Servant Leadership: a Path to Genuine Impact

As I embarked on completing the Seven Habits profile, I observed a notable trend indicative of a servant leadership style. This was reflected in my high scores on elements such as keeping the concerns and needs of others in mind, caring about their success, being sensitive to their feelings, seeking to understand their viewpoints, and valuing the insights of others. This essay delves into my journey of servant leadership, highlighting both my strengths and areas for improvement, while offering a personal evaluation through the lens of scholarly leadership theories.

Building Trust and Emotional Connections

The first foundational habit, the “Emotional Bank Account,” is crucial in establishing trust within relationships. My highest scores were in showing kindness and consideration and keeping promises. Leading with kindness is about prioritizing the needs of others, ensuring they know they are supported and that I can be trusted to honor my commitments. Stephen Covey uses the metaphor of the “Bank Account” to emphasize the necessity of making constant deposits of trust through commitments, kindness, and understanding (Covey, 1989). Reflecting on the most effective leaders I have encountered, they all excelled at fostering trust-based relationships, which I strive to emulate in my leadership practice.

Achieving Life Balance

The second category, “Life Balance,” underscores the importance of balancing professional and personal life. I pride myself on multitasking effectively, managing work, family, friends, activities, and school. A stressful health issue taught me to prioritize and let go of less important tasks, ensuring I work hard without reaching burnout. Balancing the needs of others with personal needs is essential for shared trust and respect in relationships.

Vision and Goal Setting

“Begin With the End in Mind,” the third category, emphasizes having a clear life vision and working towards that goal. Over the past decade, I have defined a vision for my life, transitioning from merely moving forward to having a clear end goal. This clarity has allowed me to make intentional moves towards achieving my objectives, ensuring every action aligns with my overarching vision.

Fostering a Win-Win Environment

“Think Win-Win,” the fourth category, encapsulates my daily approach to leadership. My focus is on helping others achieve their goals, creating mutual benefits. Covey describes this as a mindset that constantly seeks mutual benefit (Covey, 1989). This strategy is particularly effective in team interactions, fostering an environment where everyone can succeed together.

Emphasizing Understanding and Communication

The fifth category, “Seek First to Understand,” highlights the importance of empathetic communication. It requires focusing on another person’s words, thoughts, and feelings without prioritizing one’s response. I learned this lesson through challenging times and from individuals who practiced it impeccably. Inspired by their example, I strive to approach every relationship with empathy and understanding, recognizing that compassion can significantly impact anyone’s life.

Embracing Synergy

“Synergize,” the sixth category, is a personal favorite. I enjoy seeking innovative solutions through collaboration rather than individual efforts. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn something new and understand different viewpoints. By respecting and understanding the underlying needs of individuals, I find solutions that satisfy all parties involved, often resulting in outcomes better than what could be achieved individually (Covey, 2003).

Evaluating Leadership Practices Through Servant Leadership Theory

My Bachelor’s degree in psychology provided a foundation for understanding diverse individuals. I realized that people are unique, with different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. This understanding motivated me to practice servant leadership, which prioritizes serving others’ highest needs over self-interest (Greenleaf, 2002). This philosophy guided my choice to work in education, teach, and start a side business focused on empowering others to find their voice. Through servant leadership, I aim to inspire and help people find happiness and fulfillment.

Strengths as a Servant Leader

Servant leaders genuinely care for their followers, inspiring personal growth (Russell & Stone, 2002). My first strength is “Vision,” which involves seeing and valuing people (Blanchard & Broadwell, 2018). At the College, as a User Experience Architect, I connect with team members to solve problems and create a shared vision for the organization. My second strength, “Compassionate Encourager,” is evident in my side business, where I offer workshops to help individuals release pain and embrace positivity. My third strength is “Appreciation of Others,” as I find joy in shared successes and focus on what benefits the team rather than personal gain (Autry, 2001).

Addressing Leadership Weaknesses

One of my significant weaknesses is self-doubt regarding my ability to be respected as a leader. I sometimes hesitate to embrace leadership fully, unsure if others will value my contributions. My second weakness is a desire to be liked, which can interfere with making tough decisions. Lastly, I spread myself too thin, juggling multiple responsibilities that sometimes hinder my ability to focus on growing my side business.

Theory-Based Changes for Success

To enhance my leadership effectiveness, I need to improve my listening skills, overcoming self-doubt to vocalize my opinions and holding others accountable. Better listening will allow me to understand others’ needs more deeply, while confidence in my ideas will enable me to influence and persuade effectively. Holding others accountable ensures teams understand expectations and take responsibility for outcomes.

Setting SMART Goals for Leadership Improvement

Goal 1: Alleviate Self-Doubt

To overcome self-doubt, I will assert myself in a leadership role on the current portal design project. By utilizing my “Synergize” strength, I will engage with the project team weekly to discuss tasks and strategies, ensuring alignment with the project timeline. This initiative will continue until the portal goes live by September 2019.

Goal 2: Create Life Balance

I will establish a work-school-business-life balance by creating a daily schedule that incorporates time for schoolwork, business growth, and personal activities. This schedule will prioritize essential tasks while allowing for downtime, ensuring a healthy balance in my life.

Conclusion

Servant leadership embodies authenticity, vulnerability, acceptance, presence, and usefulness (Autry, 2001). Authenticity is paramount, as it fosters trust and commitment for the right reasons. Moving forward, I will seek opportunities to demonstrate my unique talents while continuing to build on my servant leadership skills. By identifying my strengths and weaknesses, I am poised for growth and success in my journey as a servant leader.

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