Do your people experience you this way?

Conflict happens in the workplace. A lot. We don’t see eye-to-eye; we have opposing agendas and often try to get our way at the expense of another person.

But here’s the reality: These things don’t normally occur in workplace communities of care, where people value relationships. Truth is, human beings are inherently designed to be relational. In the workplace, it’s no different. We long for connection with others in the pursuit of purposeful work that produces meaningful results.

That’s why it’s inconceivable to me that, in the age of inclusion and belonging, toxic work cultures still prevail, severely affecting employee health and well-being, teamwork, productivity, and the bottom line.

Until we abandon systemic managerial thinking anchored in the fossilized ideals of the industrial revolution, where autocrats and bureaucrats hold control, power, authority, rules, and decisions at the top, the employee engagement crisis remains unsolved.

Reversing the problem of toxic work cultures starts with one foundational premise: Building up servant leaders who help create an environment where human beings thrive.

Servant leadership at its best

My partners and I have extensively researched servant leadership’s impact on human performance. We’ve conducted surveys and spoken with leading scholars and experts to identify the characteristics of the servant leader. Based upon a review of the literature, we determined that servant leadership promotes the valuing and developing of people, the building of community, the practice of authenticity, the providing of leadership for the good of those being led, and the sharing of power and status for the common good of each individual within the organization, for the organization itself, and for those served by it.

When management structures and company cultures fail, it most likely points to an absence of the defining traits that lead to great organizational health. For example:

1. Servant leaders practice authenticity

Servant leaders are real, transparent, and humble. They practice a bold style of authenticity that allows others to follow and lead. They are willing to learn from anyone and everyone who has something to contribute. This spirit of learning means that the leader doesn’t hide mistakes but rather learns from them.

2. Servant leaders keep their promises

Servant leaders know that honesty, openness, and transparency are what build trust in an organization. People want their leaders to be straight with them. This is not always an easy path, but it is the best path to gain the loyalty of your workers, and build in them a commitment to the organization and its mission.

3. Servant leaders are accountable to others

A successsful servant leader is willing to admit mistakes and open to seeking insight from those above them and below them in the organization. This depth of character allows them to lead without always being right and having all the answers. They can be truly themselves, with all their strengths and weaknesses, without the need to pretend they know everything.

4. Servant leaders share their leadership

Leadership is not about position, status, or prestige. Leadership is about leading from the front–and from the trenches–and working closely with others to make the world a better place. When leaders claim special privileges or impose their rank and positional authority on others, they distance themselves from those they lead and work against building a sense of community and shared ownership throughout the organization.