I like to eat. And I consider myself a servant leader. So, imagine my surprise when I read about the “Leaders Eat Last” concept popularized in Simon Sinek’s book of the same title. Wait a sec. You’re telling me I have to eat LAST to be a great leader?! Sigh. While the thought of eating last pains me, I do get how it ties into the concept of servant leadership.
A servant leader prioritizes team members’ needs, growth, and well-being above their own personal interests. I wholeheartedly agree with this concept, and it’s a large part of how we approach leadership at Cardamom. Our leaders and managers are accountable to the performance of their team in the pursuit of achieving our goals and delivering high quality service to our customers. For us, this style of leadership creates a work environment where everyone feels respected, appreciated, and valued, empowering our teammates to innovate. Servant leadership may not be for everyone, however. But halfway through my career, I figured out this is the leadership style I wanted to adopt. Here’s how I got there:
- First, I looked at the leaders I admired, like Cardamom’s very own Vivek Swaminathan and my former boss at a previous company, Ian Mamminga. When I examined what I liked about their leadership style, I realized it was their integrity, coaching, and how they empowered and supported their teams, which gave me a clue to their leadership style. (Hint: They’re servant leaders!)
- Then, I figured out what drove me. I asked myself if I got more energy from achieving recognition and control or from helping others succeed. It was very clearly the latter. Earlier in my career, one reason I knew I wanted to switch to delivery was that I got out of bed each morning thinking about how to get someone promoted. I see leadership as a responsibility, not a status. #ServantLeadership
- After that, it was time to check my tolerance for patience. Servant leadership requires patience to actively listen, coach, and (sometimes) let people fail safely. If you’re comfortable distributing authority and trusting people, that’s also a strong sign servant leadership could be for you.
But I do think there are ways to exemplify servant leadership that won’t leave your stomach growling. Here’s a bit of how we infuse servant leadership in our day-to-day at Cardamom:
Share credit, take responsibility
Give credit to the people around you that are doing the work, even if you are heavily involved. On the flip side, be the first to take accountability if something goes wrong. Use “we” more than “I.”
Listen more than you speak
In meetings, aim to hear others’ opinions before you speak. Paraphrase what you heard before you respond and ask clarifying questions before offering solutions. I often ask, “Do you want help with a solution or just want to share (i.e., vent)? If you leave a 1:1 with a team member realizing you have talked more than half of the time or if you kicked off the meeting talking about what you needed them to do, you may not be a servant leader.
Model that nothing is beneath you
You must always be willing to roll up your sleeves and do unglamorous work that isn’t in your job description. Stocking the office fridge? Check! Menial paperwork? Check! Writing an article for marketing? Check!
Be present
The best ability is availability. Okay, now before you roll your eyes, being available, having an open door, and inviting open feedback lets your team know that they are important to you. And nothing does that more than making time for them.
Remove obstacles
Regularly ask what’s getting in the way of your team’s success and ask how you can help them figure it out. Don’t just listen, but actually take ownership of unblocking the barriers, whether it be resources, processes, approvals, etc.
Be humble and show gratitude
I would also like to add “be vulnerable.” I don’t pretend to know everything and readily admit when I’m out of my league on a topic. And a thank you can go very far, even when you think they’re “just doing their job.”
Get to know people
Take the time to actually get to know the people on your team, especially if they’re multiple levels below you. What are their family members’ names? What motivates them? What did they most like about their last vacation? Servant leaders see people as people. Vivek has always been a great example of this, as he continued to have one-on-one meetings with every new employee, even though our team had 250 people on it. If you really take the time to get to know the people in your organization, you think more deeply about how the decisions you make affect them and their happiness.
Measure success differently
Success isn’t just KPIs. It’s also reflected in people’s development and growth. It’s whether they feel supported. And most importantly, it’s how you make them feel about themselves, their work, and your company.
At the end of the day, servant leadership isn’t really about going hungry. It’s about feeding your team first. When people feel supported, respected, and valued, they bring their best selves to the table. For me, that’s the most rewarding part of leadership: knowing my team’s success is my success. At Cardamom, this approach has shaped a culture where innovation flourishes and our customers reap the benefits. And while I may still grab a snack before the meeting starts, I’ll always save the main course for helping my team grow.
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