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Make Your Leadership Matter - Servant-Based Leadership Practices

By Nathan Fretz posted 07-24-2019 13:53

  


We as school business officials have a tremendous opportunity and expectation to serve others. Public service is not only a privilege, but also a selfless endeavor that comes with tremendous responsibility to others, including board members, superintendents, teachers and staff, external constituents and our own teams. Most importantly, we are here to serve our students and their families. John Maxwell said:



“The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves, but how far we advance others.
That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”1




A school district’s greatest charge is advancing the lives of our students. Shouldn’t a similar level of devotion be placed towards advancing the lives of our teams? The very essence and core of effective leadership is servitude, placing the needs of others above our own; however, how do we maintain a servant heart despite all of the challenges and distractions that we endure on a daily basis?

Communication and Cultural Cognizance

At the very soul of servitude lies communication and the foundation of effective communication is listening. Effective communication is also the driving force of workplace culture. Servant leaders should consider daily their influence on culture. Here are some key practices to focus on:

Treat Every Interaction as an Opportunity
As leaders, every little thing matters. The way we handle ourselves around others makes a huge difference. Some of us work in larger offices and some are in smaller offices, so our levels of interaction with others may differ substantially. However, no matter what your situation, acknowledging others is critical. While a “hello” is great, make it a point to find out something new about your team members on a regular basis. Taking interest in and engaging with others builds rapport, which builds trust, which builds relationships and teams.

Share Your Virtues
As a former grad student at NIU, Dr. Michael Jacoby, one of my professors, gave my class an assignment to write a personal code of ethics, the purpose of which was to share with prospective employers. I realized while doing this that I was documenting the characteristics that I hold most dear within not only my profession, but also my life beyond work. Then I realized if I were willing to share this with my employer, why wouldn’t I share this with my team? I subsequently decided to put an enlarged copy of my code of ethics on my wall in my office. I keep it next to my door and point it out to new and current team members on a regular basis. Moreover, I have made it a habit to read a few lines of it daily as a reminder of what I value most. This helps not only my team members to have a better understanding of who I am and what I believe, but it also helps me to stay grounded and focused on what I value the most. Sharing your virtues shows vulnerability, a key trait for those seeking to inspire others.

Feedback – Give It and Expect It
No one wants to feel isolated or alone in any setting, whether it is within a business or personal-life context. Providing feedback to your team members serves them by adding value, whether that feedback is positive or negative. Choose to give positive feedback both publicly and privately to show others your affirmation and lift them up. Choose to give negative feedback privately to avoid public scrutiny and shame. Even negative feedback should be provided in a way that lifts others up rather than puts them down. Be sure to focus on both grace and truth.

Furthermore, it is incredibly important to show appreciation at all times. Saying “thank you” for even the normal daily tasks of your team members lets them know you care. Another great way of giving thanks is through personal notes. I make it a point to write a few of them weekly. There is no better way to be genuine than to thank others with a handwritten message.
Solicitation of feedback from your team is just as important as relaying it. This adds value to your team members by giving them a voice and a sense of significance, but be sure to acknowledge feedback and use it to move forward. Even though you may choose a different direction, informing your team as to why is essential. Otherwise, team members will feel they weren’t heard and will be less inclined to chime in next time. Do not allow your team members to feel disillusioned.

Don’t Just Take the Time, MAKE the Time
With our busy schedules, it is easy to let our days fly by without giving time to the teams who keep the wheels spinning within our offices. If you are calendar-centric like me, dedicate 15 to 20 minutes each day to just walk around the office and talk to people. During these times, stay clear of work talk unless it is to praise or interject quick reminders. Focus on the relationships, not the work. This time may open your eyes to things going on to which you were previously unaware. Engaging your personnel in this manner will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Focus on the Team Dynamic
The greatest workplace cultures are built on a system of collaboration, which is born by a devotion to teamwork. Building and maintaining team unity starts with how you refer to your personnel both within the workplace and beyond. When communicating, consider a habit of referring to your staff as team members rather than by position or title.

Show Humility
There is perhaps no better way to serve others than to show humility, or true human realness. Rick Warren said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”2 Own your mistakes to your team and apologize when necessary. Acknowledge that your way is not the only way and empower others to pave the way forward.

Commitment to Self

Servant leadership does not just require a focus on others, but also a focus on oneself. Our batteries are not meant to keep going without a recharge. Here are some tips on how to stay committed to our purpose:

Surround Yourself with Things You Love
Our offices are often our refuge. The design of our office space is central to who we are and how we focus. Years ago I realized that all I was looking at was a wall of boring framed documents and empty space. At best that was not very motivating to me. Then I moved them to the back of my office and now I look at artwork and pictures of my beautiful family. On my desk I keep mementos and sports memorabilia and a Bible. These things remind me of what I love most and that motivates me!

Stay Connected to the Students
I have worked in both small and large school districts, both near and away from students. It was easy to stay connected when my office door backed up to a pre-k and kindergarten hallway (they always let me know they were there). Now, however, I must venture out of my office to visit the schools. I especially love volunteering my time at high schools in a periodic mentoring capacity. If you do not make time for the ones you are there to support, then your service to others will never realize its full potential.

Take Downtime
Stress can quickly take its toll on us if we do not take some time to ourselves. This may look different for each person, but I choose to close my office door for a short time each day to refresh doing one of more of the following:

  • Journaling
  • Minute with Maxwell – short video clips on leadership from John Maxwell
  • Reading
  • Daily devotion / prayer / meditation
All of these methods also provide me with personal growth, which is so essential to our lives as leaders.

Reflect – Feed on Failure & Sip on Success
Often coinciding with my planned downtime, reflection gives me the opportunity to take stock of both my strengths and weaknesses, to self-evaluate. Be thankful for the successes of you and your team, but focus your energy on overcoming your individual struggles and failures. The greatest of opportunities are born from obstacles. There may be days when all you see are struggles. I like to look back at personal notes I have received from others to lift me up and remember that we are all here to fulfill a common mission: to enrich the lives of children. I have found that the greatest leaders in my life are not the ones whose focus was to count on me, but rather the ones who I could count on to encourage, support, mentor and value me. I have made substantially more progress in my life having been served rather than being managed. So, too, will your teams as you carry a servant heart forward in all that you do.

By Nathan Fretz
Director of Accounting
Springfield Public School District 186


1 Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
2 Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life

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