Servant Leader Roles
Cathie Leimbach • August 6, 2024
Leaders who serve their organization and its people are breaking away from the mold of the autocratic and controlling boss. They are engaging and empowering others to build trust and enhance both satisfaction and productivity in the workplace.
Let's look at five roles of these servant leaders:
- Visionaries: Servant leaders articulate a clear vision that inspires and aligns the team. By sharing the organization's mission and goals, they provide direction and purpose, motivating employees to work towards a common objective.
- Business Architects: They design and structure the organization to ensure that processes, resources, and systems support the team's efforts. This involves strategic planning and creating an environment where innovation and efficiency thrive.
- Catalysts: Servant leaders act as catalysts for change by encouraging new ideas and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. They empower employees to take initiative and drive positive transformation within the organization.
- Coaches: They invest time in mentoring and developing their team members. By providing guidance, feedback, and opportunities for growth, they help individuals enhance their skills and advance their careers.
- Humans: Above all, servant leaders demonstrate empathy and genuine concern for their employees' well-being. They build strong relationships, showing that they value and care about each person's contributions and overall happiness.
Through these five roles, servant leaders create a thriving, dynamic, and supportive workplace where both organizations and individuals flourish.
An empty workstation gets your attention. What caused it should keep your attention. When attendance becomes a problem, the first response is often to review the policy, document the absence, or find someone to cover the shift. Those things may be necessary. But they don't tell you why the problem is happening. A conversation might. Instead of starting with “Why do you keep calling off?” try “I've noticed you've missed several days recently. What’s going on?” Then listen. You may hear about something outside of work. But you may also discover frustration with a supervisor, conflict with a coworker, unclear expectations, scheduling difficulties, or an employee who no longer feels valued. Understanding the reason doesn't mean ignoring attendance expectations. It means you know what you're actually dealing with. Also, look for patterns. Is absenteeism higher on one shift? In one department? Under one supervisor? Did it increase after a schedule or leadership change? Those patterns may tell you where another conversation needs to happen. Most importantly, don't wait until attendance becomes a disciplinary issue to start talking. Check in with employees. Ask what's making their work harder. Ask what they need from their supervisor. And when someone raises a concern or makes a suggestion, be sure to tell them what action you are taking or why their idea won’t be implemented. The goal isn't to eliminate accountability. It's to address problems before accountability is the only conversation left. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on September 21. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic
Absenteeism is expensive. Every unexpected absence costs more than a day's wages. Someone else may need to work overtime. Priorities get reshuffled, service slows, projects fall behind, and customers notice. Before long, absenteeism starts taking money right out of your pocket. That's why many organizations turn to attendance policies, incentives, disciplinary action, or tighter oversight. But what if those approaches are addressing the symptom rather than what's really going on? Most people don't wake up one morning and suddenly decide they don't care about their work. Disengagement usually happens gradually. People stop sharing ideas. They stop feeling heard. They begin doing only what's required. Eventually, some stop showing up. By the time absenteeism is brought to your attention, the real issue may have been growing for weeks—or even months. If absenteeism has become a recurring challenge, don't just ask, "How do we reduce call-offs?" Instead, ask "What happened before people stopped wanting to show up?" That question may lead you somewhere an attendance report never will—and may ultimately save far more than overtime costs. Attendance problems. Accountability. Difficult conversations. Team conflict. Every leader faces workplace people challenges, and few have been taught exactly what to do when they arise. Talking through your challenges with others can be helpful. Ask questions of your network. Get some ideas online. Sometimes another perspective is exactly what you need to see the situation differently. You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on August 17. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees as you explore practical ways to handle the situations you're facing. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic
