Many get into leadership through a love of service, they want to lead and serve the people who follow them. However, this can often be lost through the other things that accompany success such as money, luxury, and power. This can lead some leaders to lose sight of their goal or can even mislead onlookers as to their goal.
The truth is, that people follow those who serve them. And most true leaders will tell you that the people they serve are the most important.
Service starts with you
People follow those who serve them, as customers support businesses who serve the community. If your business is not meeting your goals, the first question you should ask is how am I serving my community, my employees, and my customers?
Service starts with you! If you do not serve your customers, neither will your staff. Your actions directly affect your business!
So invest in yourself, plan for the future, and learn about new ways to serve those you come into contact with.
Are You a Multiplier or Diminisher?
One reason service leaders do the best work is that they are surrounded by the best people. This is no accident! They attract the best talent as they are multipliers, they build and grow those around them.
This is very different from the stereotypical boss who is known as a diminisher, all they want is how much they can get out of you. They are not interested in growing you, they are focused on using you for their gain. In turn, they don’t attract or retain the best people and often have high staff turnover as the best people move on to better places.
4 Questions to Identify If You Are a Multiplier Or a Diminisher?
- Do you attract people and good talent?
- Are you a good teacher/ coach?
- Do you offer constant feedback and rewards?
- Can you voice your opinion with respect and clarity?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you are likely a Multiplier. If you didn’t answer yes to all of these questions then you know where to spend some time learning and improving.
Service needs to be at your core. Serve your customers, your staff, and your community, and in turn, they will serve you!