In an Inc. article, executive coach, speaker and author Marcel Schwantes emphasizes the importance of servant leadership when it comes to building trust and relationships with employees. Servant leaders put their team’s needs first, willingly share credit and take responsibility when things go wrong.
Schwantes shares the following rare behaviors that help leaders excel at servant leadership.
- Build trust through genuine, intentional caring. Strong leaders show interest in employees’ work, goals and careers. They care about employee motivation and ensure workers have opportunities to grow. When employees believe their leaders genuinely care about them, performance improves and employees are more engaged.
- Use empathy to connect with others and drive results. Empathy is essential, and it is important that leaders listen, check in and acknowledge the experiences of others—even if they are different from their own experiences. Showing employees you understand their emotions and challenges creates psychological safety.
- Be radically transparent. Transparency builds trust and boosts collaboration, allowing people to feel safe voicing their thoughts. It is crucial for leaders to encourage employees to ask any question—even the most difficult questions. Studies show that when companies share privileged information with employees, it reduces uncertainty and stress about the company’s strategy and plans.
