What does Servant Leadership entail?

Traditionally, when we think of 'leadership,' we often picture someone who sets the direction and manages things from the top down. With Servant Leadership, it's the other way around. You stand not above, but alongside or even beneath your team when it comes to facilitating and supporting. As a Servant Leader, you provide people with the space and resources to grow, take responsibility, and utilize their talents for the benefit of the organization.

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The challenge of 'at scale'

It's often possible to apply Servant Leadership within a single team or a smaller department. But what if your organization consists of dozens or hundreds of teams? Then different questions arise. How do you ensure that not only Scrum Masters, but also managers and board members adopt a servant mindset? How do you maintain a culture of trust and support in a complex environment?

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A concrete example

At Spark Academy we saw how an international retail organization with as many as 50 teams simultaneously transitioned to agile working. The board wanted to embrace Servant Leadership but was accustomed to hierarchical decision-making. They quickly discovered that if they themselves didn't demonstrate exemplary behavior (such as truly listening to teams and allowing for autonomy), it would be harder for middle management and teams to do the same. The lesson? You must authentically embody servant leadership throughout the organization, not just in words but also in your actions.

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Towards a Servant Culture

Start with the leadership team

If leadership isn't on board, initiatives at the operational level often stall. Together, establish a clear vision of what Servant Leadership means within your organization.

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Create supportive structures

Consider communities of practice for leaders, where they coach each other. Or onboarding programs for new managers, focused on servant leadership instead of control.

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Open feedback channels

People need to feel safe giving (and receiving) feedback. This applies to every level of the organization. Encourage regular check-ins and retrospectives, not just within teams, but also at the executive level.

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Facilitate growth opportunities

A servant leader encourages people to develop new skills. Offer training, mentoring, and space to experiment with their own ideas.

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Continuously evaluate

Just like with Scrum, this isn't a one-off project. Set aside time to assess whether the organization is still on the right track and if leaders are adequately fulfilling their role as Servant Leaders.

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Pitfalls

• Faux-servant leadership: Sometimes it all seems like servant leadership, but in practice, it's still secretly 'command & control'. Both the intention and the behavior must be genuine.
• Lack of shared language: If one department thinks full-time in Agile/Scrum terms and another doesn't, noise and confusion can arise.
• Too much freedom, too little direction: Servant leadership doesn't mean everyone just does whatever they want. You still need frameworks and an overarching vision.

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