Servant Leadership

James Hunter says this in his book “The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader” - ‘The true test of the effectiveness of the leader is this - are your people better off when they leave than when they arrived?’

The reality is, at some point, your people will leave for something else - hopefully voluntarily, sometimes involuntarily. Regardless of the nature of their eventual departure, YOU as the leader have a responsibility while they are there to equip them with the skills, knowledge and resources necessary for their success. But not just for their time with you, but also for the time that comes after. Each position that a person holds shouldn’t just be a job, it should be laden with opportunities that inform their development as an employee, but more importantly, as a person.

Are they ‘better off when they left than when they arrived?’ Are they moving onto something else with more in their toolbox, an enhanced character profile, and a deeper understanding of where they shine and should focus their time? If so, you’ve done your job as a leader.

Note: If you’ve taken this responsibility seriously while in your employ, you can know that you’ve done your job as a leader even when someone doesn’t move on under their own terms. After all, skill and character development are for all, not just those who move on voluntarily.