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Research shows that this leadership style can enhance team performance and satisfaction.
Too many employees know what it’s like to work for a boss who’s more focused on the bottom line than on the people who actually get the work done. Servant leadership turns that all-too-common scenario on its head. It focuses on the needs of employees, customers, and other stakeholders instead of focusing on their own needs. Here’s a secret: Research shows that this leadership style can enhance team performance and satisfaction.
When Robert K. Greenleaf first developed the concept of servant leadership during the 1970s, others considered it too gentle for a competitive business environment. Successful organizations today understand that sustainable performance relies on people-oriented leadership. Throughout my own professional journey, I have personally witnessed these transformations, and their results clearly demonstrate their effectiveness.
Here are five practical strategies to adopt servant leadership principles that will boost your team’s effectiveness—and your happiness as a leader.
1. Listen with intent.
How often have you attended meetings where leaders solicit opinions but only pretend to listen until they can get in their own two cents? People can easily distinguish between listening that is just for show and listening that comes from true interest.
Establish routine meetings with team members that have no specific agenda and focus solely on understanding their viewpoint. When someone presents a challenge to you, avoid the instinct to propose solutions right away. Ask open-ended follow-up questions that demonstrate interest, such as: Can you tell me more about that? How is that affecting your work? You’ll be amazed at the knowledge gained when your people experience authentic listening from you.
2. Develop empathy as a skill.
Most people struggle to feel empathy naturally when faced with stressful situations, but practice allows you to build this muscle throughout time. Acknowledge the human element present in all workplace interactions from the beginning.
Team members live complex lives outside work. When you observe someone who appears detached or annoyed, try to understand the potential hidden reasons behind their behavior. Pause for a moment to ask, “How are you really doing?” Taking time to personally ask empathetic questions can shift a potential conflict into a significant moment of genuine connection.
3. Prioritize growth and development.
Everyone experiences disappointment when their professional development gets pushed to the sidelines due to other priorities. Regular growth conversations should become a routine priority instead of being limited to annual reviews.
Ask your team members: Which skill development goals do you have for this year? How can I support your progress toward those goals? Execute the follow-through steps, such as securing funding for educational programs or developing challenging projects, while establishing mentor connections. People who sense your investment in their future respond by committing more fully to your current joint endeavors.
Your work often suffers when decisions are made without considering your team’s input. Deliberate power sharing enables you to access your team’s combined knowledge and enhances their professional development.
Establish transparency by defining which decisions team members can make independently and where they need to seek approval. You might say, “You have full control over the approach and schedule, but please notify me about significant changes.” This clarity prevents both micromanagement and misalignment.
5. Recognize and celebrate others.
Everyone who works for you needs recognition, because understanding that their work makes a difference is a basic human need. In busy work settings, recognition becomes a low priority and tends to be neglected. Remember: What gets rewarded gets done. Make celebration a habit, not an afterthought.
Be specific about contributions, and how they made a difference. For example, “The detailed report analysis you conducted enabled us to make a superior decision.” When discussing achievements with senior management, mention the team members responsible for success. Recognition generates positive energy waves that boost team performance and morale.
When you implement servant leadership practices, you build a compassionate workplace and establish a lasting foundation for superior performance. Exceptional results come from nurturing the team members who achieve them, rather than focusing on yourself.
This post originally appeared at inc.com.