The way people experience leadership is changing. Employees want managers who listen, support, and invest in their growth rather than simply giving orders. In boardrooms, HR reports, and even start-up cultures, one leadership style is being mentioned more often: servant leadership.
Originally coined by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s, servant leadership has resurfaced as a practical, people-first approach to guiding teams in a workplace defined by remote collaboration, generational shifts, and the demand for trust. In 2025, understanding and practicing servant leadership has become a marker of resilient, future-ready organizations.
What Is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership flips the traditional power pyramid. Instead of employees serving the leader, the leader serves the team. The approach focuses on enabling people to perform at their best by meeting their needs, removing barriers, and prioritizing their growth.
Larry Spears, one of the leading interpreters of Greenleaf’s work, outlined 10 core characteristics often used to describe servant leadership. These include listening, empathy, stewardship, foresight, and commitment to the growth of people.
What separates servant leadership from other models is its mindset. The leader’s success is measured not by how much authority they exercise but by how much their team thrives.
Why Servant Leadership Matters in 2025
- Employee Retention and Engagement: Gallup research consistently shows that employees are more likely to stay with organizations where they feel valued. A servant leader creates that environment by investing in development, recognizing contributions, and encouraging dialogue.
- Reducing Burnout: Burn-out occurs due to chronic workplace stress, and is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, Increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of cynicism related to one’s job, or reduced professional efficacy. Servant leaders address this by ensuring workloads are fair, by listening when employees raise concerns, and by modeling sustainable work practices.
- Building Ethical and Inclusive Cultures: From tech to healthcare, organizations are under scrutiny for their workplace cultures. Servant leadership aligns with diversity and inclusion goals by making respect and empowerment central to leadership practice.
Servant Leadership vs. Other Leadership Styles
Traditional leadership often places the leader as the central authority figure who directs and controls. Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring followers through vision. Servant leadership, in contrast, emphasizes supporting and developing people to achieve collective goals.
For example, while a transformational leader might motivate a team with an ambitious product launch vision, a servant leader ensures each member has the resources, support, and encouragement to contribute meaningfully to that launch. Both have their place, but servant leadership builds a foundation of trust that outlasts visionary moments.
How to Practice Servant Leadership: A Practical Framework
- Listen First:
Servant leaders take time to hear what their teams are saying. At BrightPath Consulting, managers run “listening circles” once a quarter where employees share pain points directly. ideas from those sessions have led to new hybrid-work policies that improved retention. - Empower Teams: Rather than micromanaging, empower employees to take ownership. At a mid-sized software firm in Austin, project leads rotated decision-making roles during sprint cycles. Developers reported feeling more invested, and release times shortened by 15%.
- Prioritize Growth of Others: A hallmark of servant leadership is developing talent. One retail chain created leadership “apprenticeships”, where supervisors shadow store managers. It not only prepared successors but also reduced turnover in frontline roles.
- Lead by Serving:
Practical service can be simple. When supply chain teams at a manufacturing company struggled with outdated tools, the department head didn’t just escalate the issue but also joined vendor meetings, secured the budget, and made sure teams had what they needed. - Reflect and Adapt: Servant leaders check in with themselves. Some companies use 360-degree feedback surveys not just for employees but for managers. Leaders who score low in empathy or communication receive targeted coaching to close the gap.
For managers who want to apply these principles effectively, structured servant leadership training ensures that listening, empowerment, and reflection become consistent leadership habits.
Realistic Examples of Servant Leadership
Example 1: Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has long been cited as a company that embodies servant leadership. Former CEO Herb Kelleher was known for prioritizing employees over shareholders, believing that if staff were treated well, customers would be too. The strategy worked. Southwest maintained profitability for over four decades and consistently ranked high in employee satisfaction surveys. Research in the Journal of Business Ethics supports this connection, showing servant leadership improves trust and performance across teams.
Example 2: Marriott International
Marriott’s “Take care of associates and they will take care of the customers” philosophy reflects servant leadership in action. The company invests heavily in employee well-being and growth opportunities. This approach has paid off, with Marriott repeatedly ranking on Fortune’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies.” In 2023, Marriott’s internal engagement surveys showed higher-than-average scores in employee trust and job satisfaction, a testament to the company’s servant leadership culture.
Emerging Research and Data
Recent studies confirm the effectiveness of servant leadership. A 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Business Ethics found strong links between servant leadership and employee engagement, trust, and organizational commitment. Other research connects servant leadership to reduced turnover intentions and stronger innovation culture.
In 2025, with trust and adaptability at a premium, these findings suggest servant leadership is a competitive advantage for organizations.
Conclusion
Servant leadership has moved from theory to necessity in 2025. As organizations adapt to hybrid work, new generations in the workforce, and increasing cultural demands for trust and inclusion, servant leadership offers a framework for sustainable success.
Platforms like Leadership Edge Live make adopting this style easier through structured programs that combine reflection, application, and progression. For leaders ready to adapt, investing in servant leader training ensures they not only understand the philosophy but can apply it to create engaged, resilient, and future-ready teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the main characteristics of servant leadership?
Common traits include listening, empathy, stewardship, foresight, and a commitment to developing others.
2. Why is servant leadership effective?
It builds trust, reduces burnout, and increases engagement by prioritizing the needs and growth of employees.
3. How is servant leadership different from transformational leadership?
Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring with vision, while servant leadership emphasizes supporting people and removing barriers to their success.
4. Is servant leadership still relevant in modern workplaces?
Yes. Research and practical outcomes show that servant leadership aligns with today’s demand for ethical, people-centered, and adaptable leadership styles.
5. How can I become a servant leader?
The best way is through intentional practice and guided learning. Programs such as the leadership courses offered by Leadership Edge Live help leaders build servant leadership skills step by step.
