Servant leadership is buzzing in business circles, and for a good reason, it works. Servant leaders understand the value of focusing on employees and company culture over corporate growth and profit. Employee burnout is a risk to not only organizational success, but more importantly, to employee satisfaction at work and home. By choosing the servant approach to leadership, a company can still maximize their potential while improving the lives of the workers that make such things possible, which leads to greater company commitment from employees.
While it may seem hard to believe the same principles that make the servant style of leadership beneficial to companies, also enhances the personal lives of employees. Workers can emulate the environments they are in. Therefore, if leadership in a call center is closed off, leading to the increased stress of employees, then those same employees may be closed off and stressed out at home, leading to troubling personal struggles. However, servant leader business models use several key factors that have been proven to improve the lives of employees through emulation.
Inclusion
Servant leadership helps to encourage employee happiness through inclusion. One of the main objectives of this style of management is to improve collaboration and to blur the lines between the more traditional top-down management styles of the past. By including employees in discussions about responsibilities, objectives, and company culture and success, leaders make workers feel connected to the business, which produces a certain level of pride in their work. Also, this happiness is then transferred to the home, where the worker feels the drive to be more inclusive with their family.
Empathy and Conflict Resolution
Another critical aspect of servant leadership is empathy and conflict resolution. Workers in crisis tend to be less productive and more stressed out, which is why it is crucial to handle problems quickly and with care and understanding. Most leaders learn the process of active listening to aid in conflict resolution, which means making sure that everyone is heard. When the details from all sides are acknowledged and understood, it is easier to find a resolution through cooperation, which, in turn, creates a more pleasant place to work.
The roles of empathy and conflict resolution in the home are essential tools in creating a healthy and well-balanced family life. By learning how to communicate with empathy and compassion, an employee can find that their personal relationships improve and their overall satisfaction outside of work improves as well.
Loyalty
By reducing employee stress, servant leadership can enhance employee loyalty and avoid high turnover rates. The collaborative nature of servant models breeds loyalty because employees feel connected to the corporate culture and the services the company provides. If employees emulate such a leadership style at home, then they may see an improvement in family commitment and balance.
Involvement
Again, servant leadership is about collaboration, which hinges on the involvement of every employee. While not every worker will bring the same skill-set to the table, each is valuable to the overall objectives of the business. The promise of that involvement produces levels of pride and satisfaction in the workplace, which are often combined with reduced stress and greater happiness. The satisfaction one feels at work will often transition into the home, where a happier and more energetic worker transitions into a more involved and engaged partner, friend, and parent.
Productivity
While it may seem strange, the family role is foundational to the role and effectiveness of servant leadership. The entire business model is developed around the idea of creating a culture and familiarity within the varying levels of a corporation. By encouraging and supporting employee development and involvement, businesses see higher productivity and success, and when emulating such leadership, employees find greater fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. The constant focus to evolve and build a greater version of the corporate image results in the same effort being taken on the individual front, leading to greater satisfaction, less stress and ultimately happiness at work and home for many employees.
Servant leadership is not just a philosophy for improving corporate culture and employee satisfaction. It is an ideology that is boundless, spreading beyond its intended purpose and improving on the lives of all those practicing and exposed to its principles. At Etech, we have a similar goal of improving our client’s businesses through enhancing consumer experiences. Our customer-focused culture is the perfect addition to help your business experience more significant gains through actionable insights and data-driven recommendations. Reach out to one of our representatives today, and discover what Etech can do for you.