Being Seen – Servant Leadership, Part 2
In my original post on servant leadership, I shared that choosing to be a servant leader requires being vulnerable. As I considered my post further, it didn’t feel complete. I think what I really meant was that being a servant leader requires a level of humility that is only possible when we choose to be vulnerable. It’s giving ourselves permission to take off the self-protective armor, show up, and allow ourselves to be seen. Can you feel your stomach lurch a little? Like, “hold up! Nope, not going there!” This is especially in a professional setting. I can do this in my personal life, maybe, but not with company executives in a boardroom.
Then I did it.
Yep. I showed up and allowed myself to be seen. Below is what happened to me and them.
- I exhaled. Sensing this, so did they. The pressure was off, and we were both more relaxed.
- I became genuinely curious, and the questions flowed. The result was an engaging conversation about what mattered most to them. We both left energized instead of drained.
- I heard and retained more. They felt listened-to and, well, I think they felt, “felt”. As a result, our conversation moved beyond the usual information and data sharing so common in a business setting. We were able to uncover the “thing under the thing”.
- I was able to serve in ways that really met a need. They felt valued, respected, appreciated and cared for.
- Trust, loyalty, and strong, lasting relationships were developed.
I believe the “serving” part of Servant Leadership at its core is setting aside our own needs and desires and assisting others with theirs. The “leadership” part is letting your actions and behaviors be an example to those around you. The beauty of it is you can choose servant leadership from wherever you are: personally, professionally, and from the top-down, laterally, or the bottom-up. It requires humility, choosing to be vulnerable, and leading by example.
Feel free to leave a comment below! Interested in speaking to Erin about servant leadership? Give us a call.
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Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash
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