The traditional image of a CEO is often the general on the hill. They stand above the troops. They point a finger. They bark orders. The troops march. In the complex, fast moving world of startups, this model rarely works. The troops are often smarter than the general, and the terrain changes every hour. To survive, you need a different operating model. You need Servant Leadership.
Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the main goal of the leader is to serve. This is not about being a doormat or a personal assistant to your employees. It is about a fundamental inversion of the power structure.
In this model, the founder does not sit at the top of the pyramid looking down. They sit at the bottom, holding the pyramid up. Your job is not to do the work. Your job is to ensure the people doing the work have everything they need to succeed.
Flipping the Hierarchy
#To understand this concept, you have to look at who actually creates value. In a software company, the engineers writing code and the sales reps closing deals create the value. The CEO creates zero direct value. You are overhead.
Your value is derivative. You only generate value if you make the value creators faster, smarter, or more efficient.
If you adopt a command and control style, you become a bottleneck. You force the value creators to wait for your permission. If you adopt a servant leader style, you become an accelerator. You ask, “What is slowing you down?” and then you go use your authority to destroy that obstacle.
Servant vs. Weakness
#The biggest fear founders have with this term is that it implies weakness. They worry that if they serve their employees, they will lose respect or authority.
This is a misunderstanding. Servant leadership requires high standards. You set an incredibly high bar for performance. But instead of just demanding that people jump over it, you build the ladder to help them climb it.
It is actually harder than being a dictator. A dictator just demands results. A servant leader accepts responsibility for the environment that produces the results. If the team fails, the servant leader looks in the mirror and asks, “What resource did I fail to provide?”
The Unblocking Function
#Practically, this changes how you run your meetings and your day.
In a traditional one on one, the manager asks the employee for a status update. “What did you do for me this week?”
In a servant leadership model, the manager asks, “How can I help you this week?”
You become the Chief Unblocking Officer. If the marketing team is waiting on a graphic design approval, you go chase it down. If the engineering team is distracted by investor requests, you act as a shield to protect their focus. You use your political capital to clear the path for your team.
Checking the Ego
#Implementing this requires a massive check of the founder’s ego. You have to be okay with not being the smartest person in the room. You have to be okay with your team getting the credit for the win.
Startups attract people who want to be heroes. Servant leadership demands that you stop being the hero and start being the guide. You are not Luke Skywalker. You are Yoda.
This shift is painful, but it is necessary for scale. You cannot personally win every battle for your company. You have to build a team of people who are capable of winning battles without you.