The Power of Servant Leadership

Conversations around leadership aren’t going away anytime soon. And for obvious reason- leadership has the potential to make or break a company. Scroll through LinkedIn and you’ll see article upon article dissecting what makes a great leader. Here at Roam we value leadership just as much as the next guy- it’s hugely important as we select team members to champion our culture in our hospitality operation. Sure- accolades, awards, and leadership positions stand out on a resume. But there’s another aspect of leadership that carries even more weight. Servant-leadership.

Servant-leadership can rarely be captured on a page, it’s more about the hard-wiring of a person. And the cool thing about servant-leadership is that it isn’t limited to the “leadership” of an organization. In fact- at Roam, we look for servant-leaders in every position we hire for- from part-time employees to directors. So what does servant leadership look like lived out?

Humility. Humility does not translate to meek and mild. Humility can be powerful and transformative. Humble leaders shine the light on others and look for opportunities to elevate those under their leadership- developing others and contributing to the overall health of an organization. Humble leaders put aside their pride for the greater good. C.S. Lewis says it best, “humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

Going the extra mile. Servant leaders don’t just “get the job done” – they go beyond the expected to make their teams and organizations better. That extra mile usually isn’t glamorous or self-glorifying— sometimes it means staying late and waking up early or assisting an overwhelmed co-worker. Regardless of what going the extra mile looks like for you in your company, it will be noticed & it will spur your co-workers to approach work with the same passion.

Lead by example. Wish your co-worker was more positive? Be more positive. Wish that your workplace was more fun? Plan a team outing. Want to see a little more passion from your people? Practice what you preach. Don’t spend time complaining about what isn’t working- if you want to see change in your company, it starts with you.

So should we keep reading blogs and listening to podcasts on leadership? Absolutely. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that more often than not, the most note-worthy leaders look a lot like servants.