Servant Leadership
Every company has a culture that defines what the company’s value and vision are all about. You have a culture, regardless if you are putting effort in on it. That’s why it is extremely important to be intentional in your leadership so that you establish and maintain the culture that your company has.
John Maxwell said “leadership is influence” and studies show that when a leader acts in the needs of their employees by empowering others to achieve their goals, helping them develop and putting their needs ahead of their own, and, it creates a formula for success in workplace culture and it’s great for your bottom line too, says a bunch of research.
Thought leadership isn’t just about leading successful companies that run like well-oiled machines, it’s about bringing out the best in your people. Companies like Wholefoods espouse tenants of conscious capitalism, including shared stakeholder value across multiple levels, modeling compassion, challenging internal biases and being humble in their actions to facilitate a culture of learning and growth.
Starbucks is another leader in the servant leadership industry. By ‘living’ culture and not just talking it and responding to employees’ thoughts and concerns through direct action, CEO Howard Schultz has been able to grow the company by creating open discussion forums and treating his employees like he would a customer. By valuing employees and be willing as leaders to put their needs first, we can foster a positive company culture that will ensure payback in the long run.
About the Author
Vanessa Shaw has spent the last 15 years of her career working on culture. Vanessa believes that culture is something we can all take ownership of, and everyone deserves to have a workplace experience they love.
Throughout her career, whether it’s delivering a workshop, guiding a team through culture change, or presenting as a keynote, her goal is always the same; to inspire pros to take action. Building Culture Summit is how Vanessa and co-founder Hung Pham we are taking action, and their goal is to inspire and empower you to do the same.