How Military Servant Leadership Applies to Corporate Leadership

"Competence is my watch-word. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind - accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers." - Army Non-Commissioned Officer Creed

Servant leadership is not a new concept. It has been around since the 1970s and applied to leadership lessons and philosophy more and more in recent years. My frist exposure to it was while serving in the United States Army. My squad leader would insist that we all go through the chow line before he did, insure that we took breaks before he did, and he managed to always have himself squared away and prepared while also making us feel like we mattered more than he did. The end result was that we were willing to go anywhere, endure any hardship, and had a sense of ownership and understanding of any mission he told us to complete.

Months later, I would be in Kosovo on my first deployment where I learned from an Army lieutenant and tank platoon commander, "Specialist Dugan, one thing you always need to remember as a leader is never mess with your soldiers' 'Three M's' and they will always take care of the mission." The three M's, Sir? "Their meals, money, and mail." Make sure their wellness is taken care of, they're compensated fairly, and have connection to home.

Servant leadership is not a new concept, but it is one that is gaining popularity in the business world. More and more companies are beginning to see the value in servant leadership and are implementing it into their own corporate culture. Those who embrace servant leadership will find that it helps them to build a more effective and successful workplace.

Defining Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a term that was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in "The Servant as Leader," an essay he wrote in 1970. It is a type of leadership where the leader's primary focus is on serving others and helping them reach their full potential. It is a theory that leaders must serve first when they lead.

Army servant leadership is a philosophy that puts the needs of others first and emphasizes teamwork, empowerment, and respect with the mutual purpose of getting the mission done. Servant leaders often have to make tough decisions that may not be popular, but they do so with the greater good in mind. It can be a difficult path to follow, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Those who choose servant leadership in the military are often rewarded with the loyalty and respect of those they serve.

Servant leadership is not easy, but it is certainly worth it.

Seven principles of (military) servant leadership

Kathleen Patterson outlines seven principles of servant leadership derived from Greenleaf's essay. I have them lumped into four categories below.

● Putting the Needs of Others First (1) Agapao love, (2) Altruism, and (3) Service

● Build relationships out of (4) Trust

● Empower others to lead, (5) Vision and (6) Empowerment

● Seek to understand before being understood (7) Humility

Put the needs of others first

This element of servant leadership may have been made popular by the Simon Sinek book titled Leaders Eat Last. 

Putting the needs of others first in an Army sense of servant leadership means that the leader must be willing to take the extra time and consideration to help those they are leading. This may be the in form of training, providing time to get affairs in order, inspections, and checking on both the physical and emotional wellbeing of yoru team. Servant leaders to remember that they are not leading for their own benefit, but for the benefit of those they are leading, the organization they serve, and their customers.

Flaunting any privileges in front of your direct reports would fly in the face of this philosophy. It will breed animosity and disengagement among your team. Servant leaders instead make sure that if there is a celebration at work, their direct reports have an opportunity to enjoy the festivities, get a meal, receive whatever swag or goodies are given away. In many cases, leaders will be the ones working the event serving their employees.

When a leader puts the needs of their employees first, it creates a work environment where employees feel valued and appreciated. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to be productive and successful. Additionally, when leaders focus on the needs of their employees, it helps to build trust between the leader and the employee.

Build relationships of trust

Another important aspect of servant leadership is building relationships of trust. This means that the leader must be someone that employees can trust and rely on. Consistency is key. That means having consistency in your style of communication. Servant leaders often have to make difficult decisions, but they do so with the greater good in mind. Servant leaders must also be able to listen to their employees and take their concerns seriously. Doing this consistently, and making decisions that are consistently in alignment with your stated values helps.

By building trust with their employees, servant leaders create an environment where employees feel comfortable coming to them with concerns or ideas. When employees feel like they can trust their leader, they are more likely to be productive and successful. Additionally, when leaders build trust with their employees, it helps to create a sense of teamwork and camaraderie within the workplace.

There is also trust in listening to what your team members have to say.

The After Action Review was the most valuable dialog I would experience or lead after every training session or mission. It was an opportunity for the team to share what happened and create a pool of meaning, a bigger and fuller sense of what happened. We would understand why mistakes were made by understanding what the soldier saw and processed in the moment. Solutions would come from the team members.

Hopefully, you hired or assembled a talented, intelligent, knowledgeable team. Appreciating diversity of thoughts and perspectives and creating a space where that diversity can be expressed and shared means you as the leader have the best possible solutions to provide your organization. Your team will want to produce more and more of that kind of success as long as you are supportive of that collaborative environment.

Seek to understand before being understood

See you people as people first. One of the most important aspects of servant leadership is seeking to understand before being understood. This means that the leader must take the time to listen to their employees and understand their needs. Only after taking the time to understand can the leader then begin to provide solutions.

You’re not that important, or at least not more important, than anyone else on that team. Value the perspectives and needs of others.

When leaders seek to understand their employees, it shows that they care about them and are willing to listen to their concerns. This helps to build trust between the leader and the employee. Additionally, when leaders seek to understand their employees, it helps to create a more effective workplace.

Empower others to lead

Another important aspect of servant leadership is empowering others to lead. This means that the leader must be willing to share power with their employees and allow them to take on leadership roles. When employees are given the opportunity to lead, it helps to build their confidence and skills. Additionally, when employees are given the opportunity to lead, it helps to create a more effective workplace.

Leaders should not be judged solely on what gets done when they are around, but also what happens in their absense. Nothing was more sobering than realizing that if I died in combat and my team did not know how to stay alive and complete the mission, then I failed them as a leader. On top of that, my team's mission was to divide up and provide medical support for an artillery unit that would be spread out hundreds of miles. Those medics needed to know how to do their jobs, and feel empowered to take charge when needed in case a medevac was needed, resupply, or to report unsafe conditions to leadership. 

Servant leaders understand that they cannot do everything on their own. They must be willing to empower their employees to lead in order to create a more effective and successful workplace. When leaders empower their employees to lead, it shows that they trust them and believe in their ability to do so. This helps to build trust between the leader and the employee. Additionally, when employees are empowered to lead, it helps to create a more effective workplace.

These principles can be applied to corporate leadership in order to create a more effective and successful workplace. When the leader focuses on serving the needs of their employees, building trust, and empowering them to lead, it creates a positive work environment where employees are more likely to be productive and successful. Additionally, by understanding the needs of their employees, leaders can make better decisions that will benefit the company as a whole.

The benefits of using military servant leadership in the workplace

When the leader focuses on serving the needs of their employees, it shows that they care about them and are willing to listen to their concerns. This helps to build trust between the leader and the employee. Additionally, servant leadership can help to create a more effective workplace.

When employees are given the opportunity to lead, it builds their confidence and skills. Additionally, servant leadership can help to create a more effective workplace.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, servant leadership is a philosophy that can be adapted to many different situations. In the army, for example, servant leaders must be able to balance their own needs with the needs of their team. This can be a difficult task, but army leaders who practice servant leadership find that it helps them to build trust and respect within their team. As a result, army leaders who embrace servant leadership are better able to achieve their goals and create a more cohesive team.