Servant Leadership

HR Talk

Leadership: ‘Be a servant of your Subordinate’

It was a Friday and I was in my holiday mood enjoying a sleep after early Morning Prayer. Around 8 am my mobile rang. It shows that Managing Director of the company calling me. Surprisingly I myself adjusted my throat, not to feel him any uncomfortable while talking, and attended the call. He was just asking me whether I am at home, and if I am free whether I could come to the office as he needs my service at office. It was a little bit annoying that I couldn’t complete my sleep as my target was up to 9. But feeling his own commitment to be present at office 8 am on Friday, I agreed to reach 9 am after refreshing myself.

He came to my cabin and sat before me explaining the work I should do for him. I started working in my computer and he became busy with emergency works. In between he was coming to me asking about the progress in work. I continued working as there was lot of reference needed to complete the report he asked to do. And I was convinced about the emergency of the document; otherwise he would never disturb anybody on holidays.

The he disappeared for some time. I thought he might be gone out for any urgent matter and I continued working on the document. Suddenly he appeared before me with two cups of tea. He offered one to me. Alas! He has made himself a tea for me. I asked him like that. “Why you did like this, if you have told me I would have made it for you”.  His reply was like this. “It is common; I wish to have a tea. So I thought to make one myself. As you are working here, I thought I will make one for you as well, I don’t want to you to break your work, because the work is important”.

We may get into these kinds of leaders very rarely. They might have making tea themselves, but will not make one for their subordinate. Most of them think that if they do like this, it is a shameful action. So they prefer not to do this. Also think about managers coming to the cabin of the employee and discussing with them the issues. It is advisable as employees feel more comfortable in their seats than being in Manager’s room.

What was the output of this incident? It really helped to increase my respect towards my Managing Director and I became more committed to him and his organization in total. The more the managers are simple the more the respect they will gain. If they are arrogant and questioning always, the respect the manager getting may probably be a physical one, not mental. The employee will respect you and will show respect towards you by keeping hatred upon you deep inside his heart.

I don’t know, Mohammed, the owner and Managing Director of a well known Department stores and hypermarket chain across UAE and Oman, did attend the workshop on ‘Servant Leadership’ an idea put forward by Robert K Greenleaf in Seventies and recently gained momentum. But whenever I read about Greenleaf’s servant leadership theory I remember Mohammed, the true leader.

I have heard from other staff, when they ask one day off because of sickness, he used to ask about the details of the sickness and suggest the best doctor to be consulted. For most of the staff, he was a solace before whom they can tell their grievances, personal issues and seek remedies. Besides, some of the staff told me that he used to invite them to have dinner with him and he was the person who serves them, though there were a lot of servants and housemaids.

May be the history will go back, when I read about prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, quoted telling that ‘ the leader of the people should be their servant’ and he used to walk at the end side of the caravan while travelling in order to attend and serve the weak person and encourage them.

The following were the specifications of the servant leader put forward by Greenleaf:  Listening, motivation, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship and commitment towards the development of the subordinate both professional and spiritual way.

Study shows that ‘servant leadership’ can produce better result than conventional autocratic leadership.  Are we really ready for challenge?