Creating Engagement Through Servant Leadership

The benefits of servant leadership are numerous, but I want to key in on one, in particular, engagement. When you look at a lot of the work that has been published about creating engagement or an engaged workforce, most items come back to the leader. Typically the author, myself included, simply refer to it as good leadership or provides some tactical actions that collectively lead to an environment that creates engagement. Here, I want to concentrate on the specific behaviors that a leader may demonstrate that leads to those elevated levels of engagement.In a recent Gallup survey, it found that more than 65% ¹ of workers are disengaged at work. Managers and executives topped those finding with only 38% of them stating they were engaged at work. That creates two concerns immediately and perhaps is part of the problem. If the leaders are disengaged, what are the chances that they will inspire others to be engaged? So our issues are - disengaged leaders and then (likely) more disengaged employees that work for them. It is a double whammy effect.The attributes that a servant leader brings to the environment seem easy on the surface, but as the above results show, they are not as commonplace as we would expect. Previously we explored what servant leadership is, as well as sharing some examples of well-known servant leaders. From the examples, we can see that these are rare leaders. Even when we think past the leaders that are well known on the world stage, and we only evaluate our own experiences, we do not find that we are influenced by exceptional leaders as often as we would like.That brings us to our challenge to understand how these leaders do create engagement. Some of the common themes we find in those who choose to serve start with the elements that also lead to engagement. Thus, these leaders create an environment for engagement to happen. Much like I wrote in an article regarding motivation, leaders do not motivate people, they form the ability and set the stage for motivated activities to occur. It comes down to choice. Leaders must choose to serve others first. Then, those they support must choose to engage, take action proactively, and seek to improve continuously. Those choices are the outcome of those lead by a servant leader.Imagine an environment where the leader encourages everyone to work together and listens to their ideas, thoughts, and concerns. Beyond listening, she acts on those words, sometimes taking action to clear roadblocks and obstacles. Or, continues to ask more questions to understand what it is you are saying or asking for. Instead of always having an answer to your question, she asks questions back to explore the thought more deeply and help you to solve your own problem. Perhaps they take your idea, share it with the group, and then ask everyone else to, first embrace the idea, but then provide additional components that would make it even better.How do you think people in that environment would feel? Would that create engagement? This is a space where people had a voice, where ideas turned into actions and outcomes, and, a culture that challenged its population to think for themselves, explore their own potential, and look for ways to make things better for everyone. That checks most of the boxes that people list as important to them when identifying as engaged in their workplace.Let’s take that thought one step further, and add that the leader understands who you are and where you are in your development. When you have discussions with her, you feel as though she is connected to your work and has a personal interest in your own outcomes. The advice or coaching that is provided is tailored to your skills - pushing your boundaries, but not assuming you know more than you do and not dumbing it down as if you are on day one of your role. Instead, the questions that are asked lead to think deeper, stretching your capabilities, and even being encouraged to research and try new things that haven’t been done before. There is no risk in a failure that may come from those trials. In this environment, your leader understands that learning is derived from trying new things, things that don’t always work out as planned. When setbacks occur, there is open discussion about what positives came from the activity and how the other pieces can be avoided for the future.Finally, there is an energy that few can explain beyond, ‘that is just the way it is here.’ That is when you know you have a servant spirit in your company. It becomes a group of people acting in a way to support the community of others around them. I am sure those that work at Southwest Airlines, Chick-fil-a, or Ritz-Carlton don’t explain all of the details of what lead to an environment where they love to work, are wholly committed to the purpose, and deliver consistently excellent service to the customers they serve. To each of them, it is just the way it is. Most servant leaders would be hard pressed to state what it is they do different to be a servant leader, to them, it is just what they do. As they hone their skills over time and incorporate that into their behaviors, it is as simple as it is what they do. That is the thing that sets them apart.Engagement does not come quickly, creating an environment for it to occur takes a lot of work and cumulative efforts to build. Engagement does not come from a survey or being nice. Like culture, it is not built overnight. It is the outcome of people being connected, finding a common purpose, and sharing in the results that come from winning.What other ways have you experienced a servant leader creating an environment for engagement? Share your thoughts in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

1. The key statistic that drives much of this latest iteration of the report focuses on employee engagement in the United States—or, more accurately, the lack thereof. The report notes that only 33 percent of American workers are engaged at work, meaning they love their jobs and try to make their company better every day, according to an opening letter from Jim Clifton, Gallup chairman, and CEO. ↩