What It Means To Be A Servant Leader

January 29th, 2022, marked the beginning of a worthwhile journey since I took up the responsibility of being the President of Program Operations and Logistics in the Lapid Leaders Council (LLC). It was an exciting and emotions-filled moment since the role was steered towards transforming my leadership and advancing my people skills. Program Operations and Logistics is one of the dockets in the Lapid Leaders Council (LLC) that has several sub-dockets under it. As the president, I was required to lead a team of about 60 individuals in managing sub-dockets such as Logistics, Thank You Emails, Communications, Attendance, Modular Readings, and Hangouts. A total of six sub-dockets and approximately 60 individuals meant that I needed to develop a dynamic leadership style that would incorporate the interests of the people I served. My mindset also changed since I can now approach every situation with an open mind and be willing to give my input toward growth.

At Lapid Leaders Africa, service at the council was governed by three central core values: Servant Leadership, Excellence, and Imagination. Under Servant Leadership, I acknowledged that I am a people person, which means I needed to offer myself to serve all who needed my help. Serving diligently meant a lot in terms of setting aside time, conducting review meetings, and constant follow-up with the team. First, serving at LLC demanded that I schedule time well to handle all the roles I was delegated within the timeframe set. I saw myself meeting with the team weekly to make plans for the week and review the progress we have made. 

Second, reviewing our progress clarified the gaps that needed to be filled and the improvement we were supposed to make. The meetings were engaging since every sub-docket leader had a chance to report on their progress, highlight their challenges and give recommendations on how to improve our system. I enjoyed the feedback session since it allowed the leaders to feel comfortable sharing their progress and participating in brainstorming solutions. Lastly, follow-up with the team was critical in communicating the goals and keeping each other accountable. The process did not stop at the planning phase since we all kept each other accountable through calls and WhatsApp reminders. Therefore, working together as a team promoted our success in the long run.

The volunteerism at the LLC promoted not only my personal development but also my professional development. I was part of a team focused on developing changemakers in Africa. I appreciated creative problem-solving, building efficient systems, confidence, efficiency, Courage, gratitude, passion, and leadership skills.

Creative Problem Solving was the utmost skill needed since Program Operations and Logistics present several challenges, such as managing big cohorts. I had to readily utilize creative skills to run cohorts efficiently, such as building trackers that helped us manage the large cohorts and orienting more people into the docket, which reduced workloads and fatigue among the leaders.

Running the docket required skills in building efficient systems, which helped me engage the team in creating a program operations framework that acted as a blueprint for all our operations. The framework contained details about the objectives, measures of success, tools needed for success, and action plans. The four parts of the Program Operations Framework ensured we had a point of reference during our service. Furthermore, the framework will get passed to the future leaders of program operations to ensure they maintain and/or improve the standards we set for the Program Operations docket.

Confidence and Courage were skills that supported me in being a strong leader in the council. The year started with the theme Courage is Calling which meant that I needed to leave my comfort zone and take up the responsibilities that scared me the most. I developed the confidence to approach any challenge with ease. Moreover, having the Courage to communicate whenever I was stuck and ask for help was a skill I have appreciated over time. LLC has given me a pool of community that was willing to give guidance and support in the problem-solving process. I dared to call the council members to support in running class logistics, enabling me to use the networks provided by Lapid Leaders Africa.

Leading a team of more than 60 individuals made me develop strong leadership skills; I have also appreciated using dynamic leadership skills such as democratic, Laissez-faire Leadership and coaching. Under democratic leadership, I integrated the team’s interests and ensured we made unanimous decisions. There were situations where Laissez-faire leadership was demanded to empower the team to take responsibility and solve challenges. I also embraced the coaching leadership style by encouraging the team, leveraging their strengths and talents, and supporting their leadership process.

I also showed passion and gratitude during my service on the council. I rewarded the best volunteers with a KFC voucher since it gave me a chance to appreciate the process of developing leaders. Running class logistics gave me fulfillment since it made the Lapid Experience for the participants seamless.

Being a servant leader is essential to personal and professional growth. I have grown my leadership skills by handling complex problems, I understand how to build efficient systems, and I can utilize different leadership styles when dealing with people of different personalities. Thanks to service, I am a great leader today.