Leader as Servant

By Tita Datu Puangco
[Published April 15, 2012 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer]

With the Lenten season just over and the joy of the Risen One today Easter Sunday, as leaders we turn inward to reflect on our roles as leaders. Due to the request of a client I started to review the concept of servant leadership that I shared in my last column. I also launched "servant leadership" in my company Ancilla. Ancilla means to us "helping hand" or "handmaiden". How appropriate for a company dedicated to Mary, the handmaiden of the Lord.

SERVING INTEREST OF OTHERS

One of the principles of servant leadership is that, "the leaders serve the interests of others, above their own self interest for the good of the organization as a whole". It was a message, we put on all desk tops to remind us constantly that we have to be servants to one another.

In this period it is proper to think of the God man, who showed the way as role model of the servant leader. He who is God, has chosen to lead by being one, by choosing to become like us. He showed the example by spreading the "word" that brings us to touch the eternal. He healed people, he loved everyone as he loved himself, he washed the feet of disciples, he fed bread to the multitudes. He was the role model of the servant leader.

LEADERSHIP CONVERSION

Servant leadership is a leadership model that requires maturity. It is not easy in the sense that servant leadership as a practice requires personal conversion. Often, leaders are put to a test. Recently, we were excited to deliver to a project with tight deadlines. The team did not meet the deadline. In our company it had no precedents. It just does not happen but it did.

My first impulse was to express disappointment and react negatively. But it would mean the opposite of thinking of serving the needs of those led for the common good of the organization. Instead, what is important is to inquire how people were feeling and doing considering that they spent much time and energy delivering on the project. I have to be a servant leader. I have to understand the situation as something to embrace and accept, an offering for the Lenten season. On the other hand, we also have to engage in appreciative inquiry, looking at what helped or hindered the situation.

Before the meeting, 3 members of the team asked to meet with me. They came forward to express that they were holding themselves accountable and wanted to share the truth of their views of what happened. It was a refreshing change from the typical regrets and recriminations that would ensue from a similar situation. I realized that they were adults coming forward because their leader has acted as an adult wanting to know what happened without blaming.

Then when the whole team met, we did force field analysis brainstorming what helped and hindered the situation, we discovered that the root cause was the absence of the orchestrator, the project manager who would wield the baton ensuring doing the right things the first time and on time. This was the proverbial, anybody, everybody and no body. In essence it was my failure, the failure of leadership. Readily I accepted the mistake and we started to move on to discover the right things to do for the next project.

What amazed me was how the atmosphere moved from sadness to joy from fatigue to greater enthusiasm and commitment. Here I was learning the right behaviors of the servant leader. But there are more lessons for me to learn or unlearn.

AUTHENTICITY

One was to be authentic, leaders are to be open, real and approachable and accountable to others. We avoid the tendency to defend ourselves, instead we have to admit our mistakes. We recognize that we have much to learn as we have much to teach. We have to know how to listen and ask questions and be sincere to find the answers. Authenticity is being honest and demonstrating integrity. People can trust what we say as we fulfill our promises.

PEOPLE GROWTH

Two, is developing people. Leaders take responsibility to help others grow to their full potential as leaders. Every interaction is a helping opportunity that can encourage growth and development. In fact, mistakes and failures provide the springboard for learning. Servant leaders recognize that people as they are have present value as well as future potential. I realize that my most memorable bosses were those who took time to coach, mentor and counsel me, moving me forward in terms of leadership maturity. But my best bosses were those who acted as role models, setting the example. They also brought out the best by affirming rather than putting down people.

BUILD COMMUNITY

Three is building community. Servant leaders aim at making people work together in caring, achieving communities. They recognize that equally important to achieving results is concern for the relationships of people doing the job. This means, getting people together to spend time to reflect and heal and get to know one another. They encourage friendships. I remember clearly one of the "great place at work" characteristics is having a best friend at work. They go for win win relationships working in a collaborative manner. Servant leaders value differences careful to sense their own biases and taking care not to play favorites or make others feel less valued.

PROVIDE AND SHARE LEADERSHIP

The other servant leadership practice is valuing people by serving them first,believing and trusting in people, and listening non judgmentally. They also encompass providing and sharing leadership. This means developing a vision, taking initiative and clarifying goals. It likewise means sharing leadership so that others get the opportunity to lead, empowering people to act for the good of the group and the mission of the organization.

May we truly have the joy of Easter by giving ourselves as servant leaders to others!