Recently promoted to a more responsible leadership position, my wife received a card with congratulations from a friend saying that she was a great leader because she was a great servant. Those were very powerful words. There is a lot written on servant leadership but it seems to be one of those great buzz phrases, used by many but practiced by few.

How does being a servant make you a better, more successful leader?

As a leader, you serve two masters; the organization, and your subordinates. Of course you're very aware you have an obligation to the organization. But you also have an obligation to your subordinates. Many leaders forget subordinates are responsible for their success or failure. Subordinates accomplish the mission and they will do that better under a leader who takes care of them.

Serving subordinates sometimes seems an odd concept; a little difficult to grasp. Don't take the word "servant" too literally; I'm not going soft and squishy here. Servant leadership doesn't mean serving coffee and cleaning up. What it does mean is providing support, giving assistance when needed, and helping subordinates excel. I have a very simple model of leadership. Like so many simple models, it's a triangle. As you may guess, the leader is at the narrowest point and the rest of the organization fills the remainder of the triangle. However, my triangle is upside down. That means the entire organization rests on the point: you, the leader! The leader provides the support the organization needs to excel.

You serve your people by giving them a good work environment, clear direction, and an empathetic ear. Here are some ways you can serve those you lead.

1. Be a humble leader. Everyone knows you're in charge so you don't have to remind them. Too many leaders get wrapped up in whatever power they may feel they have, or should have. Serving your own ego is not helpful.

2. Have a good plan and make sure everyone in your organization knows the plan and knows how they contribute to the plan's success. People need to know what they're doing and why. Serving them is providing them with clear direction.

3. Establish well defined standards and insist all abide by them. That means the leader too; especially the leader. People can't live by standards they aren't aware of and they won't live by standards they don't see demonstrated by their leaders.

4. Treat each person as an individual. Everyone is different. That doesn't mean coddling. It means getting to know what motivates your people. One of the greatest services you can provide to your people is trying to understand them.

5. Recognize the ones who have potential and want to excel, and the ones who don't. Help them both. Helping people get ahead is one of the most important ways you serve your people. Likewise understanding when they have reached their potential and are content, and treating them well is also vital.

6. Never lose sight of the mission. Don't let minor things or unrelated issues derail you from mission accomplishment. A leader must keep eyes on the target. Your people are not well served if the leader constantly strays off course.

7. Understand that no one is perfect. A little tolerance goes a long way. As the saying goes, no one is perfect. Mistakes happen. Help your people overcome them and don't adopt a "shoot first and ask questions later" policy.

Remember, your subordinates are not looking for you to do their job. They want you to do your job, and part of your job is supporting them.

Are you a servant leader?

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