On Altruism and Servant Leadership.

What is your purpose as a leader? Do you lead to teach, to take, to assist, to win? Do you have a commitment to serving others and attracting your own success and abundance through this altruistic process?

Altruism is about being genuinely concerned about other people’s wants and being prepared to give selflessly to help them. When you read about servant leadership, this is it. Now before you begin thinking that I'm suggesting that you forget about your personal wants and change your business into a charitable organisation, let me defend the notion of servant leadership.

Servant leadership was launched in the modern world by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 70’s. His paradigm is best explained through this quote:

"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…”

Firstly, servant leaders want to serve others by helping them to accomplish their desires and experience self-actualisation. Robert K. Greenleaf also says:

“The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.”

“Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”

In order to lead and serve within the network marketing industry, business leaders must seek to produce a solution to help their followers and partners grow. Being a servant leader is a nurturing process where consciousness, empathy, insight, invention, development and kinship are vital. In developing these personal traits and using them as the primary objective for leadership, one is ready to attract and serve others while promoting personal value and influence.

I was so fired up when I found the 8 guiding principles to become a servant leader below (from the Alliance for Servant Leadership), and I am unfolding them for you below. These contain truly compelling messages for becoming an empowering and inspiring leader:

8 Principles for Servant Leadership:

1. Transformation: This is the process for individual and organisational growth. Achieving one’s potential through change, overcoming challenges, creativity, learning and introspection.

2. Personal Development: The promotion of consciousness and devotion to holistic growth, and the acknowledgment that “the liberation of human potential is the cornerstone for success”.

3. Enabling Environments: The creation of caring environments which promote integrity, personal growth, productivity, and creativity.

4. Service: Becoming a leader so as to serve. Taking on leadership roles for the aim of helping and inspiring others.

5. Trusting Relationships: Using an inclusive and mutual approach to building relationships. The servant leader seeks to have relationships based mostly on respect, reciprocity, integrity and trust.

6. Creating Commitment: This is about inspiring and enabling others to devote themselves to their personal purpose and passion. The servant leader knows that people will only commit to and pursue goals which are aligned with their personal vision and mission.

7. Community Building: Building and collaborating in a community where individuals can trust each other and work together. This is about using a collaborative approach to duplicate success.

8. Nurturing the Spirit: The servant leader understands the basic need of people to experience happiness, fulfillment , and success. Through nurturing personal growth, meaning, purpose, passion, vision, success and happiness, one can inspire others to reach significant ambitions and flourish in the process.

Wow, doesn’t this sound like a formidable approach to building a community of servant leaders and successful online entrepreneurs under your mentorship? Can you see how, while exhibiting such values and consistent leadership behaviours, you will build your status of personal impact, authority and inspiration within your network and within the industry?

Justine Simard is an online business and network marketing coach. Visit Justine Simard's Official Blog for Internet Business Resources, internet marketing training, personal growth strategies and inspiration for online entrepreneurs. To be mentored personally by Justine Simard and tap into the most powerful and profitable marketing systems and online business industry, visit and apply at Online Business Opportunity. For other Ezine articles, visit: Online Entrepreneurs and Network Marketing Articles

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