A Classic Story of Servant Leadership in Action

One of my favorite opportunities to learn is getting to sit in on Client meetings and this one was awesome!  The leader was a VP meeting with eleven Directors to celebrate a really challenging, successful year and inspire the group to bring even more authentic, positive support to energizing Employees around world-class Customer Service.  I’ve never seen it done more effectively.

    The leader passed out 2×4 inch pads of colorful Post-It notes and asked each Director to jot down what they were most proud of, one thing per card, that their team had accomplished over 2013.  These notes were then posted on the wall which soon came alive with crowds of colorful notes.  Then each leader was invited to share their celebrations with the whole group.  It was a high-energy time that flew by as each leader shared ten to twenty or more amazing accomplishments in the midst of a crushing barrage of challenges.

I heard about a “Tell Me More About You” Survey which asked how each Employee preferred to be recognized for outstanding work.  What was their favorite restaurant?  Preferred gifts, etc.?  This was the preface to discovering creative ways to make sure that acts to reward Employees for stellar work were in fact stellar for the Employee.

There were so many reports of over-and-above performance and a level of Employee Engagement that can only be described as transformational!  Then the leader began to mirror the greatness of this team.  “This is the most phenomenal team!  I love our work!  It’s the hardest work I have even done but I wouldn’t trade being here with you and getting to support each of you as you keep raising the bar creating mutual trust and a shared vision of unmatched Customer Service, first for our Employees and then their work with our internal and external Customers.”

Then the leader described how she convinced one of her team to take on a new and very challenging role as Chief of Staff.  She described it as “the best job ever, one she will never want to leave.”  She described her new CoS as aggressive, persistent and completly dedicated to making us all better.   When she finished this glowing description I could see the new CoS take on an even greater commitment to fulfill her new role with all the excellence she could muster and then some.

The final gift was elegant, personalized stationery for each Director so that each could enjoy writing personalized letters of commendation recognizing the extraordinary acts of teaming, collaboration and Customer Service that she knew would increase directly in proportion to the nurturing this inspired team was highly motivated to provide.  “My time is yours.  Tell me where you need me to be and I’ll do my best to be there.  Send me messages of how your team members are hitting home runs and I’ll write personalized letters and let your team know that their leader is raving about their great service!  I’m so proud of each of you and even prouder to have this opportunity to support you in every way possible.”

The energy was palpable in the room for the two-plus hours I observed.  There were tears of appreciation and gratitude.   And by the close of the meeting it was pulsing with shared love, mutual trust and a fierce new commitment to the year ahead.  When people feel truly appreciated, recognized for stellar work, safe to make errors in the midst of constant innovation, and confident that their leader has their back and is working to help them shine there is no stopping this team!  This is classic servant leadership coming from the heart of an inspired and inspiring servant-leader!