Recent musings over leadership styles have had me once again pondering the value of servant-leadership. The concept gets thrown about often enough, but often falls victim to process and schedule. Unrealistic deadlines and the sins of the predecessor make it difficult to change horses’ mid-stream and engage in a successful servant-leadership approach. One often noted reluctance to taking up this seemingly strange abandonment of authority is an innate desire to not be accountable for the failures of the subordinates. And servant leadership requires exactly that. If your employees fail, if your team fails, if those associated with you have failed, you have failed. That is what a successful leader knows.

But the road to success is often what is arguable. Some believe that pressure and milestones are the key, while others believe that motivation and making the employee feel valued is a success driver. But servant-leadership says, “what can I do to make you successful?” This a 180 degree turn from the, “escalate your problems and roadblocks so I can clear them” approach. Servants anticipate needs and deliver solutions before they are perceived. Suddenly, your workforce has the ability to move forward, at a constant pace, because the path ahead is free of obstacles. This is a far cry from the flow-down delegation approach that we are all used to.