Five Core Beliefs of Servant Leadership, by Kevan McBeth
Speaker: Kevan McBeth
Kevan McBeth explored the foundations of Servant Leadership, emphasizing human connection, empowerment, and supporting frontline workers to excel.
Key Points:
- Leadership is about caring for the people who care for others.
- Servant leadership flips traditional models: leaders serve from the bottom, empowering employees to deliver exceptional service.
- Empowerment requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and building trust.
- Actionable Takeaway:
“Your job isn’t to do it all—it’s to care for and grow the people who do.”
Five Core Beliefs of Servant Leadership
Kevan presented five practical beliefs:
1. It’s Not About You, But It’s All About You:
Focus on self-awareness and emotional intelligence to effectively serve others.
2. Everybody Matters, Nobody’s Perfect:
Leaders must nurture environments where everyone can bring their whole selves to work.
3. Aim for the Heart:
Lead with empathy and kindness. Separate problems from people during difficult conversations.
4. Lead for the 95%:
Build policies and cultures for the 95% of people who care, not to control the 5% who don’t.
5. Lead with Intentionality:
Small intentional acts of kindness create magic moments that inspire and empower.
Stories of Impact – Servant Leadership in Action
Kevan’s WestJet story highlighted the value of trusting employees:
“We serve the 95%, not the 5%.”
Policies focused on trust empower employees to act in the best interest of customers.
Key Example: A bereavement policy with minimal barriers allowed frontline workers to help customers in need quickly.
Reflection: Are your organizational policies empowering or alienating employees?
