Brenda is an effervescent employee, if I ever met one. She works at my favorite coffee shop and takes
great care to make sure I have the freshest, tastiest java. “You always make my morning,” I told her. “Your
upbeat attitude helps us all.” “I love
this place!” she exclaimed. Well… a
comment like that has ‘retention’
written all over it so my consulting curiosity kicked in. “What makes you say that?” I asked while performing
my coffee mixology. Brenda was even more
excited to share with me her employment experience: headquarters looking out
for employees, management praising workers, and “the big boss” coming in to wash
dishes.
Please note that this coffee shop is not a one-store operation
where oversight would be very manageable.
The company has over 650 stores and employs thousands of workers in
multi-state locations. What makes this
company continue to grow at a rapid pace and
produce loyal employees? It is my guess
that “the big boss” does not have time to wash dishes but he is very smart to
make time. This is a classic example of Servant
Leadership: a strong focus on the mission and a caring heart for employees. Christ demonstrated the supreme example of
Servant Leadership. Every action He took
had a strong focus for the mission and a caring heart for His followers.
How would you describe your Servant Leadership? Like Brenda, are your employees exuberant and
your best PR?
