Leading with Integrity: 7 Habits of Servant Leaders

Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said it best: “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first one, the other two will kill you.”

IN·TEG·RI·TY n. 1. Quality of being honest and up-right in character.

1. Condition of being complete.

[Wikipedia]

Syn: honour, veracity, reliability

Ant: “cheat”

Recently, I had a conversation with a VP of HR who demonstrated subtle cracks in the armour of integrity that were disturbing. He uses quiet manipulations to advance a personal agenda under the guise of affability that are imminently damaging to the team and the company. Over the past 3 years, his actions have resulted in high turnover and poor employee morale. One thing is certain; his lack of integrity will eventually catch up to him. It may not be today, and it may not be for many years, but there will be a day of reckoning.

To lead with integrity and create a servant leadership culture, Dr. Kimberly Young, a noted licensed psychologist and consultant, identifies 7 habits that we must practice to encourage integrity, understanding and a sense of community.

1. Be an Active Listener – Steven Covey said, “you must first seek to understand, then to be understood.” Servant-leaders must reinforce these important skills by making a deep commitment to actively listening to others. Servant-leaders seek to identify and clarify the will of a group. They seek to listen receptively to what is being and said (and not said) among others. By listening with intent, followers feel understood and valued, even under pressure, the servant leader demonstrates a sense of empathy and compassion by taking the time to understand what one’s body, spirit, and mind are communicating.

2. Be Empathic – Do people believe that you will understand what is happening in their lives and how it affects them? Servant leaders can “walk in others’ shoes” and recognize the unique value of each employee. They understand and empathize with others’ circumstances and problems. Leaders who are empathetic have earned confidence from others by understanding whatever situation is being faced. This characteristic is a skill that comes more naturally to some than others, but it is pertinent for all who aspire to be a servant leader.

3. Establish Trust – Establishing trust is an essential part of being a servant leader. Leaders who display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all their actions will inspire trust from followers. In the age of corporate scandals, a CEO’s integrity has been tainted and employees feel less inclined to instinctively trust their leaders, making honesty an even more crucial part of a leader’s character. For the servant leader, honesty is vital and the ability to establish trust with others fosters a greater sense of openness and truthfulness with followers so that they feel a higher sense of commitment and purpose to the organization they serve.

4. Be Aware – Having the ability to look within strengthens the servant-leader. Making a commitment to foster awareness to one self can enable the servant leader to react with greater sensitivity towards others and through one’s own unique journey, leaders can be of greater service to others by helping them grow and seek greater self-awareness among themselves. Self-awareness also inspires a sense of authenticity in one’s interactions with others, enabling them to feel the leader is sincere and has their best interests at heart. In this way, servant leaders can develop employee loyalty to the firm by focusing on followers’ individual needs for achievement and growth and demonstrating an acceptance of their individual differences.

5. Be Authentic – Being authentic isn’t always easy in the midst of office politics and role barriers. The need to get ahead may slant our presentation to others – we feel inhibited to say what is on our mind, and we may compromise our true feelings, stunting ourselves from truly being authentic. Yet, building on the foundations of good leadership, servant leaders have the inner strength to share and convey what is truly in their hearts to create an authentic presence in their interactions with others, fostering greater employee allegiance to the organization.

6. Be Persuasive – Servant-leaders rely on persuasion, rather than positional authority in making decisions. Servant-leaders seek to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular habit offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant-leadership. The servant-leader is effective at building consensus within groups and demonstrates a greater trust among those who work for them.

7. Be Community-Minded – Servant-leaders commit to the growth of the people working around them and believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, servant-leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of each and every individual within the organization. Servant-leaders seek to identify a means for building community among those who work around them. Having shared values and a shared sense of purpose creates a breeding ground for employees to support one another and fosters a greater sense of identity within the company.

A belief that leadership development is an on-going, life-long learning process and making the commitment to continuous development of these habits will help enable your transformation into a servant leader and to lead with integrity.