Dear Learning to Lead,

This is an issue that so many companies are facing right now. Luckily, there are experts in just this topic, and I happen to be friends with one of them. Lacy Schoen is an Amazon Best Selling Author, speaker and Influence Coach through her company, Real Women Real Success. Have you heard of “service mindset?” She is going to explain what this is and why managers should embrace it.

Take it away Lacy… 

When I talk about a “service mindset,” people assume that I’m talking about working for some charitable cause. Having spent most of my career in the nonprofit sector, I’m happy that my industry is viewed as a place where people give their best. But truly, service leadership is not related to the charity industry. It’s a mindset. And most importantly, it’s a mindset for success.

It’s simple to gain a service mindset. All you have to do is reverse your thinking from, “what do I need from my employer or team?” to “what does my employer or team need from me?” When you think of your role as a service provider, instead of an employee or manager; when you think of yourself as “Your Name, Inc.,” your mindset shifts to one of service leadership. You listen and learn what your team (your boss, clients, colleagues) values and needs, and then your role become easy… to fill that need. If you give them what they want, need, and value they will feel they cannot live without you. Plus, that’s job security and promote-ability, right there.

In my coaching practice, I see that women often find themselves in the position of trying to find their voice, speak up and ask for what they want. This is good, but my fear is, in the discussion of finding our voices, we’ve forgotten an essential component to our success. And that is, listening to what others want and need. We’ve gotten to a place in society where there’s a lot of screaming going on, but not a lot of listening, which is the very thing that brings people together, builds understanding and allows us to serve others at our highest potential. 

So, who should you be listening to? Listen to people at work. First and foremost, listen to your team, your boss, then your customers, and your colleagues. If your team is not sharing what they need, value and want, then ask. This goes for your boss, too. As a professional, and especially as a manager, you are in a 360-degree service role. If you listen and serve well, you will be a coveted professional. If you don’t, you are either just coasting or operating in the dark. And that the latter two are not conducive to your success or the success of your team.

When a manager adopts a service mindset, they are always looking for ways to serve. If they don’t know what is needed or valued, they ask. Because they know that when they have that information, they can now work on meeting those needs. Making this a habit builds your brand and reputation as a leader. It makes people want you on their team. And, it makes people want to be on your team. It will follow you from job to job to job, making you invaluable anywhere you go, and it will make the employees working under you to feel attracted to your leadership and stewardship.

It doesn’t mean that you overwork yourself. That’s a different topic. But it does mean that you consistently serve the needs of your team and company. And when you do that, you will experience the power of being more valued as a manager, and more successful and promotable than most of those around you. So go out there and be “Your Name, Inc.” Set yourself apart by listening and learning to what your team and boss needs. Adopt a service mindset. Make your brand one of service leadership, and watch your career take off and your team grow and stay.

Lacy Schoen is an Amazon Best Selling Author, speaker and Influence Coach through her company, Real Women Real Success. She is a consultant and Co-Director for Cal State Fullerton’s Women’s Leadership Program. In her soon-to-be-released book, Advancing Through Influence, Using Your 5 Innate Female Strengths to Break Through Barriers and Advance Your Career, Lacy shares proven and practical strategies for women to advance their careers by increasing their influence using their innate female strengths. Lacy can be reached through her website, https://realwomenrealsuccess.com or directly at lacy@lacyschoen.com

Sincerely,
Jenny