Servant leadership is not a natural trait; not everyone can be a servant leader. If you want to be a successful leader, you need to develop and practice a few important skills mentioned in this section.

Be a Good Listener

Leaders need to be experts in communication and decision-making, but a servant leader must be open to listening to others. This involves attentively listening to individuals and the group to understand their needs and shortcomings. Moreover, a servant leader must also be able to listen to their inner self to understand their motivations and drivers.

Practice Empathy

To be a good servant leader, empathize with your team members. Showing empathy might be difficult for traditional leaders because it keeps them from making tough decisions, but this isn’t true with servant leaders. By practicing empathy, you would be able to get deep insights into the underlying issues in the team and find out what’s going wrong. 

Promote Healing 

Understand that not all employees or your team members would be comfortable working in a healthy environment or under the servant leadership style. You must be patient and let your peers get comfortable with the environment. You must also help them build trust and slowly blend into the new environment.

Focus on Self-Awareness 

You need to understand your position in the company. You need to be aware of yourself when you’re in meetings, delivering criticism, or enforcing authority, as these are not qualities of a servant leader. You need to make sure that you are not pushing your team away. You need to be aware of how your team members perceive you daily. If you find them repulsive, you must alter your actions and behavior accordingly.

Learn to Be Persuasive

Servant leadership focuses on serving rather than dominating. Traditional leaders often use power, punishment, or authority to compel others to follow their directives. On the other hand, a servant leader uses persuasion to guide people toward the right path. This involves encouraging employees rather than forcing them to change.

Practice Conceptualization 

Servant leaders always think of the big picture. They inspire their team to think beyond the day-to-day work and the urgent tasks. Traditional leaders prioritize short-term or immediate goals, but servant leaders look beyond numbers and goalposts, considering what their team needs to do to complete all assignments, not just the one in front of them. They assist them in obtaining the necessary skills and tools for the ongoing work and the coming year and beyond.

Act as a Steward

Stewardship involves taking responsibility for the resources and people under the team. A servant leader acts as a steward, ensuring that resources are used smartly and that team members are supported in their development. This ethical and sustainable approach builds trust and enhances the organization’s performance and success rate.

Commit to the Growth of People

A servant leader is always committed to team members’ personal and professional growth. You must provide development opportunities, offer constructive feedback, and encourage continuous learning. This commitment not only improves individual performance but also strengthens the overall team.

Learn Building Community 

As a servant leader, you must promote a sense of community within the organization. You must facilitate collaboration, encourage teamwork, and create a positive environment where everyone feels valued and connected. This sense of belonging enhances motivation and drives collective success. Loving the community is also an important characteristic of a servant leader.

Use Foresight

Foresight is the ability to anticipate potential outcomes and prepare for the future. As a servant leader, you must learn from past experiences and current realities to make well-informed and realistic predictions. This forward-thinking approach helps in strategic planning and risk management, ensuring the organization is well-prepared for any challenges that might come in the future.