A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago shows that when bosses put their employees’ needs over their own needs, customer satisfaction and job performance by employees improves.
“The best business leadership style is far from, ‘Do this. Don’t do that,'” said Sandy Wayne, one of the study’s researchers. “A servant leader looks and sounds a lot more like, ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’ Or, ‘Let me help you….’ Or, ‘What do you need to…?’ This approach helps employees reach their full potential.”
Employees admire bosses who care about them and return that admiration with great teamwork, loyalty, and dedication to an organization.
“It’s contagious. The employees see their leaders as role models and often mimic those qualities, creating a culture of servant leadership,” Wayne said. “This serving culture drives the effectiveness of the business as a whole.”
The researchers conducted the study at the Jason Deli’s national restaurant chain and included 961 employees at 71 restaurants in 10 metropolitan areas. Wayne said that the restaurants with servant leaders experienced a 6 percent higher job performance, an 8 percent more customer service behaviors, and a 50 percent less likely to leave the company from employees.
(Image: UIC Business)
