Service or Servant
by Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland
I have recently been thinking about the notion of being a leader and I feel as though the role is more about providing a service to all employees and customers at the company than anything else. Many books I have read over the years often talk about the leader as being the visionary, the person who holds the light high above so all can see when at times it may seem dark, and the path forward uncertain. Although this holds meaning for me, it is the stuff between the lines that I could never relate to. There are examples of leaders being great figures who were to be admired, and for some, even worshipped. I think this perception has also been supported by the media, as we see leaders being heroes, with great wealth and status.
The short answer for me is that Leadership is all about being a provider of a service. Just as everyone at International Coach Academy has a role to provide a service, my role differs only in that I am here to provide a service to employees and customers. My role is to support people in what they do. Certainly, leaders are also the holders of the vision and many other skills.
The images I have of leaders projected as heroes is of people who work in a singular way. By this I mean people who are great at promoting and marketing themselves. They are usually wealthy and successful because their business is built around who they are, and what they can do. However once a company grows and is no longer just about one person, it is time to move into the role of service provider.
For me this title of ‘service provider’ sits very easily and feels right. However I have seen some leaders who feel this is completely the wrong way around. They think employees should be providing a service to the leader of the company. I think the reason for this misconception is that they are thinking of being a servant and not being a service provider. These two are completely different things. Being a servant is about giving up of yourself, and in a sense being owned by another. Being a service provider is about serving your team, your customers. The balance is really important. I am proud to provide a service because I have responsibility and ownership in this role. To be a servant feels like giving up of myself and not having choices in life.
As a coach it is so important that we recognise that we are in the business of providing a service, and not being a servant to our clients. So what kind of service provider are you?