A Servant Leader

In the modern world, confidence has been shaken in business leadership and providing good servant leadership is a major challenge. Self-interests inhibit the betterment of followers and generate trust issues that violate moral principles. Notably, people in general are not naturally servant leaders and I include myself in this category. My selfish human nature led me to look out for what was in my best interest and not in the best interest of others. Over the years, I have learned that in order to become a servant leader, listening to the needs of others is paramount (Langston.edu, 2010). Robert K Greenleaf, stated that “A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the ”top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different” (Greenleaf, 2018). The biggest word that stood out to me was ”communities”, my community was the birthplace of my servant leadership style. As such, my leadership skills have been shaped by the society I live in and helped me care for other people.

Key Words: Servant leadership, Seven Habits, Synergize, Think Win-Win, Sharpen the Saw

Evaluation of My Personal Leadership Style

Leadership Style

In this paper, I will proceed to evaluate my leadership style within the scope of Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. I completed a 7 Habits Profile, the results of which I will use to evaluate my personal leadership style, my strengths and my weaknesses. Additionally, I will capitalize on the SMART model to explain the leadership skills I have developed over time.

Seven Habits Profile Evaluation

In the process of explaining this vital topic, I had to encourage myself that honestly is fundamental and underlining to any servant leader. However, I knew that I am not up to standards when I gauged myself. For this reason, I believe that being cultivating honestly would accurately impact on my accountability. In my evaluation process, items ranged from ”poor” to ”outstanding” all culminating in a relatively fair score with most categories in ”very good” and just two in ”Outstanding”. The two categories that scored the highest were Think Win-Win and Sharpen the Saw. I’ll be analyzing these results through a strengths and weaknesses approach. I believe these results reflect that I am a strong leader from a technical standpoint, but with vast room for improvement on the interpersonal side (Greenleaf, 2018). As it stands today, this could indicate I might be suited for a larger organization that is more numbers driven, rather than a small organization that is culture driven.

Strengths

Many of my strengths are founded on the Skills Leadership Theory. I align most closely with this theory because according to Jabeen, the theory focuses on learned and acquired skills which are essential to my strengths (Jabeen, 2016). I scored outstandingly in all the categories. As such, I emerged out as a competent person and I am more confident that there is still vast room for improvement. I have always taken a lot of pride in my ability to perform. I know that as a leader, I have the responsibility of reaching out to others and fulfilling their expectations (Amanchukwu et al., 2015). When I read the questions to the Seven Habits Profile carefully, I realized that there are critical questions which require specific answers for me to meet provide the appropriate servant leadership. After reviewing the questions and attesting to my self-score, I strongly believe that Think Win-Win is one of my notable strengths. I deeply care about the success of others, I cooperate with people around me and I am always looking out for others as well as taking their best interest at heart (Jabeen, 2016).

Moreover, Pandey mentions that through Think Win-Win, one should have the ability to resolve conflicts between parties and I ascertain that this has been my strength (Pandey, 2011). Undoubtedly, the Think Win-Win approach has been fundamental in the management of my organization. I am able to encourage teamwork and satisfaction in workers (Covey, 2015). Some employees argue that previously, before I joined the organization, there was rampant distrust in the works and teamwork did not exist. As a result, the performance of the organization was not appealing due to dissatisfaction in workers.

My second remarkable strength came from Sharpen the Saw which chronicles four dimensions including mental, physical, emotional or social and spiritual (Covey, 2015). I attest that when reviewing the scoring criteria, I found out that all the four dimensions can be recognized in me. I greatly care not only for my physical health but also the physical health of others. Again, I always look forward to improving relationships between people. I create time for myself which I call ”Me time” and I use this time for leisure, including all things that bring me happiness. Jabeen (2016) in his journal confirms that it is important to develop the dimensions in order to ”whole human being.” I always consider that when one feels good, he or she is able to face the day positively and achieve the set goals. I promote healthy living to my workforce and I manage to do this through being a role model in all aspects that concern the Sharpen the Saw approach.

My final chosen strength was ”Synergize” which alludes to creative cooperation and teamwork (Covey, 2015). Undisputedly, individuals spend more time with people at work compared to family members. For this reason, people find enjoyment at work through building proper relationships with the workforce (Jabeen, 2016). When I joined my team, it was contentious as there existed severe lack of trust in the employees. Furthermore, the importance of collaboration was not instilled in the members. I therefore understood that bringing the eight team members to the table and creating a collaborative, teamwork and bonding was paramount in realizing any substantial success. Through this, effective relationships would be established and thus foster a conducive working environment (Covey, 2015). I can attest that after a month, my initiative was successful. Teamwork, trust, and collaboration were enhanced in the employees, and these aspects increased work satisfaction. Building relationship over the ping pong table brought respect and success to all teams.

Weaknesses

My two significant weaknesses were ”Begin with the end in mind” and ”Put first things first.” Focusing on teaching the workforce on the results was a challenge, and I was not able to effectively deliver as suggested under the criteria Begin with the end in mind (Kantharia, 2012). This approach has both a good and bad side. Often, the employees who present as proficient in their task does not mean they are always good leaders. I know as a leader I am mandated to help employees gain a sense of self-worth and give direction by providing well-articulated goals, values and beliefs (Norman, 2016). However, my weakness made me encounter challenges and I testify that I was missing a significant piece of knowledge when it came to managing and leading.

Honestly, responding to the critical questions was tough at times. However, I pushed on and avoided cheating myself that I was all perfect but instead, came out with valuable experience. I tried to give answers and from them, I determined that my weakest scores were Emotional Bank Account, Begin with the End in Mind and Put First Things First (Norman, 2016). The ratings did not feel good, but I was not surprised because I understood that it was my weakness. I can be a straightforward person and sometimes showcase a degree of lack of kindness particularly when it comes to critical situations.

I rated myself as ”good” owing to the first weakness concerning showing kindness and consideration towards others. Through the day to day interactions, I believe that I am exceptional in giving attention and demonstrating affection. However patience was a virtue that I was struggling with to avoid creating problems. I know my demeanor can change to very direct and sometimes blunt when faced with issues that I perceive to be unnecessary. This is definitely an area where I could use vast improvement to temper my approach and show more empathetic demeanor when faced with these conversations or situations (Amanchukwu et al., 2015). I am also profoundly at fault of venting to those closest to me after these types of occurrences. I don’t go horribly off course when it comes to speaking negatively of others, however I would be lying to myself if I did not hold myself accountable to the times and places that this unfortunate flaw shows itself (Kantharia, 2012).

In my second weakness, I realized I am unorganized when compared to the conventional definition of the word. I am very aware and secure in what I want to accomplish in life. However, I struggle genuinely in the other two aspects of Begin with the End in Mind. Every week requires me to operate on my toes and nothing ever occurs as planned. Unfortunately, this has led me to show an aversion to weekly planning altogether. I could show a great deal of improvement in this area and end each week with a summary and objectives for myself and the team for the following week. This relates very closely to my lack of organization for a weekly/monthly plan. I operate under an annual goal and thus drive myself and my team to achieve that goal rather than short-term milestones (Amanchukwu et al., 2015). This can lead to us falling behind our benchmarks from time to time, creating a crisis scenario. This profile has helped shed more light on that and I am indeed committed to improving that area of my leadership style.

The final weakness I’ll sight is from Put First Things First. I tend to have a very hectic day with numerous employees asking for one thing or another. Because I am not the most organized person, I can sometimes let less the important things slip away. This has resulted in a few painful conversations over the last year. However, when something is put in front of me and I hold that capacity to complete it, it is the first thing I do. I don’t like to leave things to getting lost in the business of the day. Overall, I could do a much better job of completing and managing tasks that are not completed at the time of their assignment.

Changes

After completing the profile, I uncovered some major weaknesses in my leadership style as I am so closely aligned to the Skills Leadership Theory. I have become aware of the past situations and known that incorporating ”Begin with the End in mind” approach is a prime example of an area where my team could have been ahead of schedule rather than behind schedule. To avoid this in the future, I am looking to implement an end of week team summary and an objective summary for the following week. I am confident that these will show a major shift in my ability to become organized and my oversight of the team. I think this aligns well with the Transactional Leadership Theory. I will become organized as well as kinder and considerate to other people. I believe this aligns well with bringing in ideas of the Contingency Theory, and understanding that everyone is different and unique. Lastly, I need to implement the Transformational Leadership Theory and eliminate instances of negative speech. Transformational Leadership is about creating change in others and developing them from being followers to becoming leaders (Langston.edu, 2010). Indeed, speaking negatively of my colleagues, superiors or team members does no good for anyone. I am firmly committed to better handling of my emotions when events occur that frustrate me.

Recommendations for Personal Leadership

Through servant leadership theory, the individuals being led encounter problems especially when the leaders put their needs and interests first. This theory focuses on serving people and promotes the health of other people. In order to develop servant leadership, I am going to provide three recommendations that will enhance personal leadership and thus put the needs of others as the first priority (Norman, 2016). To start with, do not place restrictions on your willingness to serve others diligently. Being a servant leader calls on the need to maintain a servant heart that encourages people to do what is right. One should strive to impact on customer experience and showing people that those who work in the organization are important. Secondly, developing trust is recommended in order to encourage people to join hands to realize the set objectives. The people being led have to see that the leader cares and understands their problems. According to Norman (2016), caring is the bottom line in transforming the organization. Thirdly, being a servant leader calls on investing in people. The leader is recommended to spend time with the employees. As such, providing quality time creates lasting bonds and connection. It is recommended that a leader has to listen to the most central tenets of the people. Listening to problems makes sure that workers speak out their issues that are to be addressed (Spears, 2004). This benefits the organization and eliminates any doubts and misinformation that could derail the company.

SMART Goals

After completing such a comprehensive self-assessment, it would be highly useful to set a couple of goals for myself using the SMART methodology which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Limited. My first goal will be to prepare a weekly recap at the end of every week and pair it with an objective outline for the following week. Under this, specific actions will involve applying the articulated objectives and analyzing their effectiveness. I will also create an environment that is conducive to workers through solving problems. I will this carry out monitoring and evaluation aspect to determine the effectiveness of the activities. The workers will be required to write down their issues and stipulate the areas that are working out well as well as those that are not impacting on the organization. I will be able to measure this goal by the percentage of weeks I complete this activity. This is entirely achievable and realistic, I will need to make sure I provide myself a minimum of 30 minutes at the end of each week to complete each task. This is relevant because it is in line with the company’s goals to complete tasks on time. The goal is time-limited as it must be completed at the end of each week.

My second goal, I should have begun a long time ago. This is to go the next six months without saying anything negative about a colleague, leader or team member. Specific action will comprise of elevating the morale of people by giving incentives and recognizing their efforts. Promoting good communication is another specific objective and lastly building teamwork. This goal is easily measurable as the tolerance is zero. It is achievable because it is entirely dependent on what comes out of my mouth. It is relevant because it relates to the overall morale of the organization and my mood which can impact morale. Lastly, it is time limited to six months of active awareness. Afterward, I desire to accomplish this on a daily basis without it crossing my mind.

Conclusion

The Seven Habits Profile was a highly useful tool in shedding light on areas where I am succeeding and areas where I am not performing well. An examination of this showed that my greatest strengths are in building and improving relationships and finding enjoyment in life. My weaknesses include being disorganized, lack a short-term plan and I allow myself to get frustrated with negative encounters. Notably, I have always strived to be a servant leader and I believe that the evaluation is fundamental to me. The SMART goals approach I developed will help me implement my goals and tackle the glaring issues I face in my day to day undertakings.

References

Amanchukwu R, N, Stanley G, J & Ololube N, P. (2015). A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. Retrieved on June 12, 2018 from http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.mm.20150501.02.html#Sec2.8

Covey Franklin. (2015). Using Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in Education A review of academic literature on the principles taught in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and how these principles apply in the education setting. Retrieved on June 12, 2018 from https://www.theleaderinme.org/uploads/Documents/results/7_Habits_Lit_Review_for_Education.pdf

Greenleaf, R. K. (2018). The Servant as Leader. Center for Servant Leadership. Retrieved June 12, 2018 from https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

Jabeen, R. (2016). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Texila International Journal of Nursing, 2(1), 1-5. doi: 10.21522/tijnr.2015.02.01.art023

Kantharia, B. (2012). Servant Leadership: An Imperative Leadership Style for Leader Managers. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1980625

Langston.edu. (2010). Transformational Leadership. Retrieved on June 12, 2018 from https://www.langston.edu/sites/default/files/basic-content-files/TransformationalLeadership.pdf

Norman, Z. (2016). Servant Leadership: All about an Effective Servant-Leader. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2834147

Pandey, D. (2011). Effectiveness of ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ in learning Life Skills for Gen X& Y - A Perspective. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 4(8), 55-57. doi: 10.15373/2249555x/august2014/13

Spears, L. (2004). Practicing servant-leadership. Leader To Leader, 2004(34), 7-11. doi: 10.1002/ltl.94