8 Essential Steps to Inspire Others & Build a Thriving Workforce

By PhD Tenia Davis

At its core, servant leadership creates an environment where everyone works together toward common goals without sacrificing individual values or freedoms. The focus is on helping people grow through experiences and providing support when necessary to ensure success for individuals and organizations.

A successful servant leader

• Language: English
• Publisher: Networlding Publishing
• Release date: Sep 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781955750585

Book preview

8 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO INSPIRE OTHERS & BUILD A THRIVING WORKFORCE

THE SERVANT LEADERSHIP ADVANTAGE

TENIA L DAVIS, MBA, PHD

Networlding Publishing

Networlding Publishing

Copyright © 2023 by Tenia L. Davis, MBA., PhD

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-955750-58-5

910 W. Madison, Ste #904E, Chicago, IL 60607 • 312-560-0982

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Know Thyself

2. Create Highly Productive Relationships through Values and Respect

3. Develop the Power of Mentoring

4. Master the Gift of Feedback

5. Grow Leaders by Building Vibrant Communities Where People Are Inspired

6. Create a Culture Where People Can Be Their Best

7. Achieve Better Business Results by Operationalizing the Greater Good

8. Mix with the Mentors for Perpetual Growth and Retention

The New Workplace of Tomorrow, Today

Bonus: 30-Day Smart-Start Servant Leadership Journal

30-Day Smart-Start Servant Leadership Journal

About the Author

Notes

Acknowledgments

Before You Go

INTRODUCTION

Servant leaders empower their team members by providing them with the tools, direction, support, and autonomy they need to succeed.

I am thrilled to present this book on servant leadership, which I hope will serve as a valuable resource for leaders who aspire to inspire and empower their teams. My intention in writing this book is to provide practical tools and guidance for leaders to cultivate high-performing teams, deliver positive business results, and make a meaningful impact in their organizations.

As someone who has worked with hundreds of professionals from diverse industries around the world, I am grateful for the opportunity to share the many lessons I have learned on this journey. I believe that the principles of servant leadership are timeless and universal, and I hope that this book will help you unlock your full potential as a leader and make a positive difference in the lives of those around you.

As a human resources practitioner and researcher over the past two decades, I have observed how leaders evolve and the notable factors that contribute to their success. These include having good mentorship, being able to contribute to the success of the organization, and creating impactful and thought-provoking products that touch broad audiences. But most important is experiencing personal and professional growth, and the feeling of gratitude that comes with that.

My intention with this book is also to share the gifts and insights that have had a resounding effect along my journey. Most importantly, I want to provide practical applications to becoming a better leader, a servant leader.

While conducting my dissertation research, I found that there were many individuals who joined a particular servant-led organization but who had never heard of servant leadership—like myself. While working for this company, they were able to grow, evolve, and develop—not just professionally, but personally. What I found most interesting was that over time they were able to evolve into better leaders, and carry those learning experiences with them to new career adventures.

As an observer of organizational dynamics and a scholar of leadership, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of servant leadership. Individuals who possess the intrinsic traits of servant leadership have been shown to thrive within their organizations, inspiring others to emulate their example. Indeed, many aspire to embody the qualities of a servant leader, recognizing that such a leadership style fosters an environment in which all can flourish.

Unfortunately, I have also seen the negative impact that poor leadership can have on individuals and entire organizations. Leaders who lack empathy, humility, and a commitment to serving others can demoralize and discourage their staff members, ultimately hindering the success of the organization as a whole. Conversely, I have observed the profound impact that effective and compassionate leaders can have on their teams. Furthermore, social capital has nothing to do with one’s success, or bearing on the likelihood of success in this regard. As a result of my research, I have gained a greater appreciation for the effectiveness of servant leadership in creating a positive work culture that nurtures the personal and professional growth of employees. As such, I am passionate about helping leaders develop the skills necessary to become servant leaders themselves. My hope is to provide a road map for leaders seeking to create a culture of service within their organizations, one that inspires and motivates their teams to excel. Together, we can work toward building work environments that promote the growth and success of all those within them.

Background

Servant leadership is a concept I have had the honor of learning deeply and practicing for more than two decades. The concept was the brainchild of author, educator, and consultant Robert K. Greenleaf. In his 1970 essay The Servant as Leader, ¹ Greenleaf introduced the idea that a leader’s primary role should be to serve their team rather than exercise power and authority over them. He argued that leaders who adopt a servant-first mindset could create a culture of trust, empowerment, and collaboration, leading to better outcomes for both the team and the organization.

Greenleaf’s essay sparked a movement. His concept of servant leadership continues to be a widely studied and applied leadership philosophy in modern times. Servant leadership has become a successful style of leading and managing teams that places the needs of people over power or authority. It focuses on the development of team members, encourages collaboration, fosters open communication, and emphasizes the idea that everyone can be a leader in some way.

Greenleaf described servant leadership as "a moral approach to leading and managing people’’ based on the principles of empathy, compassion, trustworthiness, accountability, responsibility, and service. He believed that if leaders set an example through their selfless behavior—working for the benefit of others rather than for personal gain—then those under them will be motivated to do the same. Servant leaders are more likely than other leaders to address both the business and spiritual development of their people. Companies are searching for leaders who can drive performance in today’s highly diverse workforce. Stephen Prosser expressed that servant leadership is not a fad, rather it is fundamentally an approach to life. ²

There is no question that there is a growing need for servant leadership in the workplace, particularly in the turbulent global environment where we currently find ourselves. More than ever, companies are challenged with developing leaders who can connect with employees, drive performance, and influence productivity outcomes. Most importantly, organizations want leaders who positively impact the overall company culture.

Simply put, people yearn for leaders who merit their trust and inspire them to act. We live in a time of great uncertainty, but these times also allow for a new kind of servant leadership to emerge. Innovation and employee well-being are now being given high priority within the ecosystems of many of today’s companies. As a result of this evolution leadership rooted in ethical and caring behavior has taken on greater importance. ³ And even more so, servant leadership is anchored in the human drive to bond with others and contribute to the betterment of society.

Servant leadership is also different from other leadership models in that it empowers and develops those who follow that path with empathy, humility, and an emphasis on service motivation. ⁴

As a champion of servant leadership, one of my goals is to help followers become healthier, wiser, and more willing to accept their responsibilities. ⁵ Fostering a work environment that values these characteristics can’t help but motivate followers to perform to their fullest potential. ⁶

Over the course of my career, I have observed how organizations struggle with leading and inspiring a multigenerational workforce. Leaders are encouraged to lead differently in general. However, differently is not always clearly defined. Many of today’s leaders continue to search for the right formula for building company culture. Because I had a seat at the table, I observed firsthand how a powerful servant leadership philosophy impacted leaders across multiple levels of the organization, creating a culture of servant leaders.

As I reflect on my time at Harpo, the home of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where I served as the human resources (HR) leader, it was indeed a company where one could immerse themselves in a culture that was inspiring and uplifting. It was also a place where I had the opportunity to cultivate my skills and abilities in various disciplines, both within the company and through external training and development programs, which allowed for substantial advancement and progress in both my personal and professional life. Every day was challenging and rewarding, working side by side with passionate professionals that shared a common interest to be the change that we wanted to see in the world.

The Harpo community was diverse, and everyone was able to contribute in a meaningful way to achieving the company goals. Harpo leaders fostered collaboration across teams and were consistent in their expectation of a high caliber of execution. Oprah Winfrey set the tone and intentions for Harpo and her leaders embodied excellence, commitment, passion, respect and an appreciation for a wide variety of viewpoints. I am honored to have been part of the Harpo community. It was a journey of a lifetime!

My experience as Harpo’s head of HR and the findings of my research over the last decade lay the foundation for organizations to shape leaders who will cultivate and create an inspirational culture. Here employees can become productive corporate citizens better able to contribute to greater, uplifting causes that inspire multigenerational and diverse individuals while also contributing to the company’s bottom line.

Servant leadership wasn’t something I focused on until I began working at Harpo. Early in my career, I saw, more often than I wished to see, rigid hierarchical structures, bureaucratic decision-making processes, and a focus on short-term profits over long-term sustainability. These factors often contributed to a highly political and competitive environment, where individuals would prioritize their own interests over those of the organization or its stakeholders creating cultures of fear and mistrust, where employees felt compelled to engage in office politics and power struggles in order to advance their careers.

I also saw employees feeling extreme pressure to meet financial targets and deliver results that can lead to a disregard for ethical considerations or social responsibility, which can harm both the company and society as a whole. All these things were wrapped up in fallacies of what a leader should be. In contrast at Harpo, I observed and experienced instead a phenomenal and inspiring level of trust, accountability, autonomy, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and diversity.

Creativity was extraordinarily high. The nuances and complexities of the topics showcased on a global stage were insightful and for some, life changing. Great care went into presenting an array of topics to a broad audience. The leaders created a culture where employees contributed their best work that aligned with personal and professional aspirations while they were also motivated to serve the company’s vision.

Bringing the Science and the Art of Servant Leadership Culture to Life

According to a study conducted by Grant Thornton and Oxford Economics, executives who say their culture is extremely healthy are 1.5 times more likely to report average revenue growth of more than 15 percent over three years. ⁷

Servant leadership is based on the core principles of selflessness, compassion, and humility. It’s a productive and engaging approach to leading others by putting their needs before your own, demonstrating that you care about their personal growth. It is rooted in the belief that leaders should prioritize the needs of their team members and work to support their growth and development. Rather than seeking to amass power or benefit personally, servant leaders prioritize building a culture of trust, collaboration, and mutual respect.