What Servant Leadership Can Do for American Business

"If a rhinoceros were to enter this restaurant now, there is no denying he would have great power here. But I should be the first to rise and assure him that he had no authority."
                                                                                                                        — G.K. Chesterton to Alexander Woollcott

An Introduction to Leadership
People often ask me to share my ideas about leadership. Most people know leadership when they see it, but it is sometimes difficult to describe. I usually begin by sharing a definition: Leadership is the ability to influence others to enthusiastically pursue identifiable goals for the common good.  Leadership has contrasting styles such as the two described below:

1. Power-based. The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or might.
2. Authority-based.  The ability to get people to voluntarily do your will because of your personal influence.

A good example of a power-based style is military leadership. When soldiers are in the battlefield, it is imperative that combat orders are followed. Soldiers do what they are told, when they are told and with no questions asked. That authority is clearly defined. A power-based approach doesn’t work too well, though, in most other scenarios, especially in the business world.   

Service-Based Leadership Model
What I and other leaders find that works well in business (and in other areas of life) is a service-based style of leadership. Our organizational leaders practice “Servant Leadership” which is defined as follows: 

Servant Leadership involves the skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good, primarily using authority while seldom resorting to power.

The Rewards of Leadership
What motivates or inspires someone to be a leader?  Effective and successful leadership is rewarding. If you are looking to recruit, train and develop future leaders, here is a list of some meaningful reward and recognition incentives: 

• Seeing others achieve incredible results
• Earning recognition among peers
• Realizing personal growth experiences
• Achieving a sense of worth and making contributions
• Building confidence to face life challenges
• Impacting the world around us
• Earning salary raises
• Receiving professional promotions
• Enjoying financial incentives, including long-term compensation
• Benefiting from quality of life 

There is little debate that successful leadership has its rewards for leaders. Servant Leadership needs to be a business-practices model. This leadership approach succeeds by involving and empowering employees, resulting in a more enthusiastic and engaged workforce. This, in turn, allows the organization to reach its goals and helps promote the common good.