How do you foster a culture of responsibility and service among your peers and colleagues?

Servant leadership is a philosophy and practice that emphasizes the empowerment, development, and well-being of others. As a servant leader, you aim to serve the needs and interests of your peers and colleagues, rather than your own ego or agenda. But how do you foster a culture of responsibility and service among your team members, especially in a competitive or challenging environment? Here are some tips to help you create a positive and collaborative atmosphere where everyone feels valued and motivated.

1 Listen actively and empathetically

One of the most important skills of a servant leader is listening. Listening means not only hearing what others say, but also understanding their emotions, perspectives, and motivations. By listening actively and empathetically, you show respect and care for your peers and colleagues, and you create a safe space for them to express their opinions, concerns, and ideas. Listening also helps you identify the strengths, weaknesses, and needs of your team members, and provide them with appropriate feedback, guidance, and support.

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Tiersa Hall, SPHR®, MHRM, CHT

Helping HR professionals and their organizations solve people-centric challenges and foster productive work cultures through coaching, consulting and learning. 🌟 Forbes Expert Contributor| Amazon Best Selling Author📖
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It is important to highlight that when listening we should always be Listening to understand rather than listening to respond. Often we are so passionate to get our points across or fear that we will lose our point that we rush to respond and neglect to truly hear what is said. It is always good to have a note pad or somewhere you can write the thoughts of others to ensure you understand and to force you to do more active listening. Also remember especially when dealing with introverts to give time for processing and allow a few moments of silence before responding. Sometimes it can be that the individual isn't quote complete in communication.

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2 Share your vision and goals

Another key aspect of servant leadership is sharing your vision and goals with your peers and colleagues. Sharing your vision means communicating clearly and passionately what you want to achieve, why it matters, and how it aligns with the organizational mission and values. Sharing your goals means setting realistic and measurable objectives, and involving your team members in the planning and decision-making process. By sharing your vision and goals, you inspire and engage your peers and colleagues, and you foster a sense of ownership and accountability for the outcomes.

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3 Delegate and empower

As a servant leader, you also need to delegate and empower your peers and colleagues. Delegating means entrusting them with meaningful and challenging tasks, and giving them the autonomy and authority to complete them. Empowering means providing them with the necessary resources, tools, and training, and encouraging them to learn, grow, and innovate. By delegating and empowering your peers and colleagues, you demonstrate trust and confidence in their abilities, and you enable them to develop their skills and potential.

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Tiersa Hall, SPHR®, MHRM, CHT

Helping HR professionals and their organizations solve people-centric challenges and foster productive work cultures through coaching, consulting and learning. 🌟 Forbes Expert Contributor| Amazon Best Selling Author📖
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There are many leaders that feel that the job is better done by themselves but if you can teach someone a skill or task while guiding in the long run you will have more time for very important tasks. In addition delegating isn't completely letting go so no need to fear the outcome, as a the delegator you will still have the ability to review and monitor the overall process. This is a great trade-off

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4 Recognize and appreciate

Another way to foster a culture of responsibility and service among your peers and colleagues is to recognize and appreciate their efforts and achievements. Recognizing means acknowledging and celebrating their contributions, successes, and improvements, and giving them constructive and positive feedback. Appreciating means expressing gratitude and admiration for their work, and showing them how they make a difference. By recognizing and appreciating your peers and colleagues, you boost their morale and self-esteem, and you reinforce a culture of excellence and mutual respect.

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Tiersa Hall, SPHR®, MHRM, CHT

Helping HR professionals and their organizations solve people-centric challenges and foster productive work cultures through coaching, consulting and learning. 🌟 Forbes Expert Contributor| Amazon Best Selling Author📖
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One thing I have found. helpful in getting teams and leaders to recognize and appreciate each other are personality and leadership assessments like DISC. They allow each person to see the value their personality brings to the team and how off the organization would be without it. These systems with proper facilitation allow people to be inspired to approach each other where they are while also being true to self. When people are accepted for who they are they make more effort to make others comfortable

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5 Serve and support

Finally, as a servant leader, you need to serve and support your peers and colleagues. Serving means putting their needs and interests above your own, and acting as a role model and a mentor. Supporting means being available and accessible, and offering help, advice, and guidance when needed. By serving and supporting your peers and colleagues, you create a strong and loyal bond with them, and you cultivate a culture of cooperation and collaboration.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you foster a culture of responsibility and service among your peers and colleagues?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Listen actively and empathetically

2 Share your vision and goals

3 Delegate and empower

4 Recognize and appreciate

5 Serve and support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Servant Leadership

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How do you foster a culture of responsibility and service among your peers and colleagues?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Listen actively and empathetically

2 Share your vision and goals

3 Delegate and empower

4 Recognize and appreciate

5 Serve and support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Servant Leadership

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