Serve Those You Lead

The goal of any quality leader is to lead others to accomplish a task that the individuals of that team could not accomplish on their own.  This is the valid and practical end goal for most leaders, and rightfully so.  To do anything less would not be true leadership.

In discussing leadership, though, we can often focus too much on how to mobilize our people to accomplish the goal or task.  I believe it’s important that we lead our team in such a way that they are set-up for success, and not simply ourselves.  In order to do this, point leaders need to make it a regular habit to ask those we lead this simple question: “How can I best serve and support you?” This may seem backwards to some, but it’s actually a very healthy practice for point leaders.  It shifts the priority from simply accomplishing a task to leading people. While success with the task is important, the longevity of your team is crucial to the accomplishment of the ultimate vision.  Look for opportunities to show support  to your team and to not just be served, but to serve.  The top-down approach to leadership died with the Beatles. This is a new day and we are now living in a new paradigm of leadership.  People aren’t looking to be another ‘cog’ in the wheel.  They desire to serve a leader that is willing to serve them.  So as leaders, let’s shed our titles, pick-up a towel and serve.

How are you serving and supporting your team?  After completing a task, is your team better or is it burned?