Personal advancement takes a back seat to developing and mentoring the team that follows their instructions or the clients’ and customers’ needs. Even after ascending to a position of leadership, a servant leader typically tends to encourage their subordinates to prioritise service to others over personal gain. A servant leader’s objective may be to share power with others and to foster their development and growth. This trait can include carefully listening to followers in order to comprehend their needs, but it also includes leaders holding themselves and others fully responsible for their words and actions.

Whereas the leader-first dynamic is motivated by a personal desire for power, the servant leader is motivated by the benefits of their service to others. For instance, a servant leader may pause to consider how their efforts benefit those who are marginalised or of lower economic status prior to pursuing a position of control. Their advancement to positions of leadership occurs as a result of their commitment to service.

This is evident in the healthcare sector, where medical practitioners work to benefit their patients while also assisting their peers and teammates in providing care. In the business world, this can mean ensuring that their service benefits employees, customers, and all other stakeholders.

Like every leadership style, Servant Leadership comes with its own disadvantages as well. But above we have talked about it enough. You have to wait for the next part. Hang on here for more discussions on leadership styles.