The truth about servant leadership
For Movement Creative Director Joe Little, servant leadership comes in the form of an energy drink.
"Every day that I come in, and I look tired, or I mention that I'm tired, a Red Bull appears on my desk after lunch," he says. "No note, no need of acknowledgement. I know who brings it to me, but he never asks for anything in return — not even thanks."
Servant leadership. The term is a pillar of our culture here at Movement, and we strive to display its qualities everyday. And yet servant leadership is often misunderstood and misinterpreted.
To describe servant leadership as merely small acts of servitude would be false. Servant leadership is not random acts of kindness; it's not giving gifts. It's much bigger than that. Servant leadership is noticing and anticipating the needs of another before your own; it's an attitude and outlook that places others, especially those you lead, in a place of higher significance than yourself.
At Movement, our understanding of servant leadership is best represented by Jesus Christ's example. Philippians 2: 3-8 lays it out:
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Servant leadership in the corporate jungle
With the rise of the millennial worker, and a new emphasis on culture and the "why" behind the work, servant leadership as a corporate leadership style has experienced a resurgence. Originally coined by Robert Greenleaf in a 1970 essay, organizational consultant S. Chris Edmunds, in his 2014 book "The Culture Engine," called servant leadership the key to leading others effectively.
"I define servant leadership as a person's dedication to helping others be their best selves at home, work, and in their community. Anyone can serve – and lead – from any position or role in a family, workplace, or community."
This leadership style rang true for Movement co-founders Casey Crawford and Toby Harris from the moment they decided to start what became the fastest-growing mortgage company in the United States.
"Servant leadership is a very misunderstood concept in the marketplace," Crawford says. "A word that might be more familiar is humility."
Crawford loves to reference C.S. Lewis when thinking about humility and servant leadership. Lewis writes: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." Adds Crawford: "You wouldn't think much of yourself, but you…would think much of the work that we're doing and…you'd care much for your teammates and put their needs in front of your own."
