Putting Servant Leadership Principles into Practice

The Principles of Servant Leadership in Practice

We’ve all had that boss. The one who micromanages every detail, takes all the credit, and disappears when things go wrong. It’s draining. It makes you watch the clock, do the bare minimum, and update your resume on your lunch break. Now, think about the best leader you ever had. What made them different? Chances are, they didn’t act like a boss at all. They acted like a partner, a mentor, a shield. They put you and the team first. What you were experiencing were the core servant leadership principles in action, and it’s a game-changer.

This isn’t some fluffy, feel-good theory. It’s a practical, powerful leadership philosophy that flips the traditional top-down pyramid on its head. Instead of the team working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the team. It sounds radical, but when you see it in practice, it just makes sense. It builds trust, boosts morale, and, believe it or not, drives incredible results. So, how do you go from a ‘boss’ to a ‘servant leader’? It starts by understanding and, more importantly, *living* the principles.

Key Takeaways

• Servant leadership prioritizes the needs and growth of the team members first.
• It’s built on ten core principles, including empathy, listening, and stewardship.
• Applying these principles isn’t about being ‘soft’; it’s about building a stronger, more resilient, and high-performing team.
• You’ll get practical, actionable steps to start implementing each principle immediately in your daily work.

So, What Exactly Is Servant Leadership?

The term was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” He was inspired after reading Hermann Hesse’s novel Journey to the East. In the story, a group of men on a mythical journey are accompanied by a servant named Leo, who does their menial chores but also sustains them with his spirit and his song. When Leo disappears, the group falls into disarray and abandons the journey. Years later, the narrator finds Leo and discovers he was actually the head of the Order that sponsored the journey—its great and noble leader.

That’s the paradox and the power of it all. The true leader is the one who serves. The central idea is that a servant leader focuses on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. It’s a long-term, transformational approach to leadership, and it begins with a genuine desire to serve.

The 10 Core Servant Leadership Principles in Action

Greenleaf identified ten key characteristics or principles of servant leadership. Let’s break them down not just as concepts, but as a practical toolkit you can start using today.

1. Listening

This is number one for a reason. And it’s so much more than just not talking. It’s the deep, active, and intentional act of hearing what is said and, crucially, what is *not* said. A traditional leader might listen to find flaws in an argument or to prepare their rebuttal. A servant leader listens to understand. They listen to the individual, the team, and the organization. They seek to identify the will of the group and help clarify it. It’s about tuning in completely.

How to practice it:

• One-on-Ones Unplugged: When meeting with a team member, close your laptop. Put your phone face down on the desk. Give them your undivided attention. It sends a powerful message: “You matter more than my email.”
• The Power of the Pause: Don’t rush to fill silences. When someone finishes speaking, pause for a couple of seconds before you respond. It shows you’re reflecting on their words, not just waiting for your turn to talk.
• Paraphrase and Clarify: Repeat back what you heard in your own words. “So, if I’m understanding correctly, you’re concerned about the timeline because of the new data from marketing?” This ensures you’re on the same page and makes the other person feel truly heard.

2. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It’s trying to see the world from their perspective. A servant leader strives to understand and empathize with others. People need to be accepted and recognized for their special and unique spirits. You assume good intentions and don’t jump to conclusions. You recognize that your team members are whole people with lives, stresses, and joys outside of the office walls.

How to practice it:

• Acknowledge Feelings: Instead of jumping straight to solutions, start by acknowledging the emotion. “That sounds incredibly frustrating,” or “I can see why you’d be worried about that.” Validation is a powerful tool.
• Share Your Own Vulnerabilities (Appropriately): Talking about a time you struggled or made a mistake can make you more relatable and create psychological safety for others to be open.
• Ask About Life Outside Work: You don’t need to be invasive, but showing genuine interest in their hobbies, family, or weekend plans demonstrates that you care about them as a person, not just an employee.

3. Healing

This is one of the most profound principles. It’s about supporting people not just with their work-related problems but also with their personal ones. The servant leader recognizes that everyone has brokenness in their past, and they have an opportunity to help make them whole. This doesn’t mean being a therapist. It means creating a healthy work environment where people feel supported, safe, and encouraged. It’s about fostering emotional and spiritual health.

How to practice it:

• Champion Work-Life Balance: Actively encourage your team to take their vacation time, disconnect after hours, and prioritize their well-being. And most importantly, model this behavior yourself.
• Connect People with Resources: Be aware of and promote company resources like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for mental health support. Normalize their use.
• Address Conflict Constructively: Don’t let team tensions fester. Facilitate open and respectful conversations to resolve issues and heal rifts before they become toxic.

4. Awareness

General awareness, and especially self-awareness, is a critical component. It’s the ability to see situations from a more integrated, holistic position. You have to understand your own strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and biases. How do you show up in a room? What impact do your words have? This awareness also extends to the team—understanding group dynamics, morale, and the unspoken currents running beneath the surface. Without awareness, you’re flying blind.

How to practice it:

• Actively Solicit Feedback: Ask your team, “What’s one thing I could do better to support you?” or “What’s something I do that gets in your way?” And then—this is the hard part—listen without getting defensive.
• Keep a Journal: Spend five minutes at the end of the day reflecting on key interactions. What went well? What could have gone better? How were you feeling? This builds the muscle of self-reflection.
• ‘Read the Room’: Before jumping into your agenda in a meeting, take 30 seconds to observe. What’s the energy like? Are people engaged or withdrawn? Adjust your approach based on what you sense.

5. Persuasion

This is a major departure from traditional, authoritarian leadership. Servant leaders don’t rely on their positional power to coerce compliance. They convince and persuade. They are effective at building consensus within groups. This is far more effective in the long run than issuing orders. When people are persuaded, they are genuinely on board. They are committed, not just compliant.

How to practice it:

• Explain the ‘Why’: People are much more likely to get behind an initiative if they understand the reasoning and the bigger picture. Connect the task to the team’s or company’s mission.
• Build a ‘Coalition of the Willing’: Identify key influencers on your team and get their buy-in first. Their enthusiasm can be contagious and help persuade others.
• Use Data and Stories: Appeal to both logic and emotion. Back up your proposals with clear data, but also tell a compelling story about the future you’re trying to create together.

6. Conceptualization

This is the ‘vision’ piece. The servant leader must be able to look beyond the day-to-day realities and dream of what could be. They hold a balance between the operational and the conceptual. They can articulate a compelling vision and inspire the team to pursue it. It’s about providing a sense of direction and purpose that transcends quarterly targets.

How to practice it:

• Schedule ‘Thinking Time’: Block time on your calendar with no agenda other than to think about the future. Where is the industry going? What opportunities are on the horizon? What threats?
• Create a Shared Vision: Don’t just present a vision; build it *with* your team. Ask them: “What kind of team do we want to be in a year? What impact do we want to have?”
• Connect Daily Tasks to the Big Picture: Regularly remind the team how their specific, sometimes tedious, tasks contribute to the larger, exciting goal.

7. Foresight

Foresight is a close cousin of conceptualization. It’s the ability to predict what is likely to happen in the future by learning from the past, understanding the present, and identifying consequences of decisions. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive. A leader with foresight can see the iceberg before it hits the ship, giving the team time to change course.

How to practice it:

• Conduct ‘Pre-Mortems’: Before starting a big project, gather the team and ask, “Imagine it’s six months from now, and this project has failed spectacularly. What went wrong?” This surfaces potential risks before they materialize.
• Stay Curious: Read widely about your industry, technology, and general business trends. Talk to people in different departments. The more information you absorb, the better you’ll be at connecting the dots.
• Trust Your Intuition (but verify): That nagging feeling you have? Don’t ignore it. Intuition is often your subconscious processing patterns. Investigate it further.

8. Stewardship

A steward is someone who manages or looks after something, like property or finances, on behalf of someone else. A servant leader is a steward of the organization and its people. They are committed to serving the needs of the organization and see their role as holding it in trust for the greater good of society. It’s the ultimate commitment to responsibility over personal gain.

How to practice it:

• Act Like an Owner: Treat company resources as if they were your own. Make decisions that are in the best long-term interest of the organization, not just your team or your career.
• Champion the Values: Be the most visible and vocal supporter of your company’s values. Call out behavior that contradicts them and celebrate behavior that exemplifies them.
• Plan for Your Succession: A true steward is always preparing the organization for a future without them. Who are you developing to take your place?

9. Commitment to the Growth of People

This is where the servant leader’s heart truly shows. They believe that everyone has something to offer beyond their tangible contributions to the work. The servant leader is deeply committed to the personal and professional growth of every individual on their team. They see it as a core responsibility to help people find their path and unlock their potential.

How to practice it:

• Go Beyond the Annual Review: Have regular, informal career conversations. Ask, “What skills do you want to learn? Where do you see yourself in two years? How can I help you get there?”
• Provide ‘Stretch’ Assignments: Give people projects that are just outside their current comfort zone. Offer your support and guidance, but let them take the lead. This is how real growth happens.
• Find Mentoring Opportunities: Connect junior team members with senior people in the organization, even outside your department. Invest in their network as well as their skills.

10. Building Community

In an increasingly fragmented world, people crave connection and belonging. The servant leader understands this and actively works to create a sense of community within their team and the larger organization. They foster an environment where people feel safe, respected, and connected to one another. It’s about turning a group of individuals into a true team.

How to practice it:

• Create Team Rituals: This could be anything from a ‘win of the week’ shoutout in your Monday meeting to a monthly team lunch or a fun Slack channel for non-work chat.
• Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Create systems where team members can easily praise and thank each other. This builds horizontal bonds, not just top-down ones.
• Celebrate Together: Make a big deal out of project milestones, birthdays, and work anniversaries. Acknowledging these moments reinforces the sense that you’re all in it together.

“Servant leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders.”

Conclusion

Adopting the servant leadership principles is not a quick fix or a management hack. It’s a fundamental shift in mindset. It’s a journey that requires patience, humility, and a genuine desire to put others first. You won’t be perfect at it overnight. You’ll still have days where you’re too busy to listen deeply or too stressed to be empathetic. That’s okay. The goal is progress, not perfection. Start with one principle. Pick listening or empathy and focus on it for a week. See what changes. The ripple effect you create—in your team’s engagement, their trust in you, and their overall performance—will be all the proof you need that serving is the most powerful way to lead.

FAQ

Isn’t servant leadership too ‘soft’ for a competitive business environment?

Not at all. This is a common misconception. Servant leadership isn’t about being a pushover or avoiding hard decisions. It’s about *how* you lead. It combines high expectations for performance with high levels of support for the people doing the work. This combination actually creates a more resilient, motivated, and accountable team that can outperform those led by fear or authority.

Can anyone become a servant leader, or is it an innate trait?

While some people may have a more naturally empathetic or service-oriented personality, the ten principles are all behaviors and skills that can be learned and cultivated. It’s a conscious choice. It requires self-awareness, practice, and a commitment to personal growth. Anyone who is willing to put in the effort can become a more effective servant leader.