Should Manager's be Leaders or Servants

I have been reading through a book titled Finding God's Life for My Will - His Presence is the Plan by Mike Donehey (sidenote: this is not an affiliate link and I do not receive a penny when you click on it or purchase the book). In his chapter labeled The Leader Label Lie he challenges the assumption that "leader" is a label that should be aspired to.

His argument, and I have a strong disposition to agree with him, is that when we give ourselves the title leader it is an attempt to grab power, intentional or not. By putting ourselves on the "leader" pedestal we separate ourselves from others in a way that undermines the worth of others. Additionally, it does not allow us to connect with others in a way that inspires.

But Donehey isn't the first to point this leadership problem out. There is a school of leadership titled servant leadership that tries to put the leader in the place of serving their people. At first blush, this seems to address the problem of a leader standing above others giving orders. On closer inspection, though we are still stuck with the person holding the title putting themselves on a level apart from the people they are tasked to serve.

So what is Donehey's response? Drop the title of leader. Instead, meet people where they are and treat them like individuals. In both leader and servant leader paradigms we lose sight of the individual and we put up a wall between others and ourselves.

Imagine how your management style would change if you saw others as equal and that your job was to find ways to enable them and help them to discover what tools they need to succeed. And then to provide them with the environment and tools that is most conducive to their success.

Do you think this style of management would bring greater purpose and peace to your work? Would it give greater meaning to your daily routine? How do you think others would respond to a manager who treats them as equals and displays a true appreciation for the value they bring to the team?

After reading Donehey's thoughts on this subject I began to think of these implications. I realized how empowering this could be.

Too many manager's feel that they need to be the leader - to have all the answers and show others how smart they are. But if you are focused on yourself, others will be turned off. You need to show others that you are interested in them and their success.

Once you take the focus off yourself, you also take the pressure off yourself. By focusing on others you begin to understand what motivates them and you can use this knowledge to help them succeed and in turn to help the team succeed.

Demonstrating concern and empathy for others is the first step to building relationships of trust. When your team buys into the fact that you actually care about them, they will be more likely to share their ideas and opinions openly and honestly. This will help to flesh out the best ideas to meet team goals and build cohesion on the team.

Ultimately, your job as a manager is to get the best out of the people and resources under your area of influence. If your focus is on being seen as a leader then you will have a hard time putting the focus on others. If other people want to call you a leader, fine, but don't seek the title. Instead, put others first and find ways to serve them and the organization you work for. Success will come and give more meaning and satisfaction when it is filled with helping others.