Servitude Into Action
How 7 Modern Leaders Operationalized The Value of Servitude
Illustrations by Samtrez Crawley // Additional Research & Writing by Jasmine Williams
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically amplified levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in our world. Whether during this pandemic or other times of adversity, people tend to duck for cover, retreat, and turn inward. We become fiercely protective of ourselves and focus on what we can control, which are often our own personal wants and needs.
Our world might be different now, but if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t overlook the value of servitude. Rather than retreat into themselves, servant leaders, regardless of the circumstances, remain focused on serving and uplifting those around them. Helping others is what gets us through crises. Individuals might spark change, but working together is the only way to sustain it for the long haul.
Consider the work of Stacey Abrams, now a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. She inspired hundreds of thousands of people to vote and make their voices heard in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Her work in Georgia led to the Democrats sweeping the runoff elections, as well as the state’s vote for Joe Biden in November. One person, in service of many. We need leaders like Abrams now more than ever. She didn’t work so hard to get Georgians to the polls for her own benefit. She did it because she knew it was the best way to spark lasting change in the state and in America as a whole.
As New Georgia Project CEO Nsé Ufot told CNN: “Stacey has tirelessly worked to get Joe Biden and the Democratic National Convention to pay attention to Georgia, spending years organizing and strategizing to make sure Georgians have their voices heard at the polls. We wouldn’t be in the position we are in today without her leadership.”
Servant leaders put their people first because they understand the power of the collective. Protest movements like Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March, and March For Our Lives have spotlighted the transformative power of servant leadership. The leaders of these movements care for their people and center their communities within their discussions and actions. For example, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter Canada co-founder Sandy Hudson illuminated how important it is to focus on the community and the people involved in a movement.
We’ve seen the impact of servant leadership, but adopting these values might require you to reset the way you think about leading. This is why I want to further break down this concept and offer up some examples of modern leaders who embody these values in their work.
How servitude and leadership connect
Servitude is about helping, supporting, and encouraging others. To practice servitude, you need to:
Focus on the needs of others before your own
Acknowledge other perspectives
Consciously practice empathy and active listening
Some leaders equate leadership with control. They feel like they’re responsible for everything, and their primary role is doling out tasks to their team. However, if you want to adopt a ‘serve-first mindset,’ you need to loosen the reins a little bit. Servant leaders understand that they can achieve their goals more effectively by giving up some of their power and encouraging their team to step up to the plate, which will develop their skills and confidence in the process.
Servant leaders also cultivate close listening skills and ask searching questions to understand their employees better. When you learn more about your team, from their background to their career goals, then you can help drive their development and growth in a way that allows them to thrive and flourish within your organization.
Servitude-focused leaders also help foster a sense of community. They work hard to make sure their employees always feel seen, heard, and appreciated. They establish clear vision, values, and goals with their team and help their employees form connections within the workplace. All of this work serves both the employee and the organization’s needs by ensuring they feel like they belong and have a clear purpose.
Lastly, committing to service also means committing to helping your employees grow into their own leadership roles. Servant leaders often mentor and coach their employees early on to become future leaders in their organization.
How modern leaders practice the value of servitude
Now that we’ve defined servant leadership, you might be wondering how you can integrate this value into your work as a leader. To help guide you, we’ve collected lessons from 7 modern leaders across a wide variety of fields who embody the value of servitude.
LeBron James, Pro Basketball Player @ Los Angeles Lakers
Marc Benioff, CEO @ Salesforce
Megan Rapinoe, Pro Soccer Player @ OL Reign
Joe Biden, President @ United States of America
Pauleanna Reid, Co-Founder @ New Girl on the Block
Mohammed Fakih, Founder @ Paramount Fine Foods
Shonda Rhimes, CEO @ Shondaland
Read on to discover the lessons these leaders have learned or practiced that make them great servant leader role models.
1. LeBron James, Pro Basketball Player @ Los Angeles Lakers
Professional basketball player LeBron James knows how important it is to take care of himself so he can take care of others. In 2016, James told Business Insider that he believed he had to set an example for his teammates by always putting in the work. However, what truly makes James a servant leader is how he helps his teammates rise to his level.
As veteran NBA writer Shaun Powell writes: “[James’] ability to draw double- and sometimes triple-teams, along with his precise passing and court vision, create chances for others. He’s the rare high-volume scorer who can also win games by finding open teammates. And there’s more: Not only does [James] find these teammates, he encourages them to take shots, sometimes big shots.”
ACTION: Proactiveley use your knowledge and influence to create opportunities for your team.
2. Marc Benioff, CEO @ Salesforce
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff wants all of his employees to feel important to the company and entrusts them to uphold its values. The idea for Salesforce came out of Benioff’s desire to serve others, and service is still part of its foundation today.
Instead of solely focusing on growth, he also prioritizes his employees’ well-being and works to help them succeed and evolve within their roles. His employees are also his stakeholders, so they feel more connected to the company and have more ownership over their work. “If you put growth above trust, then all of a sudden you create a toxic culture,” Benioff said in an interview with The New York Times. “People don’t want to work in that environment or use the product.” His employees are also his stakeholders, so they feel more connected to the company and have more ownership over their work.
ACTION: Remain focused on the needs of the unmet and unarticulated needs of your team.
3. Megan Rapinoe, Pro Soccer Player @ OL Reign
Even in challenging situations, American soccer player Megan Rapinoe lets fear and frustration roll off her back and looks forward to challenges. She’s always focused on the future and does not dwell on past mistakes — she learns from them. As a co-captain, Rapinoe demonstrates her commitment to advocacy and social justice not just through words but through actions too.
For example, she continually took a knee during the US national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, and the Black Lives Matter movement before several Team USA games. She approaches leadership as an opportunity to learn and grow, both intellectually and emotionally, and believes that it’s her responsibility to set an example for her teammates and create an environment where, “everybody feels seen and heard, and confident, and that they have a place.” everyone can thrive.
“I’ve always been a team-first player,” Rapinoe said in an interview with Harvard Business Review. “I want to win and be successful, but I want everyone else to do it with me, and to do it with them.”
ACTION: Prioritize the team’s victory above your personal victories.
4. Joe Biden, President @ United States of America
The United States’ newest president has a lot of change to make and a country to help revive. President Joe Biden aims to enact change through leadership based on human decency, compassion, and empathy. He’s willing to show and express emotion, whether it’s anger or grief, and these displays help him connect with and build trust with his citizens.
He holds a lot of power but is also willing to step back and take direction. Biden’s goals as President also appear to expand upon his preferred campaign method: connecting with people. As a people-person, Biden’s human approach to leadership will hopefully continue to serve him well as it has done in the past.
“Leadership, at its core, in my view, is about being personal,” Biden said in an interview with Brené Brown. “You always put yourself in the other person’s position, and then also to understand where they’re coming from, whether it’s a major foreign leader or a friend whom you have a disagreement with. And it’s also being willing to share credit, give recognition, and share in the benefits as well as in the losses if you’re in an endeavor together.”
ACTION: Lean into your emotions as a way to authentically connect with others.
5. Pauleanna Reid, Co-Founder @ New Girl On The Block
As the co-founder of the mentorship program New Girl on the Block, Pauleanna Reid knows the power of helping people own their power and seek out new opportunities. She also knows the value of making mistakes and growing from them.
AIn her work as an entrepreneur, Reid takes calculated risks and encourages others to do the same. She highlights the importance of planning and not rushing the process of growth. She knows how to pace herself and leads by example.
“After looking at my career, many people would assume that my purpose is writing. My purpose is not writing,” Reid told xoNecole. “My purpose is I’m here to help people see beyond the limits of their circumstances.”
ACTION: Encourage people to step outside of their comfort zones.
6. Mohammed Fakih, Founder @ Paramount Fine Foods
Mohammed Fakih believes that you cannot expect something from others if you would not provide it yourself. As the CEO and Founder of Paramount Fine Foods, he consciously makes himself available to employees, preferring random visits to scheduled appointments so that interactions feel more comfortable.
“[I] pop into people’s offices, make a joke and talk about things: “What did you do yesterday? How’s your family?” It’s really important to ask your employees about what’s happening in their home life,” Fakih told Toronto Life.
He treats all of his employees and other executives with care and kindness. Fakih believes in sharing meals with his people, and when he goes out to eat at one of his restaurants, he’ll take time to visit with the customers and take a genuine interest in their lives. He also gives back to his community whenever possible. Fakih sees community work as a way to pay forward the support he received when he started. He likes being a part of something bigger.
ACTION: Build trust and familarity by immersing yourself in the day-to-day experiences of your people.
7. Shonda Rhimes, CEO @ Shondaland
As a writer, creator, and executive producer for long-running and beloved shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Rhimes has a few lessons to share about managing large teams and finding balance in her own life. She directs current and future leaders to implement a self-care routine to avoid burnout and craft clear boundaries early on in the workplace.
Rhimes also encourages her team to believe in their abilities and to collaborate with her. “I look at everybody as if they have an opportunity to teach me something. Because they do,” says Rhimes. Remember, a servant leader does not make decisions on their own. They’re willing to listen and incorporate new ideas.
ACTION: Enable your team to become leaders in their own right.
Ideas Into Action
Servitude drives personal and professional growth. When maximized, it helps the people you serve to self-actualize and unlocks peak performance. In the absence of servitude, leaders created cultures of conformity that subdue employees into mere conformers.
Augment your leadership style with ideas from each of the 7 modern leaders featured in this article:
LeBron James: Proactively use your knowledge and influence to create opportunities for your team.
Marc Benioff: Remain focused on the unmet and unarticulated needs of your team.
Megan Rapinoe: Prioritize the team’s victory above your personal victories.
Joe Biden: Lean into your emotions as a way to authentically connect with others.
Pauleanna Reid: Encourage people to step outside of their comfort zones.
Mohammed Fakih: Build trust and familiarity by immersing yourself in the day-to-day experiences of your people.
Shonda Rhimes: Enable your team to become leaders in their own right.
Servant leadership is a dynamic way to lead that prioritizes listening and collaborating. A servant leader does not make decisions on their own or tries to control their team. They’re willing to listen and incorporate new ideas. To embody the value of servitude as a leader, make sure that you’re always putting your employees’ needs first and empowering them to take charge of their careers.
Update your leadership style for the modern workplace with practical strategies for new leaders. Get a copy of my latest book, “Leadership, Reinvented,” here: https://geni.us/LReinventedWebsite
