Servant Leadership - A Key Leadership Style in Agile

What is "Servant Leadership"

Agile methodology places great emphasis on the role of the team and the importance of collaboration. However, effective leadership is still crucial to the success of an Agile team. In this context, the concept of servant leadership has emerged as an essential leadership style in Agile.

Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy that emphasizes the leader's role as a servant to their team. In other words, the leader's primary focus is to serve their team members, to empower them, and to help them achieve their goals. The leader's success is measured by the success of the team.

In Agile methodology, the team is responsible for delivering the product, and the role of the leader is to facilitate the team's work. Servant leadership is particularly effective in this context, as it encourages collaboration, communication, and teamwork.

A servant leader creates a positive work environment, where team members feel valued and empowered. They provide support, guidance, and resources to the team, and they encourage the team to take ownership of their work. By doing so, they promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Servant leadership is also effective in promoting trust and transparency within the team. By serving their team members, the leader demonstrates their commitment to the team's success, and they build trust and respect.

In conclusion, servant leadership is an essential leadership style in Agile methodology. It emphasizes the leader's role as a servant to their team, and it promotes collaboration, communication, and teamwork. By adopting a servant leadership approach, leaders can create a positive work environment, promote innovation and continuous improvement, and build trust and respect within their team.

Benefits of "Servant Leadership"

The benefits of Servant Leadership have been proven in numerous studies and dissertations by many famous scholars. In particular, the five benefits of Servant Leadership were mentioned in the essay "Greenleaf's 'Best Test' of Servant Leadership: A multilevel analysis" by scholar Robert W. Hayden. Let's find out what those five benefits are!

Benefit 1. Building employee loyalty Servant leaders encourage their employees to participate in all aspects of the decision-making process. When employees are built up and contribute to a common goal, they will see their own responsibility and role, from which strong loyalty is built over time.

Benefit 2. Encouraging employee contributions to the company Servant leaders allow employees to freely express themselves and their concerns. All employees will feel empowered to carry out their work with independence, flexibility and a sense of motivation. In addition, servant leaders always support their employees, helping them to maximize their potential and access tasks beyond their usual duties.

Benefit 3. Limiting the abuse of power Instead of authoritarian leadership in every aspect, servant leaders share information and consider employees' solutions. Furthermore, employees' decisions and ideas will create diversity in the workplace, enabling the company to access things from different perspectives.

Benefit 4. Improving employee productivity When referring to the benefits of Servant Leadership, surely the productivity in the organization will be improved. Servant leaders go against traditional management, always supporting employees' freedom and flexibility to learn, explore, and solve challenges. When employees have higher awareness of job satisfaction, they will know how to manage their time effectively and work more positively, bringing more professionalism to their organization.

Benefit 5. Adapting quickly to changes in the business environment What is the approach of Servant Leadership? Can it be effective in different work environments? The answer is yes. Servant leaders bring a culture of service, putting the needs of employees ahead of their own needs and considering it a top priority. In a service-oriented group, all members consider helping others a top priority.