Remember when everyone was talking about the “Great Resignation”? Those days are over. We’ve entered what some call the “Great Freeze,” where layoffs are surging and employees are hanging on to their jobs rather than taking risks.
Yet one thing hasn’t changed: bad management still drives people away. BambooHR’s latest Boss Effect report found that nearly half of employees who quit last year said they actually liked their jobs—they just couldn’t tolerate their manager. Even in a time when fewer people are changing jobs, leadership quality continues to make or break the employee experience.
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7 ways you can work toward becoming a servant leader
Becoming a servant leader starts with a mindset shift, and the data supports it. Research from Frontiers in Psychology shows that servant leadership is strongly linked to higher employee engagement and trust. When leaders prioritize the growth and well-being of their people, they create a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to perform at their best. Servant leadership isn’t about authority or control; it’s about empowering others to succeed. Here are seven practical ways to start leading with service, empathy, and purpose.
1. Cultivate Psychological Safety on Your Team
Encourage an atmosphere of psychological safety by giving people opportunities to speak out and open up. A psychologically safe environment is one where no one is afraid to speak out, contribute, or push back. Team members know that they have the freedom and safety to raise concerns or ask questions without recrimination.
2. Back Your Team
Supporting or defending your team doesn’t mean avoiding responsibility or protecting someone who has caused harm to someone else. Rather, defending your team means having their backs, both individually and as a group. As the famous coach Bear Bryant said, “If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it.”
3. Listen
A survey by The Predictive Index found that the number one skill managers lack, according to employees, is communication. Disseminating information is only one part of communication; the other part is listening. Are you listening to your team members? What are they saying about what they need? What messages are hiding in plain sight? Ask questions for clarification, but otherwise, listen to what they tell you about their needs.
4. Practice Empathy
In some extent, empathy can’t be taught, but it can be practiced. As you listen to your people and learn about their needs, try to step into their shoes and understand their positions. By stepping into their shoes and seeing the situation through their eyes, you can develop a more empathetic approach to managing your people. For example, a hybrid worker who says he’s overwhelmed may not be complaining about workload; he may simply need a more flexible arrangement that allows him to work asynchronously.
5. Connect
People are hungry for connection, especially after two years of isolation and remote work. Seek ways to connect in real life, if possible. If not, find ways to engage about more than just work topics when you speak with your team members.
6. Ask About Their Goals…
… especially your female team members. According to the Udemy study, only 55% of women say their managers are interested in their career goals, whereas 70% of men say the same. When managers take an interest in employee goals and help them pursue those goals, employees are more likely to stay with the company.
7. Remember that You are Managing People
Your team members are not cogs or widgets. They are human beings with dreams, ambitions, desires, and challenges. There are beating hearts behind that headcount, and every one of those hearts is unique. You cannot manage everyone on your team the same way. It’s good to set equitable guidelines and goals for your team, but remember to leave some room for a personal approach.
Why Becoming a Servant Leader Matters
No matter the season or circumstances, the most effective leaders are those who put their people first. Servant leadership isn’t about authority or control; it’s about creating an environment of trust, respect, and shared purpose. When managers listen deeply, communicate with transparency, and lead with empathy, teams respond with higher engagement, stronger collaboration, and greater resilience. People don’t just want direction; they want leaders who genuinely care about their growth and well-being. When they have leaders who care, research shows that they work harder and produce more profitable results.
