Servant Leadership: A Powerful Concept for Today’s Leaders

I have the great honor and responsibility to serve as the new division manager for POWER Engineers’ Environmental Division. As I embark on this new role, I’ve reflected on how I want to “show up” as a leader, taking the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and perspectives, while embracing the inherent learning curve.

Of the myriad leadership philosophies, I subscribe to servant leadership and its fundamentals. Approaching my role as a servant leader is a path I believe will lead to success for POWER, our clients, our individual team members and for me personally.

The servant leader philosophy flips traditional leadership on its head. Instead of the authoritarian “Leaders lead. Followers follow” mindset, servant leadership empowers individuals; it promotes understanding and prioritizes employee needs as well as the organization’s collective goals. It’s about aligning and implementing an overarching strategy to achieve results.

In his article, “Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders,” author Larry Spears outlines 10 essential character traits of a servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Each of these powerful characteristics are worthy of study and practice; however, in today’s environment, I believe a few warrant extra focus and attention.

Listening and Empathy

Our ability to shift from a traditional leader to a servant leader hinges on our willingness to listen to those we serve with empathy. In his timeless book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” author Stephen Covey says it best: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” As we interact with people in our internal and external networks, listening and empathy will help foster strong and lasting relationships that, in turn, are the foundations of strong leadership.

Conceptualization and Foresight

Another critical role met by servant leaders is the ability to look beyond our day-to-day activities toward the future. Meeting near-term goals is obviously important; however, servant leaders also need to look beyond the horizon, conceptualizing the opportunities that lie ahead and balancing them with the foresight to recognize what challenges must be overcome. Conceptualization and foresight enable servant leaders to focus on purpose, vision and strategy while supporting their teams as they accomplish today’s goals.

Stewardship, Growth and Building Community

Servant leaders look beyond their own teams, even their own organization, for opportunities to serve. Everyone we interact with—from family and friends to coworkers and communities—can benefit from our willingness to serve. And as we serve, we create impacts more significant than any individual contribution. Understanding our stewardship can help ensure we are focused on actions that serve a greater purpose rather than merely our own interests. This promotes stronger organizations and better harmony within our social environments.

In my first six months as the division manager, practicing the concepts of servant leadership has been invaluable. Listening with empathy to a new-to-me team has provided clarity about our vision and strategy, insights about our opportunities and challenges and the ability to better support both the employees and our clients.

I hope you, too, find value in this philosophy as you work to make a lasting, positive impact on the people and communities around you.

Article originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Currents. Subscribe today to stay current on environmental insights and regulatory updates that impact your projects