Why Servant Leadership Is Best For Work Engagement

If you are a leader, then you have probably had your fair share of struggles with work engagement. Keeping employees engaged is not easy. And I’ll tell you right now, a pizza party is not going to cut it.

Some companies keep a rather low priority for work or employee engagement. The small HR teams, low-cost solutions to employee problems, and zero effort to challenge how things have always been are dead giveaways.

Despite what people think, work engagement is not an HR issue; it’s a leadership issue. Why? The way you lead sets the attitude for the whole organization and, thus, employees. 

So, if you are the kind of leader who’s okay with cheap gift cards and pizza parties, don’t expect much engagement from your team. When leaders support something, it changes the organization and the team in turn.

Leaders can be like influencers: if they start dressing casually at work, people will follow. If they decide Friday is a work-from-home day, everyone will work from home. And if they support thoughtful work engagement initiatives, then employees will be engaged. 

Your impact matters a lot more than you think. It is why servant leadership is something leaders should consider adopting. 

This kind of leadership puts the people who work for you in focus. And it makes sense that work engagement will improve if you think outside the pizza box. Studies have even proven it. 

Explore more of this concept below.

7 Ways Servant Leadership Improves Work Engagement

Servant leadership can be a game-changer for work engagement. It’s because this style of leadership is all about putting your team first and making sure they feel valued. Here is a breakdown of a few ways servant leadership skyrockets work engagement.

Listening to Understand

Servant leaders don’t just hear their employees—they truly listen. In fact, the best servant leaders lead by listening. They tune in to their needs, concerns, and suggestions. A work relationship is still a relationship, after all. And if there’s something that ends a relationship fast, it’s not communicating.

Picture the manager who holds regular one-on-one meetings with their team. They sit down, chat about project progress, and dive into any challenges team members are facing.

This kind of open dialogue shows employees that their opinions matter, making them feel heard and appreciated. When people feel valued, their engagement naturally increases. They’re more likely to invest their energy and creativity into their work.

Displaying Empathy and Caring

Next, showing empathy and genuine care is a huge part of servant leadership. Remember, you are focusing on your people. When leaders show they care about their employees’ well-being, it creates a supportive and engaging work environment.

Servant team leader notices signs of burnout during a stressful project phase. Instead of pushing harder, he organizes a team-building retreat to help everyone relax and recharge. This act of caring boosts morale and also improves work engagement.

This kind of leader makes employees feel supported and valued, making them more likely to stay committed and motivated.

Recognizing Individual Contributions

Another key aspect is recognizing individual contributions. More often than not, leaders focus on praising the entire team so everybody feels left out. It’s good and really improves morale.

But the employee of the month award should still exist, so don’t shelf it just yet. Instead, take a creative approach that achieves the same results without being accused of playing favorites. 

For example, a company might implement a monthly awards program where employees can nominate their peers for outstanding contributions. Public recognition during team meetings makes employees feel valued and motivated.

This kind of appreciation drives work engagement because people love knowing that their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

When employees see that their efforts are appreciated, they’re more likely to remain engaged and keep delivering their best work.

Empowering Decision-Making

Remember the first time someone let you participate in the decision-making process for something really important in the company even though you did not hold a managerial role? Remember how you owned your idea and actively participated to see it succeed? That’s what you get out of giving your employees the power to make decisions.

When employees have the power to make decisions, they feel a real sense of ownership and responsibility. A good project manager delegates decision-making authority to team leads. It gives them room to make strategic choices about their projects.

When team members feel trusted to make important decisions, they become more invested in their work. This trust and empowerment lead to higher work engagement because employees feel like their contributions truly matter and they have a stake in the outcome.

Building Trust and Respect

Building trust and respect is another cornerstone of servant leadership. Yes, it’s a work relationship, and you may think trust does not matter. It’s not like their lives are in your hands, right?

Well, your team needs to trust you to work effectively. In fact, trust is necessary if you want more productive and highly energetic people working for you.

It is the foundation of strong leader-employee relationships, which are essential for improving work engagement.

A great servant leader consistently follows through on promises and keeps everyone in the loop about company changes. This kind of reliability builds trust.

When your people know they can count on their leader to be transparent and honest, they feel more secure and committed to their roles. Trust and respect create a happy and engaged work environment where engagement can thrive.

Fostering Professional Development

Servant leaders invest in their people, and professional development is one of the best ways to invest in an employee. Professional development is key to maintaining high work engagement.

It is a necessary art of servant leadership, so start working on it. Investing in your team’s growth shows that you care about their long-term success.

It shows you value them, not just for what they can achieve for the company. It also shows that you are determined to turn them into better-performing people. It’s a small gesture, but trust me, it means a lot. 

Good servant leaders offer regular workshops and mentoring programs. These are the kinds of opportunities that help employees get new skills and progress in their careers.

When employees see that their leader is invested in their personal and professional development, they feel valued and are more likely to be engaged and loyal. You are saying, “I want to see you succeed, and I will help you get there!”

Promoting Work-Life Balance

Your people are just that, people. If you treat them like machines, they will burn out. They will burn out if they feel that they must work all the time with no breaks, going beyond their usual hours.

Sometimes, team members have a hard time taking breaks or maintaining a healthy work-life balance due to the authority around them. So, in these cases, it is your job to make sure they are maintaining a good balance.

Promoting work-life balance is another key aspect of servant leadership that leads to higher work engagement.

Ensuring that everyone works on this balance helps reduce stress and prevent burnout, making employees more satisfied and engaged with their jobs. 

Sometimes, servant leaders have to introduce more flexible working hours and remote work options. It allows your people to balance their professional and personal lives more effectively.

When employees feel that their well-being is valued, they’re happier and more productive, which naturally boosts engagement.

Need Better Work Engagement? Become A Servant For Your People

So, there you have it! Servant leadership isn’t just a fancy term; it’s a powerful way to boost your team’s spirit and productivity.

You can create a workplace where your people feel valued and engaged by simple humanitarian acts such as listening, showing empathy, and recognizing efforts. Remember, it’s about leading with heart and putting your team first.

When you focus on work engagement, you’re not only helping your employees but also driving your company towards success. So, put down the pizza boxes and embrace servant leadership. Watch your team thrive like never before!