Saturday, November 14, 2015

An Attitude of Service

We all have a variety of managerial skills available to us when encountering situations that require our leadership. We may be experts with some skills, yet recognize the need to improve or expand other leadership abilities. Each situation will require different combinations of leadership to fulfill the needs of the situation. Regardless of our skill level, and what we need to accomplish, there is one ingredient in successful leadership that needs to rise above all other skills.

No matter how skilled we are as a leader, we need to make sure that we are taking the right attitude into every leadership situation. One of the skills that leaders struggle with is conflict management. These situations are never easy and can end with less than stellar results.

One situation that I have dealt with is when I am approached with  a complaint that so-and-so isn’t doing their job. My first question is, “Why?” The response is usually, “I don’t know.” I’m never really sure how this person expects me to solve a problem when they aren’t certain what the problem is.

We need to find the root cause by asking why. Until we know this, no one will be able to make progress. Before asking this, I will take a step back and ask myself one of the most important questions a leader can ask, “How can I be of service here?” By asking this question, I can enter any leadership situation with a service attitude.

By moving forward with a service attitude, all of our other leadership skills will be elevated to new levels, and we will be able to offer solutions that benefit all parties.


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