Servant leadership is a people-first approach that prioritizes the growth, well-being, and empowerment of employees. Unlike traditional leadership models that focus primarily on achieving organizational goals, servant leadership starts with the intentional act of serving others.
Rooted in the principles first articulated by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, this philosophy shifts the focus from authority and control to trust-building, team collaboration, and personal development. When implemented effectively, servant leadership has the power to create a work environment where individuals feel valued and empowered, fostering both professional growth and organizational success.
When HR leads with service, the entire organization follows. Servant leadership isn’t soft — it’s strategic. It’s the bridge between well-being and performance, inclusion and innovation, and growth and trust.
“In the current environment of instability in the business world, employees respond to leaders who possess the ability to maintain their focus on the most important priority — people. By definition, servant leaders navigate disruption and challenge better than others simply because of their tendency to lead collaboratively instead of leading independently,” said Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at SHRM.
This guide explores how organizations can integrate servant leadership principles to drive meaningful change. By putting employees at the heart of leadership practices, companies can strengthen teams, enhance employee engagement, and create a culture grounded in trust and accountability.
Step 1: Start with Self-Reflection
Self-awareness, humility, and a balanced perspective form the foundation of emotionally intelligent leadership. Leaders should not only define their values but also actively ground their leadership philosophy around them. These are key benefits of self-reflection:
- Clarity in values: Leaders must start by understanding and articulating their personal and organizational values. Self-reflection allows them to align their practices with these principles.
- Power of setting expectations: By reflecting on what they stand for, leaders such as Mark Taylor (Nickelodeon’s former general manager) set clear values and expectations, fostering alignment and engagement across their teams. Taylor advised, “Setting values and expectations needs to occur during the first week of employment. Set aside time with each new hire cohort to get to know them personally and make sure they find in one another a special bond as new hires.”
- Continuous improvement: Values-based leadership thrives when leaders periodically reassess their actions to ensure they stay true to the principles they’ve committed to.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Do I prioritize listening over telling?
- How do I empower my team to grow?
- Do my employees feel safe sharing feedback or making mistakes?
Step 2: Define the “Why” for Your Organization
Expressing your organization’s purpose goes far beyond words in a mission statement. It’s about embedding the “why” into every layer of your culture, strategies, and operations. Clear alignment builds trust, fosters passion, and drives significant impact, ultimately setting your organization apart as a purpose-driven leader.
Identifying your organization’s core values not only gives employees a mission to rally around; it can set the tone for all managers and leaders to embody servant leadership principles. Here’s how to get started.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Who do we exist to serve?
- What makes us unique in achieving this purpose?
- How do we define success in alignment with our purpose?
- Are we involving our team members, partners, and customers in defining this purpose?
- Are we holding ourselves accountable to our purpose? True leadership is the realization that you are fully accountable.
- Are we showing servant leadership to employees of all generations?
Pro Tip: Write down these “whys” in plain language, and make them part of onboarding, company handbooks, and other communications. Continuously reiterate the core values to reinforce their importance to your organization’s work.
Member Resource: SHRM Toolkit on Developing Organizational Leaders
Step 3: Embed Key Practices into Leadership Development
The modern business landscape constantly evolves, requiring organizations to remain agile and resilient. Servant leadership empowers employees to take initiative and think creatively, enabling teams to adapt more efficiently to changes or challenges.
According to 20 members of the Forbes Human Resources Council, the benefits of servant leadership include building strong relationships, taking responsibility, and adapting to meet your employees’ needs.
Leadership and managerial development has been identified as the top HR priority for 2025 by CHROs, surpassing other critical areas such as recruiting and total rewards, according to SHRM’s CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report.
Core behaviors to develop in leaders:
- Introduce servant leadership early in onboarding. Outline values such as empathy, accountability, and selflessness as cornerstones of your company’s leadership model. Share practical examples of these principles in action to make them relatable and tangible from day one.
- Encourage leaders to seek regular feedback from their teams. Create a safe space where employees feel heard, respected, and valued. Use this feedback to help leaders identify areas where they can improve in empowering and supporting their teams.
- Encourage leaders to involve their teams in decision-making processes. Use practices such as team brainstorming sessions or shared goal setting to build trust and allow employees to feel a sense of ownership and purpose. Leading with transparency and collaboration exemplifies servant leadership in action.
Pro Tip: Offer workshops or online courses that use scenarios and role-playing to help leaders practice addressing challenges while demonstrating humility and a “people-first” mindset.
A servant leader ...
- Holds one-on-one meetings with team members to understand the challenges they face at work, ensure their concerns are addressed, and provide appropriate support.
- Takes employee preferences into account when assigning tasks but ultimately must decide what’s best for the organization. Servant leadership does not mean you follow employee preferences without boundaries.
- Supports employees transitioning back after parental leave by offering flexible schedules and checking in regularly to ensure they feel supported.
- Takes ownership of their mistakes and fosters a culture where team members feel safe to admit errors and learn from them.
- Provides constructive feedback and encourages others to offer them feedback as well.
- Implements regular team-building activities to strengthen cohesion between departments.
Step 4: Model the Mindset Through Everyday Moments
By embedding consistently supportive practices into your daily interactions, you’ll cultivate a leadership style that inspires trust, growth, and loyalty across your organization. Some examples include:
- Prioritizing active listening: Focus on understanding your team’s challenges, concerns, and ideas. Follow up on their feedback and act on it when possible.
- Empowering and developing your team: Offer mentorship, training opportunities, and resources to help employees grow. Give them meaningful assignments, encourage autonomy, and recognize their accomplishments publicly.
- Leading by example with humility: Offer to assist with problem-solving, help complete tasks for a big project, or step in during moments of crisis to walk the walk of service-oriented leadership. Openly acknowledge your own mistakes.
- Fostering a collaborative culture: Highlight the importance of diverse perspectives and let everyone, regardless of their position, have a voice in decision-making. Celebrate team successes and emphasize shared achievements.
- Making decisions with an eye on long-term impact: Balance short-term profitability with long-term sustainability, ensuring that actions reflect your commitment to the people who make up your organization. Model integrity and fairness in every decision, no matter how small.
Pro Tip: Open meetings by asking, “What do you need from me today?”
Step 5: Measure What Matters
Incorporate servant leadership into evaluation systems. With that forethought, you can drive accountability and elevate leadership to a practice that directly impacts business success while nurturing employees.
Include these goals during goal-setting discussions and revisit them regularly to assess progress.
Example goal: “Enable at least two team members to take ownership of significant projects by providing training, ongoing coaching, and feedback given through project outcomes and team surveys.”
Here are some metrics you should use:
- Employee engagement and pulse survey scores: Include questions regarding psychological safety, trust in leadership, and team and personal growth.
- Turnover rates and customer satisfaction: See how the statistics change after you institute a servant leadership approach.
- Empathy: Measured through team feedback scores (for instance, team members’ response to the phrase, “My manager understands and listens to my concerns”).
- Empowerment: Performance reviews should highlight innovations and opportunities for learning and growth.
- Inclusivity: Engagement metrics from employee surveys that evaluate whether all voices are encouraged and valued.
- Supportive actions: Employee feedback on resolving team conflicts or providing resources for well-being and growth.
- Mentoring initiatives: The number of mentorship relationships or coaching sessions held per year.
- Engagement efforts: Hosting cross-functional workshops to allow employees to learn about different areas of the company.
Example survey questions: In employee surveys, focus questions on behaviors central to servant leadership, such as:
- How well does/do [individual/leaders] foster trust and collaboration?
- Does [individual] create an environment where employees feel valued and empowered?
- How effectively does [individual] mentor and develop those they lead?
Step 6: Recognize and Reward Servant Leaders
Reinforce servant leadership behaviors by integrating them into the company’s recognition and rewards program. Highlight achievements that illustrate putting the team’s growth above personal gain, promoting workplace harmony, and achieving results through inclusivity.
Examples of recognition criteria:
- Managers who consistently support the career growth of their team members.
- Employees who model collaborative and supportive behavior during cross-departmental projects.
- Leaders who resolve team conflicts with a servant-leadership approach.
Formalize these criteria and rewards by acknowledging them during company events and make them part of performance appraisals to encourage adoption across the organization.
Ideas for recognition:
Public acknowledgment of their contributions: Dedicate time in team meetings or organizational events to recognize these leaders. Highlight specific ways their servant leadership has positively impacted their team or the broader organization.
Pro Tip: Sharing testimonials from colleagues can add even greater weight to their recognition.
Award for servant leadership excellence: Consider recognizing individuals on a regular basis with a meaningful trophy, certificate, or plaque that reflects this core value.
Professional development opportunities: Reward their dedication by investing in their growth. Offer scholarships to leadership courses, invite them to attend conferences, or provide them with mentoring opportunities.
Personalized appreciation gift: Provide a handwritten thank-you note from leadership or a gift that reflects their unique passions or interests.
Profile their impact in storytelling formats: Feature them in an internal or external spotlight campaign via blog posts, video stories, or social media features.
By acknowledging their contributions in clear, thoughtful, and mission-aligned ways, you can celebrate the servant leaders within your organization while fostering a culture that values and encourages this impactful leadership approach.
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