Servant Leadership Traits

Servant leadership is leading by example - creating a culture based on a core set of principles and values

Servant leadership is building a community based on core principles and values, which in turn drives meaning and purpose for individuals, empowering the team to be a more caring, just, trusting, and higher performing organization.

Leadership with a true desire to serve is about enriching lives, building organizations driven by purpose, and leading by correct values and principles.  This all leads to creating a more innovative, trusting, and caring team.

Core traits of Servant leaders are:

1. Empathy / Compassionate –Looking to understand the real needs of their staff and seek to address them.   Taking time to listen, understand, and help people.
2. Good listener – Listen to people before speaking their minds.  Important to give your undivided attention.  Pay attention to notice body language and tone.
3. Self-Control - Ability to control one's emotions, desires or the expression of them in behavior, especially in difficult situations.
4. Empower and heal those around you – Servant leaders focus on their staffs emotional health and feeling of completeness.  Making sure folks have access to knowledge and resources to establish a peaceful and healthy work environment and culture
5. Patience – Keep composure and respond appropriately to every individual
6. Optimistic - See the opportunity in everything, and be willing to attempt things no matter whether somebody else thinks it’s impossible or not.
7. Be aware – Be aware of yourself and those around you.
8. Trust – Communications need to be specific.  It is important that they are disseminated to every single level of the organization.  Transparency forments trust and trust has a direct correlation to work performance.
9. Encouragement – this is the hallmark expression of a servant leader.  Experts say this is a tremendously powerful tool for leaders
10. Respectful – Being respectful is very important when working and dealing with people.  Show people they are important by the respect you give them.
11. Bring the Vision Alive – Create a vision and mission statement that provides a sense of purpose for the entire team.
12. Be accountable and practice good stewardship – Take responsibility for the actions, behaviors, and performance of yourself and the team.
13. Build Community – Serve and build an empowered community that you can walk and be among
14. Be proactive and anticipate team needs – Anticipate future events and how they will impact the team.  Use experience, knowledge, and understanding to anticipate and take care to make sure you have already built and empowered the organization to effectively handle these future events.
15. Commit – It is important to analyze staff member needs and develop them accordingly.  A servant leader's main focus is the people so commit to your staffs education and development.
16. Integrity – Follow ethical and a correct set of principles and values

Servant leaders truly desire to serve and develop their staff.  The 16 traits are qualities that Servant leaders exhibit to lead and empower employees.  

The results of servant leadership are impressive - higher employee engagement, low turn over, and a higher performing organization.

Share your thoughts on servant leadership and leadership in general.  

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