Great companies rise and fall by the quality of their leadership. A true leader understands not only the mission of the organization but the movers behind the scenes. Effective leaders are visionary servants who strive to bring an outcome that is best for everyone. Try these four inspirational activities for encouraging servant leadership within your organization.
Listen, Listen, Listen
Servant leadership flourishes when members of the team listen to one another and respond to what they hear. Infuse interaction times into the weekly agenda for brainstorming, feedback, and personal interactions. Value the ideas and concerns of your team members.
Create Common Goals
Once leadership members begin listening to one another, they’re able to establish common, well-defined goals. When employees understand the why behind what they are doing, they are willing to do hard things. Keep the goals consistently in front of the team, clearing the path to mutual success with a cycle of listening, responding, and adjusting. Setting common goals is a key ingredient in the recipe for success.
Fan the Flames With Feedback
Don’t leave your team members wondering if they are on the right track. Keep motivation high by focusing on details and rewarding what you see. Allow members to observe each other in action, and encourage them to give productive assessments of what they see.
Provide specific feedback to each member, crediting the positive and looking for solutions for obstacles along the way. Proclaim the successes of each department to the entire organization through weekly newsletters or central message boards posted at strategic points within the company. In this way, you show value and respect for each aspect of the organization.
Cultivate Caring
Establish a culture of caring within your organization. Celebrate birthdays and milestones in creative and energizing ways. Look for occasions to roll up your sleeves when teammates are facing challenges to demonstrate teamwork. In addition to that, give all members the opportunity to show concern for one another.
Offer times of relaxation and fun together with social gatherings, crazy contests, and activities that are tailored to the growing bond within the group. Utilize online interaction tools like Zoom and Google Meet to draw your team together.
Servant leadership grows naturally when it is modeled, cultivated, and celebrated. We at Business Marketing Engine thrive in the area of servant leadership and stand ready to help empower servant leaders within your organization. Contact us today as a first step toward making servant leadership work for you.
