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Servant Leadership... continued from previous page
1. Promote employee growth
2. Promote staff retention
3. Promote community goodwill

Servant Leadership Promotes Employee Growth

Servant leaders are interested in sharing power, not hoarding it. When it comes to employees, that means that servant leaders want to
ensure employees have what they need to thrive on the job and beyond it.

Thriving on the job might mean that they need training in order to do their existing job well. It may also mean that they need mentorship
to guide them to the next phase of their careers.

As Land Surveyors, we should all be acutely aware of the need to groom our existing talent for the next stage of their careers. When
you make an effort to learn what resources and support your employees need, they will be empowered to take action to grow their
knowledge and expertise. And the more expert your employees become, the better you can serve your clients and community.

Servant Leadership Promotes Staff Retention

There’s a popular saying that people don’t quit a bad job, they quit a bad boss. In the current land surveying climate, firms that have
qualified staff simply cannot afford to lose them. Professional surveyors are retiring at a faster rate than they can be replaced, and many
firms are experiencing a higher demand for surveying services than ever before.

According to Harvard Business Review , research has shown that when staff members choose to stay in the same job, it’s typically
(2)
because it’s a job they enjoy. Specifically, a survey of employees who stayed at the same job felt that they used their strengths 33%
more often and felt 37% more confident that they are developing skills that would progress their careers.

This is a strong case for a servant leader approach that prioritizes things like employee work-life balance, fair pay, skill progression, and
career growth as described above.

Servant Leadership Promotes Community Goodwill

The best servant leaders look beyond the internal workings of their organization and to the greater community ecosystem in which it
exists. As surveyors, the more visibility and goodwill we have with our local communities, the more our businesses can thrive.

Often, supporting your community has the added silver lining of marketing your surveying business in the process. When you do things
like sponsor youth sports and participate in career fairs and events, you educate others on the role of land surveyors and the value
provided by your company.

How to Become a Servant Leader

The ultimate goal of servant leaders is to promote a working environment that satisfies team members both personally and
professionally. When employees are happy and supported, they can do their best work to help your firm succeed.

Here are five concrete ways that you can pursue a servant leadership approach.

1. Provide Positive Reinforcement

When employees are aware of the positive impact they are making at work, it creates a sense of confidence and
pride that spills over into the subsequent work that they do. Don’t hold back from telling employees where they
did a good job and how their actions contributed to the overall success of an organization or project.

For example, did a recent client have kind words to say about an individual team member or a job well done?
Make sure that you pass those comments on to the employees involved. Even when something bad happens
such as an accident on a job site, you may be able to highlight the quick thinking of an employee and how
they kept a bad situation from becoming worse. According to Forbes , this type of consistent feedback
(3)
serves to build resilience and keep morale high.
Positive reinforcement can also take shape beyond words. Entrepreneur recommends showing employee
(4)
appreciation with reward programs or events that teams can look forward to. For example, we hold multiple companywide events
throughout the year. From renting a suite at the local baseball park, Top Golf Events for just adults, or a private event for the entire
family at the local waterpark, while other companies might take a second look at their bonus and benefit programs.

6 The Nevada Traverse Vol.49, No.3, 2022