๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ
Servant leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes the leader's role as a servant to those they lead.
Instead of the traditional top-down hierarchical style, the servant leader works to serve the needs, aspirations, and growth of their team members.
The basic idea of servant leadership is that the higher we move up in the organization, the more people we are there to serve, not the more people who are there to serve us.'
In his book, "๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ!" written by L. David Marquet, a former U.S. Navy captain, describes how, when he took the submarine, it had the lowest morale and performance metrics, and he managed to make it one of the most successful submarines in the Navy's fleet.
Here are the main learning points from the book:
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น. This approach aligns with servant leadership, shifting from a command-and-control approach to empowering individuals to take on leadership roles.
๐ฎ. ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐. Marquet's most significant change was empowering crew members to make decisions without always seeking top-level approval. This aligns with the concept of servant leadership, which emphasizes empowering individuals to take initiative and assume responsibility.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐. The author emphasized that competence and clarity are essential for empowerment to be effective. This aligns with the servant leader's commitment to nurturing individual growth, ensuring they possess the necessary skills and understanding to effectively perform their roles.
๐ฐ. ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด. Like servant leaders, Marquet understood the importance of listening. By valuing the perspectives and feedback of the crew, they could make more informed decisions and foster a culture of trust.
๐ฑ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด. Instead of giving orders, Marquet would ask his subordinates how they intended to handle situations, pushing the authority for decisions down the ranks. This decentralization is a core component of servant leadership, where the goal is to create more leaders, not followers.
๐ฒ. ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐. The author established an environment of trust and community by relinquishing control and empowering his crew.
๐ณ. ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต. Marquet was committed to the growth and development of his crew, both professionally and personally, much like the emphasis servant leadership places on the growth of individuals.
๐ด. ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐ง๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. While immediate results were essential, Marquet was more focused on creating a sustainable leadership model that would benefit the ship and its crew in the long run.
Image: Roberto Ferraro