{"id":12385,"date":"2021-05-06T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/?p=12385"},"modified":"2026-04-21T12:58:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:58:36","slug":"servant-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/servant-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Servant Leader Solution Benefits Everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"

FEAR:<\/span> F#\u00a9% Everything And Run<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If the thought of change instills the FUD factor in you (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt<\/em>) you\u2019re not alone<\/em>. Fear of change keeps people in relationships they\u2019ve outgrown, jobs they don\u2019t like, and even hairstyles that no longer suit them. Likewise, organizations suffer fear, uncertainty, and doubt over change, even when they understand that change is necessary if they are to add value and remain competitive. Fear that they may fail. Uncertainty about how to change, or rather, what actions will lead to successful change. And, finally, doubt about whether all the time, money, and effort it takes to implement the change will be worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Meetings<\/a>

Available September 15 through Penguin Random House. Published by\u00a0Berrett-Koehler. Pre-order your copy today!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/center><\/p><\/div>\n

That\u2019s where you come in. <\/span><\/em> The truth is people don\u2019t change their minds, they make new decisions based on new or added information\u2014and sometimes frequently. This new and added information accelerates change by influencing decision-making<\/a> in both individuals and groups.[i]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Servant Leader<\/span><\/h3>\n

With that in mind, a servant leader (like you) does not change people’s minds, but rather, makes it easier for people to choose appropriate change supported through more informed decisions. By speaking with<\/u> people rather than at<\/u> them, servant leaders create environments that foster breakthrough<\/a> solutions.<\/span> The problem is, in most organizations this change begins during meetings. Yet, meetings often fail for one of three reasons:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. The wrong people are attending (rare)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The right people attend but are apathetic and don\u2019t care (rarest)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The right people care but they don\u2019t know how to conduct an effective meeting (bingo!)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We know that groups can make higher quality decisions<\/a> than the smartest person in the group, so why don\u2019t we invest in learning how to run better meetings? Part of the problem can be found in our muscle memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    When part of a group or team, we are more attuned to taking orders than creating collaborative solutions.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The Servant Leader Solution<\/span><\/h2>\n

    As the workplace transforms, leadership techniques change. Today, instead of dealing mostly with individuals (one-on-one conversations), servant leaders work frequently with people in groups<\/a> (ceremonies, events, meetings, and workshops). Instead of supervising hours of workload, they help their teams become self-managing. Instead of directing tasks, they motivate people to achieve results.<\/span> Facing consecutive days of back-to-back meetings, meeting participants value the importance of well-run meetings that stay focused on aligning team activities with organizational goals. Professionally trained facilitators solve communication problems in meetings or workshops by ensuring the group stays focused on the meeting objectives while applying meeting designs<\/a> that lead to more informed decisions.<\/span> Yet, while modern leaders exhibit many of these positive traits compared to traditional or historic leaders, a further shift is required to be truly facilitative, so that teams and groups realize the full potential of their commitment, consensus, and ownership.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Characteristics of the Servant Leader Difference<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Modern Leaders<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nServant Leaders<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Communicate and receive feedback<\/span><\/td>\nStructure activities so that stakeholders and team members evaluate them and each other<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Content experts, based on position and power<\/span><\/td>\nContext experts, based on credibility, genuineness, and inspiration<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Effective interpersonal skills<\/span><\/td>\nPeople savvy, but also group-focused<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Have some meeting management skills<\/span><\/td>\nSkills that use groups to build complex outputs by structuring conversations based on a collaborative tone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Involved in directing tasks<\/span><\/td>\nFacilitate plans and agreements based on group input<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Remain accountable for results<\/span><\/td>\nTransfer ownership so that members are highly skilled and accountable for outcomes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Value teamwork and collaboration<\/span><\/td>\nFocus on removing impediments while providing procedures that fortify self-organizing teams<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Have you ever led a meeting? I\u2019m going to assume you have. So, ask yourself, when the meeting was over, what changed from the moment your participants walked into the meeting?<\/span> As a servant leader and meeting facilitator, you become the change agent, someone who takes a group from where they are at the beginning to where they need to be at the conclusion. All leaders must know where they are going. They must know what the group is intending to build, decide, or leave with when the meeting is done. Effective servant leaders also start with the end in mind<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    A Servant Leader Takes Command of the Questions<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The servant leader does not have answers, but rather, takes command of the questions<\/a>. These optimal questions are scripted and properly sequenced. If you were designing a new home, for example, you would consider the foundation and structure long before you decide on the color of the grout. By responding to appropriate questions, meeting participants’ focus, and generating their collective preferences and requirements.<\/span> A neutral, meeting leader values rigorous preparation, anticipates group dynamics, and designs the meeting accordingly. The meeting leader becomes responsible for managing the entire approach\u2014the agenda<\/a>, the ground rules<\/a>, the flow of conversations<\/a>, etc., \u2014but not the content developed during the meeting. Therefore, effective meetings result from building a safe and trustworthy environment, one that provides “permission to speak freely” without fear of reprisal or economic loss.<\/span> Ironically, the more structured<\/a> the meeting, the more flexible you (the meeting facilitator) can be. Without structure, meeting design, or a road map, you can never tell exactly where you are, or more important, how much remains undone. With structure, you can take the scenic route because you have a plan that references your original design.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Whereas groups without structure who take the scenic route get lost, or worse, cannot agree on where to go next.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Benefits of Embracing a Facilitative Leadership Technique<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"The<\/a>When organizations support skilled and facilitative leadership for product development, project management, and others, they are allocating human capital to ensure the success of their single most expensive investment\u2014meetings<\/strong><\/em>. They do this by ensuring that when . . .<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n