Servant Leadership

Philosophy

I have long believed that leadership isn’t about towering above your team, but standing alongside them, offering to carry the heaviest load. I’m not quite sure when this attitude became instilled in me. Perhaps it was having older siblings who always tried to guide me so that I could learn from their experiences. Or perhaps growing up in an immigrant household of parents that sacrificed their own wants to ensure their children would have an easier life than they did. Whatever combination of influences, I learned that true strength comes from service and compassion. From pee-wee football to coxing and eventually coaching crew, and now leading software development teams, I carry this understanding with me.

As I understand it, the term “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in a 1970 essay “The Servant as Leader”. Greenleaf argued that the best leaders first ask, “How can I help?” He proposed that to lead is to serve, not to command. That idea turned the traditional hierarchy upside down, putting the needs of the community before the authority of the leader.

What It Means to Me

Putting “servant” before “leadership” highlights a tension between two ideas that seem opposed. Leadership can often call to mind a vision of a pyramid where the most important person sits atop their minions. Service sounds humble and behind‑the‑scenes. But when you combine them, you get a powerful blend: leading by doing, guiding by caring, and setting the stage for others to shine.

Leadership

Leadership, to me, is about owning the mission and setting context. It is a leader’s job to show by example what good looks like. A leader listens at least as much as they speak. Leaders help break big challenges into smaller tasks and rally the team around a clear goal. Something that I sometimes suggest to new leaders is to “ask more questions than you answer.” The leader also sets guardrails with expectations for what the group is attempting to achieve. They answer questions to ensure alignment and explain rationale. Doing so builds trust and keeps everyone moving in the same direction. Celebrating small wins builds confidence and generates enthusiasm.

Service

A servant does the “grunt work”, the “take‑out‑the‑trash” tasks that keep everyone operating effectively. It means doing the necessary, unglamorous, unexciting, often repetitive things to achieve shared goals. It might mean picking up support tickets in order to minimize the amount of context switching with which others must contend. Or, lingering behind at the boathouse, long after practice ends, to fine tune the rigging and enable each rower to perform their best. Service earns respect by demonstrating humility, empathy, and that no task is beneath you.

It’s the thought that counts

Don’t get me wrong, I am not claiming to be perfect. I falter. I can be demanding and impatient, particularly in times of stress. Eventually, I remind myself to take a step back, take a breath, and try to re-engage with a fresh perspective.

Success belongs to those you serve, the group, not any one person. Servant leadership means putting mission above self. I’ve learned that when you lead by serving, you build a culture of trust, ownership, and excellence. And in so doing, you leave a legacy that remains long after you have gone.