- Enlightened Leadership is Service, Not Position
Leadership is about being of service to others, not being served by others. To be straightforward – be a mentor and not a boss.
How often have you a successful leader, who has grown with confidence, get caught up in their ego? We all know them.
The kind of leader that always needs to be right. The kind of leader that wants to be seen as intelligent or clever, responsible for all the creative solutions, even at the expense of their team, taking credit for everything.
These kinds of leaders are in it for themselves, have trouble listening and are not big on people skills.
- Being of Service to Others
You can spot these leaders from a mile away. When you talk to a leader that is of service to others, they will make you feel important. They ask questions such as, “What can I do for you?”
In contrast, a leader driven by ego and power will make you feel unimportant and simply tell you what they want from you.
- We as Leaders Are Not the Experts
If you think you have all the answers, you might as well stay in bed and not waste anyone’s time. If you believe you are the utmost expert in your field, that is a stuck mindset rather than a learning mindset. If you ’know it all,” your tolerance for listening to others is slim.
A leader with a learning mindset, on the other hand, is open to other ways of doing things. A person with this type of thinking is open to ideas someone else may come up with even if they have been in that industry, or position for long and have more experience.
- We All Have a Unique and Special Talent
Each of us has a particular gift. It is a talent, skill or craft that we do exceptionally well. In this regard, some leaders are natural at being of service to others.
Throughout my career, people have continually approached me for advice regarding their problems. I assist them wherever I can by trying to understanding their problem, clarifying it and exploring possible solutions with them. This is how I am of service to others.
It’s hard to describe the reward I get from helping others. Being of service is fulfilling and I get a deep sense of happiness. Every genuine leader who focuses on being of service and not being served by others will experience a similar feeling. It is priceless!
- Serviceable Leadership by Helping Others
We define service leadership as a vital step in service learning. Once a person fully understands the concept of learning by helping others, they begin to grow personally as a leader. As the great Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
We make a living by what we get, however, we make a life by what we give. What kind of leader do you want to be?