Servant Leadership: leading by putting others at the center

Servant Leadership is a style of leadership built on one core principle: an effective leader is first and foremost in service of others. It’s not about being “nice” in a vague sense — it’s about taking concrete actions to ensure that people can grow, contribute, and feel valued.¹

This is a deeply transformative approach because it flips the focus: no longer “how can I get more out of people,” but “how can I create the conditions for people to give their best because they want to, are able to, and feel supported.”

Origins and principles of Servant Leadership

The concept was introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 in his essay The Servant as Leader. According to Greenleaf, a true leader begins with the desire to serve — and from that, leadership naturally emerges.²

• Active listening
• Empathy
• Self-awareness and awareness of others
• Ability to build community
• Commitment to the growth of others

Why Servant Leadership matters in the Future of Work

In today’s world — shaped by hybrid work, rising individual expectations, demand for flexibility and meaning — Servant Leadership offers a powerful response. It builds psychological safety, fosters authentic relationships, and nurtures a sense of belonging, all of which are essential for motivation and sustainable performance.³

Moreover, servant leaders create environments where people can learn, take calculated risks, make mistakes, and improve. This fuels innovation and continuous learning.⁴

Measurable impacts of Servant Leadership

• Higher talent retention
• Greater employee engagement
• Improved internal collaboration
• Increased individual and team productivity
• Reduced turnover and burnout⁵

Servant Leadership vs. traditional leadership

• Traditional leadership: authority-based, focused on control and hierarchy.
• Servant Leadership: relational, focused on support, listening, and people development.

How to implement it in your organization

• Foster a culture of authentic feedback
• Promote active listening and meaningful conversations
• Align individual goals with organizational purpose
• Evaluate leaders by their ability to grow others

Conclusion

Servant Leadership is not a “soft” utopia — it’s a powerful systemic and operational approach. It shifts leadership from “driving results” to “achieving results because you lead well.” It’s the kind of leadership that builds strong people, cohesive teams, and healthy organizations. In a world where talent is the ultimate competitive advantage, knowing how to lead by putting others first is the new strategic imperative.

References

• Binda Zane, E. (2021). Emotional Intelligence for Leaders. Milan: Self-published. ↩︎
• Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Paulist Press. ↩︎
• Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228–1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310380462 ↩︎
• Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 161–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.01.006 ↩︎
• Hunter, E. M., Neubert, M. J., Perry, S. J., Witt, L. A., Penney, L. M., & Weinberger, E. (2013). Servant leaders inspire servant followers: Antecedents and outcomes for employees and the organization. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(2), 316–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.12.001 ↩︎