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One night Herb Kelleher and Rollin King had an idea for a great business. Over dinner they jotted down their plans on a cocktail napkin. In 1971 the pair launched Southwest Airlines in Texas. This article isn’t about Herb Kelleher and Southwest Airlines.  Rather, it’s about Kelleher’s style of leadership that’s been around since at least the 4th Century – “The Servant-Leader.”

I first heard about servant-leadership in the early 1990′s. Today I still use that model when the opportunity arises to pass on leadership skills to others.

So, what makes this style of leadership special? What about it made Herb Kelleher so successful as a leader in his implementation of it? Here’s the secret in motivating the people who work for you: They come first. You come last. This is such an odd concept for bosses to wrap their minds around because it (gasp!) means the “minions” of the workforce won’t be catering to their whims and bowing in their presence. Managers and supervisors think they’ll lose something they often value: Unbridled control over other human beings. In reality, the only reason many employees coddle their supervisors is because of the power the supervisors have over the employee‘s paychecks, days off,  and schedules.

  • Many (my take on this) organizations, companies, and leaders practice a style of leadership that says supervisors are last in, the first out, do the least amount of work, and are treated the best. 
  • The employees (those who actually do the work) are not valued for their ideas, their hard work, their extra effort, and extraordinary work ethic. The employee feels walked on, disrespected, devalued, and unmotivated to perform to 110%. Interestingly, a lot of supervisors require 110% performance from the employees they use as stepping-stones to their next promotion. Treat your people like second class citizens and you will have a workforce that may do the minimum or less. Only their exemplary work ethic will make terrible leaders look good.
On the other hand, what if you embraced servant-leadership as your legacy? 
  • Servant-Leaders put their people above themselves. They are served last. Good leaders don’t worry about how comfortable they are if their people are uncomfortable in their work environment. A good leader sweats bullets in his office while he tells the repair man to fix the air conditioning in his employee’s offices first.
  • Servant-Leaders listen. Why is it that so many bosses excel at issuing orders and direction, but fail miserably at listening to the concerns of their employees? I believe it’s because they’re not really hearing what their people are saying. A supervisor who listens would be required to put their own ideas and wants behind the needs of their people. A good way to tell if a supervisor is listening is if something happens after you speak with them. A good leader will almost always report back after hearing from an employee.
  • Servant-Leaders care about their employees. They are aware of the employee’s work related struggles, their learning styles, abilities, and talents. They let each employee know they are a valuable part of the dream team. They motivate their workers by lifting them up and encouraging them. Too often management is quick to criticize and slow to compliment. Tell your employees you appreciate them.
  • Servant-Leaders empower their people. Just because a person was promoted does not mean they have all the answers. Have some humility and trust your people to get the job done. Give them the power to make decisions on their own without the interference of your great mind. Your need to be controlling does not mean your people are incompetent. Test them. Stretch them. See what they can accomplish. If they fall short, teach them. But give them the opportunity to achieve greatness without you.  They may just surprise you.
  •  Servant-Leaders are humble. Regardless of how great you are or think you are, you aren’t. God could easily topple you from the mountain top with a mere thought. We are all much smaller in this big world than we think. Always treat your employees like they are greater than you because they are. A poor leader stands alone without followers. 
  • Servant-Leaders impart vision. The vision I’m speaking of is giving people the power to dream about what they want to become in life. Key in to the potential of your employees and help them achieve their dreams. You have the ability to motivate others by giving voice to the vision of their own futures. 
This is just a small sampling of Servant-Leadership. It takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on the people who look to us for direction. Put your people first. Put yourself last. Always treat your people better than yourself. They will follow you and perform beyond your expectations. You’ll be remembered as a great leader.