Servant leadership is basically a leadership philosophy wherein the primary objective of the leader is to lead by example. This is opposed to traditional managerial leadership in which the leader’s sole focus is on the survival of the organization or companies. It also differs from peer leadership, in which leaders assist or advise their peers. It is also dissimilar to autocratic leadership, wherein leaders are autocratic and controls the subordinates by means of power, authority, and influence.
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What servant leadership aims to build is a participative and inclusive leadership that provides a supportive environment for the leaders as well as the teams. It is built on the concept that leaders must demonstrate leadership by example, as well as the need to provide a supportive environment that enables them to share vision, mission, and agenda with others. In this sense, leaders are free to be themselves, but they still need to take responsibility and set goals for the company, while having the ability to influence, guide, and control the work force. They are also required to establish clear rules and procedures to ensure that these things are followed.
Since servant leadership may not always be applicable, it is important to ensure that you have a culture of trust within your company. You should ensure that all your employees understand that they are entitled to be treated fairly, particularly in the areas of sexual harassment, fairness and equal opportunity. Another important aspect is to establish clear and concise rules for the employees, as well as for the leadership. These rules should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are still up to date and relevant. Finally, you should have an internal procedure or system to discipline employees who are found to be in violation of these rules or any other related policies.