Embodying noble-purpose leadership

What is noble-purpose leadership and how can you action it? Here are three areas where managers can shift their lens towards this style of leadership

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Harvard Business Review

In a seminal essay back in 1970, Robert Greenleaf introduced the term “servant leadership,” marking a significant departure from the prevailing command-and-control leadership model that had held sway for centuries.

Greenleaf’s words, “The servant-leader is servant first… aspires to lead,” offered an alternative to the leader-first approach, which could often be driven by power or material gain. This marked a transformative step in leadership philosophy, emphasising the importance of focusing on the team rather than the self.

Nonetheless, much has evolved in the five decades since Greenleaf’s essay, particularly in the last three years, leading to a shifting perspective on servant leadership for several compelling reasons:

Widespread Burnout

In the contemporary landscape, leaders grapple with exhaustion, overwork, and stress. In such conditions, attempting to serve can feel like an effort to pour from an empty vessel. The prevailing narrative emphasises service to teams and customers alike, leading to burnout for many.

Heightened Workload

Modern leaders have a more challenging role, often overseeing larger teams with high-stakes deliverables. Unlike the past, middle management has thinned out, leading to leaders handling 11 to 15 direct reports. Balancing these responsibilities often makes it difficult for leaders to prioritise servitude.

Evolving Organisational Structures

Modern organisational charts more closely resemble jungle gyms than traditional ladders. With a surge in leading without formal authority, the question of who serves whom becomes complex, challenging the traditional servant-leader dynamic.

While servant leadership played a pivotal role in transitioning to a more humane work environment, the time has come for the next phase: “noble-purpose leadership.” This philosophy centres around leaders and team members uniting for a cause larger than themselves, seeking to positively impact their community, customers, and team.

The shift is nuanced yet distinct. Servant leadership often conveys that the primary role is to serve others, potentially leading to an overwhelming ‘yes-man’ approach. In contrast, noble-purpose leadership centres on making an impact, enabling more strategic allocation of efforts. With a shared purpose as the North Star, leaders gain more autonomy in their decisions and actions, reducing the pressure to please everyone.

To embrace noble-purpose leadership, managers can refocus their lens in three key areas:

Employee Interactions

Instead of asking, “What can I do to help you succeed?” leaders can pivot to asking, “What do you need to excel in achieving our shared goal?” This reframing redistributes responsibility and empowers team members, fostering collaboration.

Decision Making

Shifting from a people-pleasing approach, leaders can base decisions on the impact they will have. By asking, “What effect will this decision have on our people or customers?” leaders elevate the focus from mere satisfaction to meaningful impact.

Coaching

Rather than expending excessive effort on struggling performers, leaders can concentrate on where their coaching efforts will yield the greatest results. Identifying the most coachable and high-stakes individuals can lead to better overall team performance.