“Lead With Your Heart”: A Practical Definition
If you’ve been reading and listening to Servant Leadership Institute content over the years, you’ll notice we’ve urged you to “lead with your heart...” But what does that really mean?
It means that servant leaders don’t lead people using traditional “command and control methods” (i.e. I tell you what to do, when to do it and to do what I say; you supply the deliverables). When people are led from the heart through a servant leadership approach, the individual performs at a higher level because the leader treats him or her with dignity and respect. The leader has taken the time to build trusted relationships with employees, continually communicating the meaning and purpose of what the organization does.
In the real world, how do we “lead with our hearts?” These tips can turn this leadership mantra into a mindset.
People first.
Never forget, employees are people first. They all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect no matter what title they have or job they perform in the organization. In every interchange, treat them as you’d like to be treated.
Hire for character.
It all starts with hiring for character not just for competence. No matter how brilliant the individual may be, if their character is not good, they’ll never fit in to the group.
Help others find fulfillment.
All employees (all people) have fundamental needs that must be met. But beyond the basic necessities, they have a desire to do something fulfilling. As a leader, you have a responsibility to give meaning to their job. Talk often about the purpose of the organization and how employees fit into that purpose. Help them be proud to tell people where they work and what they do.
Correct missteps.
Many people mistakenly see servant leadership as a leadership method that is soft; it tends to overlook bad performance. That’s simply not true. If you care about an employee, you’ll want them to succeed, to be accurate and to add value to the organization. Servant leaders demonstrate courage and confront the problem; but, they do it with the good of the employee in mind.
Plant the seeds.
Lead as a servant and to train employees to do the same.
Plant the seeds for servant leadership, but don’t expect to always see the harvest. An employee may not “get it” until years after you are no longer leading them.
Support goals.
Help employees understand they don’t need to be afraid to tell you what their goals are. Work with each person to have a development plan, even if it means you develop them right out of the organization.
The common denominator in all these tips is involvement. You can’t lead from the sidelines if you want to serve people. Strike the right balance between leader and counselor. Meet employees where they are and “lead from your heart.”
Director of Content and Curriculum
CAROL MALINSKI is the Director of Content and Curriculum for the Servant Leadership Institute. She joined the team in 2013 and has contributed as a writer, podcast host, and webinar moderator. Her latest publication Equip To Serve is available on Amazon.com.