Servant Leadership Self-Reflection Worksheet

Servant leadership begins with a commitment to serve others and foster an environment of trust, collaboration, and growth. This worksheet is designed to guide you through self-reflection, helping you evaluate your leadership approach and align it with the principles of servant leadership. Use this tool to deepen your self-awareness, clarify your values, and identify areas for growth.

Understand Your Leadership Purpose

Questions to consider:

• Why do I want to lead?
• Are my motivations rooted in a desire to serve and empower others?
• What are my core values as a leader?
• How do my daily actions align with these values?
• When faced with challenges, do I make decisions that prioritize people and integrity?

Extra credit: Write a personal leadership statement that reflects your commitment to servant leadership. Example: “I lead to empower my team, foster their growth, and create a culture of trust and collaboration.

Assess Your Leadership Practices

Leaders practicing servant leadership prioritize listening, empathy, and empowerment. Take inventory of your current habits.

Questions to consider:

• Do I give my team members the opportunity to share their thoughts without interrupting?
• Do I take the time to understand my team’s emotions and challenges?
• How often do I delegate tasks that encourage others to learn and grow?
• Do my actions create a safe environment where team members feel valued and respected?
• Rate yourself (1 - Never, 5 - Consistently): 
  • I actively listen to my team members without distraction.
  • I provide constructive feedback while acknowledging successes.
  • I encourage collaboration and solicit input for decision-making.
  • I support my team in learning from mistakes rather than penalizing errors.

Extra credit: Identify one area where you can improve and create a plan to address it in the next 30 days.

Members-Only Resource: How to Put Servant Leadership into Practice

Align Leadership with Organizational Impact

Servant leadership connects personal values to broader organizational goals. Reflect on how your leadership aligns with the purpose of your team or organization.

Questions to consider:

• Am I clearly communicating the team’s purpose and how our work contributes to the larger mission?
• How do I involve my team in defining and aligning our goals with organizational values?
• How do I hold myself accountable to the values and mission of the organization?

Extra credit: Align team goals for the next quarter with both individual strengths and organizational objectives. Share these goals transparently and collaboratively in a team meeting.

Build Emotional Intelligence and Foster Collaboration

Strong servant leaders foster emotional intelligence and prioritize meaningful relationships.

Questions to consider:

• Do I recognize and validate the emotions and experiences of my team members?
• Do I create opportunities for collaboration across team members with diverse perspectives?
• How do I model fairness and integrity in my leadership?

Extra credit: Structure one-on-one check-ins with team members to better understand their needs and offer support. Begin by asking, “What do you need from me right now?” What else would you like to ask regularly?

Measure Progress

Effective servant leaders regularly assess their impact and adjust their approach. Self-reflection is vital to maintain and refine your leadership practices over time.

Questions to consider:

• Have I received feedback from my team about their experience working with me?
• What measurable outcomes reflect the effectiveness of my leadership (e.g., team engagement, productivity levels, employee retention)?
• What steps will I take to continue developing as a servant leader?

Key metrics to track:

• Team feedback and engagement surveys: Do team members report feeling empowered and valued?
• Turnover rates: Are people choosing to remain in the team or organization?
• Innovation: Are team members taking initiatives and contributing ideas?

Commit to Growth and Leadership Excellence

Servant leadership is a continuous learning process. End by identifying three specific actions you will take to strengthen your servant leadership practices. Examples could include prioritizing active listening, mentoring less-experienced team members, or taking responsibility for mistakes as opportunities for growth.

Extra credit: Keep a list of your commitments as a servant leader. Commit to your ongoing self-assessment by revisiting this worksheet quarterly. Invite peer and team feedback to enrich your growth process.

With time, dedication, and self-reflection, you can cultivate a leadership approach rooted in service, trust, and empowerment. Remember, the best test of a servant leader is the growth of the people you serve.