I've worked for several property management, commercial real estate and homebuilding companies in the last 17 years (I started working when I was 5 obviously) with different leadership styles. At a lunch recently, I was asked what makes my current company so different. All I could think of off the top of my head was the culture. I could cite several examples, but couldn't come up with an all-encompassing idea what about the culture was so different. It finally came to me, after hearing one of our VP’s tell her team to let her know what she could do for them, she was there to support them.

Servant leadership. 

The thought that we’re here to serve our teams in the field. To guide and to learn from our team members. We’re here to help them succeed, give them the opportunity to make mistakes and let them learn from those mistakes. Many companies take the stance that their teams are there to serve them. And that their job is to discipline when mistakes are made. (Anyone ever been nervous about coming in on “firing Friday?”)

Our onsite teams are where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. When they succeed, the company as a whole succeeds. It’s hard to achieve the success you want with poor morale and employee turnover.

I once heard someone in our company call mistakes “opportunities” which I loved. So now whenever I point out where someone went wrong, I like to call them opportunities for success. Do I want to strangle people occasionally for making the same “opportunity” 50 times? Of course. But obviously I don’t. 1) I’m pretty sure it’s illegal. 2) It really doesn’t help the situation. Don’t get me wrong, we do recognize where someone doesn't fit and isn't able to do a job.

So why do I think this is important? I really believe that all things being equal pay-wise and opportunities for growth, a company with a servant leadership attitude will keep their valuable team members more than another company with a different business culture.

So ask yourself, are you there to serve your onsite teams? Or are they there to serve you?