Selfless Leadership: Your Secret Weapon To Retain Talent!

Selfless is the opposite of selfish. If you’re selfless, you think less about yourself and more about others; you are generous and kind. Being selfless is like being altruistic – another word for giving to others without personal gain.

Over many years of consulting, we have seen all types of leadership styles, from selfless to selfish to servant, and most likely somewhere in between. We have also observed servant leadership and its rewards and benefits to leadership focused on supporting the success of others.

Selfless leaders put the needs of others first ahead of their own. They understand what other people need and what makes them tick, as well as what motivates them, and then provide servant leadership to meet their needs. If employees think you are concerned about what they need, they will likely work to meet your needs and expectations, commitment will be built, and loyalty can be created.

Selfless leaders prioritize positive feedback, create development plans for their team, invest in leadership development, hold regular one-on-one meetings, and provide improvement feedback with good intent. The funny thing is when leaders help to make other people successful, they in turn will work to make you successful. And that is the key to success finding you.

So, what are some of the benefits to selfless leadership? You create followers, your team will want to perform for you, employees will own their roles, they will work to deliver results, they will be loyal, and they want your leadership. Selfless leaders are masters at getting work done through others, because they know people connection motivates and inspires performance. They understand the effectiveness of leading with goodwill, empathy, compassion, listening and communication, and relationships. These attributes inspire people to own their performance and bring discretionary effort. Is there anything more powerful than a person connected to and motivated by a team leader? People connection and selfless leadership is your leadership superpower!

Perhaps the most impressive benefit of selfless leadership is when people want your leadership. Think about that:  they will accept your influence, ask for and listen to your leadership, bring self-motivation, own their performance, and be loyal to you. Who doesn’t want that as a leader?

So, how does selfless leadership contribute to employee retention beyond all the reasons above? First, when people feel that their needs are front and center with their team leader who is concerned about their growth and success, you have created a culture that people want to be part of. Selfless leaders connect with people on a personal level and work becomes more than a job; it’s a place where people really feel a part of something. That feeling leads to commitment and loyalty, and it becomes very difficult to leave your leadership and the culture.

So, take a minute to reflect and ask yourself:  are you a selfless leader?  What are the one or two things you could improve upon to create more followers and become more of a selfless leader?

Feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss selfless leadership and how that applies to you!

By Rich Frigon