Leadership isn’t a position or title.  It’s about actions and the examples you set.  

Take a look around you at the leaders you admire.  They don’t all have the same personalities or ways of doing things and I am betting they have two characteristics in common, they are humble and confident.

These leaders, often referred to as servant leaders, view their role as serving others.  They are in their role to help others grow and develop professionally and personally when appropriate.  

Servant leaders understand they don’t know everything and couldn’t. And the courage to admit they benefit from the expertise of others.  They value the people who work under them for their knowledge and ideas they bring to the table.

Because they value others contribution they listen deeply and ask questions for clarity and to ensure understanding on both sides.  Servant leaders empower others to make decisions and help them grow to increase their individual and collective responsibility and ownership.  They see this as a value, as part of developing others.

Instead of asking others to follow their lead, they take their lead from others and follow them.  Yes there is a degree of calculated risk associated with this thinking, and consider this. No one is able to let others grow around them if they are insecure about themselves.  Insecurity leads to holding others back so you can be the shining star. Servant leaders don’t need or want to be the shining star. Their enjoyment as a leader is encouraging others to think for themselves, try out new ideas and learn from their mistakes.  They by nature are humble.

Can you develop this as a leadership style?  Maybe! Ask yourself if your natural tendency is about helping others, enjoying their development and success and want them out front for others to see and recognize.  If you answered yes to this then you can develop further as a servant leader.

If on you answered no or, it depends on the person and situation, and even my mood of the day then accept your leadership style as what’s best for you.  

I’m not saying servant leaders are better leaders or better people.  You cannot however be a servant leader without being humble and confident.