Servant leadership: How being a selfless leader is a catalyst for growth

As a leader, it can be easy to focus on your own perspective. After all, you’re ultimately responsible for making key decisions. However, leadership isn’t just about giving orders; it’s about guiding your team and ensuring their needs are met.  

Why it matters: Leading selflessly, with love and compassion not only fosters trust but also strengthens relationships and boosts motivation within the team. In the process, leaders form stronger emotional intelligence and communication skills that will serve them well in their career and in life. 

Credit leader, at your service 

In contrast to authoritarian leaders, who rely on power and demand obedience from subordinates, servant leaders rely on kindness and understanding to guide their teams. Simply put, servant leaders focus on the growth and well-being of the team members. “Our new CFO is genuine, a good listener and very supportive of the team’s work life balance,” said Jen Turchin, CBA, AR/AP specialist for Northern Pipe Products (Fargo, ND). “Her leadership has improved employee participation, job satisfaction and individual development, creating more advancement opportunities. In addition, it has empowered me to be the best for myself and my company.” 

Leaders who support their teams are able to make stronger connections and elevate performance. “In my previous role, I took time to understand the personal challenges my team members were facing—some were balancing heavy workloads, while others were feeling burnt out,” said Timothy Clawson, director of credit global operations at Laserfiche (Long Beach, CA). “I rearranged responsibilities based on strengths, offered flexibility for those who needed it and rolled up my sleeves to work alongside them. For the team, this approach boosted morale, fostered collaboration and encouraged accountability. They grew more confident and united, understanding that their well-being mattered as much as their performance.” 

Still, becoming a servant leader can be challenging for people of any profession. It requires discipline and continuous effort. “It’s not enough just to think about it,” said James Hunter, principal consultant of J.D. Hunter Associates (Rockwood, MI). “You have to make it a daily habit until it hits your head and heart and becomes your natural state of being.” 

What servant leaders gain 

The team isn’t the only party that benefits from this leadership style. “As a servant leader, I learned how to better communicate and manage my emotions,” said Clawson. “Along the way, it’s helped me develop deeper empathy and patience at work and personally, it made me more mindful and compassionate.” 

The positive influence servant leaders have on their teams is recognized by others within and outside the company. This can sometimes garner attention from upper management and ultimately advance a leader’s career. “I would be recognized by senior leadership when I led selflessly,” said Emily Noice, accounting manager at Health Care Logistics, Inc. (Circleville, OH). “And every time I was, I redirected the kudos to the team because even though it was my direction that created those results, it was the team that did all the hard work by diligently making calls and collaborating with other teams. When I supported them, I was able to build mutual trust amongst the team, which only made us stronger.” 

The bottom line: When leaders put others first, they don’t lose authority—they earn loyalty. In the process, servant leadership transforms not just the team’s success, but the leader’s own capacity for empathy, connection and growth. 

In NACM and FCIB’s upcoming Author Chat webinar, Hunter expands on his book, The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, which paints a vivid picture of the transformative power of servant leadership.

Register now for free to save your seat on November 13^th.