Servant Leadership for Project Managers
“Servant leadership” is a term that was born in an essay by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. Today, it is a term you will hear regularly in the world of software development, particularly in relation to Agile methodologies and the Scrum Master role. For me, it is the crux of my success as a Project Manager and can be applied in many scenarios, even for those working outside of software or even Project Management.
What is Servant Leadership?
“The servant-leader is a servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” – Robert K. Greenleaf
Servant leadership is the idea of leading by meeting the needs of others instead of putting your own needs first. In particular, this refers to the need to exert power or control. In software, this idea manifests itself in the role of a Scrum Master (which is often interchangeable with a Project Manager). The Scrum Master’s primary responsibility is to remove impediments for the team (meet their needs). The rest of the team’s management is left to the team itself.
Project Managers as Servant Leaders
While servant leadership’s applications in software Project Management are well established, I would argue that its principals can and should be applied for all Project Managers. The level of trust and self-sufficiency that it helps to establish often leads to high-functioning teams and successful projects. In a world of matrixed organizations and teams that don’t report to their Project Manager, that trust is essential to establishing the authority you need to get the project done.
Practicing Servant Leadership
So how can a Project Manager begin practicing servant leadership? I think one of the easiest ways to start is by shifting your mindset to ask instead of tell. Here are some examples of ways you can do that:
Get the team’s input when building your project plan or schedule.
This is more than taking their estimates and using them to build your plan. Show them the draft of the plan before it’s official and ask for feedback. Take that feedback into account in the final version. Help them feel comfortable with it before you put it in front of the client.
Show the team you are engaged in their work by asking questions about it.
Why did they decide to use that tool or material? What was the root cause of that issue? Why didn’t their first plan work like they expected? Not only will these questions help you build relationships with your team, they can also help you manage your projects more effectively.
Bring ideas for solutions when raising a problem or risk.
Instead of dumping a problem into their laps, use the knowledge you’ve gained from asking questions and soliciting feedback to bring ideas for how to solve it. For example, what if your client pops up and says “my boss called and we need to be done 3 days early?” You could suggest scope items you could negotiate with the client on or ideas for overlapping internal and external testing. This will go a long way toward making them feel like you’re there to help instead of make them work 60 hours in a week.
Go to bat for them when the client is being unreasonable.
Nothing will show your team they are a priority to you better than sticking up for them. “The customer is always right” can be one of the most dangerous mindsets a project manager can have! Throwing your team under the bus to do new work for free or make excuses for why work isn’t done is the fastest way to kill efficiency and motivation. Instead of just saying “yes” to a change or request from the client, work with the team to offer alternatives or understand the impact before you agree to anything. Add the phrase “let me check with the team and get back to you” to your arsenal and you’ll save everyone a lot of stress on both sides of the equation.
These are just a few examples of ways that you can be a servant leader as a Project Manager, even if the term Scrum Master sounds like a rugby position to you! Participate on your team as a servant or equal instead of a boss or a taskmaster and you will build trust and a desire to collaborate that will serve your projects (and your team!) well.
