feeling to it.

Give to your staff; love your staff; guide them toward goals, successes and fun times. The following questions/statements are examples of servant leaders:

  1. What tools can I offer to you to make your job easier?
  2. I am here to serve you and take care of your needs in the workplace.
  3. You are my most important asset, and I want to make sure that you are well taken care of. How can I serve you today?
  4. How are you feeling today? Is there anything I need to know about that I can affect and make your week the best?

How do you feel? Do you think it's possible to create this kind of environment? Any organization is capable of creating such opportunities. Again, it starts with leadership development and remember ... leadership development is HR's #1 job in a company. No other part of our job description is as important as this one. Without strong leaders and managers, nothing else matters ... it all simply fails.

This concept of servant leadership dates back more than 2,000 years! It's the longest, single management concept that has survived them all. Why do folks call ideas flavors of the month? Well, these concepts don't last long. I am sure you can think of several examples. Servant leadership is one concept that has stood the test of time. By utilizing the #1 job that HR has in an organization (leadership development) and focusing on servant leadership and the principles it holds, companies will see HUGE changes in morale, profit and drive of employees.

There are quite a few books on the subject out there. I have used servant leadership concepts in developing leaders with much success. It can be a little challenging in the beginning when we speak with leaders about touchy-feely topics such as servant leadership and love. However, I have also found that even these managers, deep down inside, are searching for the same kinds of feelings from their supervisors. Almost everybody loves hot chocolate! Give it a try ... you'll see.

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