Okay, so “subservient leadership,” huh? I’d heard the term thrown around, but honestly, I didn’t fully grasp it. So, I decided to spend a week actually trying it out with my small team. Here’s how it went down, bumps and all.
Day 1: The Mindset Shift
First thing I did was ditch the usual “I’m the boss” attitude. Instead of barking orders, I started asking, “What do you guys need from me to make your jobs easier?” That felt awkward, like I was suddenly supposed to be everyone’s personal assistant. I got a few weird looks, for sure.
Day 2-3: Listening… Really Listening
I spent most of these two days just shutting up and listening. During our team meetings, I focused on what everyone was saying, their frustrations, their ideas. I used to just wait my turn to talk, but now I was really trying to understand. We are working hard together.
- Jane mentioned she was constantly waiting on design assets.
- Mark felt overloaded with a specific type of task.
- Sarah, was having a conflict with client expectation.
Day 4: Action, Not Just Words
This is where I started putting the “subservient” part into action. Instead of just nodding along, I started actively removing roadblocks.
- I contacted the design lead directly and smoothed things out for Jane, getting her a faster turnaround.
- I reassigned some of Mark’s workload, giving him a bit of breathing room.
- I took Sarah’s trouble, and had a talk with the client and got her mind at ease.
Day 5-7: Seeing the Results (and the Weirdness)
By the end of the week, I was seeing a definite shift. The team seemed more engaged, more willing to come to me with problems. They weren’t just doing what I told them, they were proactively solving problems because they felt supported. We finished a mini-project ahead of schedule, and everyone seemed…happier.I felt really good, it is the most rewarding week in my career.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There were times I felt like I was doing too much hand-holding. I had to remind myself that being a “subservient leader” doesn’t mean becoming a doormat. It’s about empowering people, not doing everything for them.
So, my takeaway? “Subservient leadership” isn’t about being a pushover. It’s about flipping the script and focusing on serving your team’s needs so they can succeed. I think it really works, that I will be the one keep doing it.