How a discussion on Servant leaders led me back to reviewing Spiritual leaders
Servant and Spiritual Leadership: Lessons for Today’s Workplace
Recently, I found myself in a series of conversations about the role of Servant Leadership, especially in our new world of remote work. One discussion focused on how Servant Leaders can stay effective when teams are dispersed. Another raised the point that Agile is becoming almost “religious” in its devotion to Servant Leadership, questioning whether some hierarchical leadership is still necessary.
These discussions brought me back to a paper I studied during my MBA: “Spiritual Leadership: Fulfilling Whole-Self Needs at Work” by Gilbert W. Fairholm. Although the title hints at religion, the core of the paper focuses on the human side of leadership and its impact on workplace satisfaction.
Why Employee Satisfaction Still Lags
Fairholm’s research highlights a persistent issue: despite decades of leadership training, books, and courses, employee satisfaction has shown only minimal improvement. In 1994, only 25% of employees described themselves as “Extremely Satisfied” at work. By 2017, that number had only crept into the low 30% range. Why hasn’t all this focus on Servant Leadership moved the needle further?
Fairholm suggests that the workplace has become our most significant community. We spend more time at work than we do with most other groups—so the quality of leadership here matters deeply. A true leader in this context isn’t just a manager, but someone who helps people find meaning and motivation, making work something to look forward to rather than endure.
The Real Meaning of Spiritual and Servant Leadership
Fairholm argues that many leaders confuse mission statements and vision with true spirituality in leadership. Spiritual leadership goes deeper—it’s about providing the foundation for meaning, fulfillment, and genuine engagement in the workplace. This is where Servant Leadership and Spiritual Leadership overlap: both focus on helping teams succeed and grow, not on personal credit or power.
Fairholm identifies three “Foundation Stones” for effective leadership:
- Moral Leadership
This isn’t about being rigid or dogmatic. Instead, it’s about standing firm on core values while building shared meaning, setting a vision, and fostering trust. Moral leaders challenge ideas that threaten their values but do so in a way that invites collaboration and growth. - Stewardship
Unlike “ownership,” which implies control, stewardship is about holding resources in trust for the good of the whole. In practice, this means empowering teams, sharing power, and fostering collective accountability. True stewardship eliminates rigid hierarchies and encourages teams to take ownership of their outcomes together. - Community Leadership
A thriving workplace is a community, not just an org chart. Leaders cultivate collaboration, delegate responsibility, and encourage knowledge sharing. This community approach leads to self-managed teams, empowered employees, and environments where everyone can lead in their own way.
Balancing Leadership: When to Serve, When to Steer
One key insight from Fairholm (and echoed in my conversations) is that even Servant Leaders sometimes need to step up and “be the boss.” Titles and authority alone don’t inspire loyalty or effort—relationships do. However, there are moments when decisive action is necessary to overcome obstacles or clarify direction. The best leaders know how to balance service with strength, support with guidance.
Moving Beyond Command and Control
Despite the evidence that command-and-control leadership is outdated (as noted by Mitroff et al. back in 1994!), many organizations still cling to it. Change is happening, but slowly. The organizations that embrace Servant and Spiritual Leadership, focusing on the human side of work, are the ones seeing better engagement, stronger teams, and ultimately, more satisfied clients.
The Bottom Line: Leadership Is Human
Spiritual Leadership isn’t about religion; it’s about putting people first. Servant and Spiritual Leaders treat others as they want to be treated, build trust, and empower teams to do their best work. They understand that leadership is about relationships, shared values, and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
By living these principles and building on the foundation stones of Moral Leadership, Stewardship, and Community, leaders can transform workplaces into communities where people are motivated, engaged, and proud to contribute.
Ready to build a culture of true leadership and engagement in your organization?
Let’s connect and explore how to put these principles into practice for your team. Book a call
Let’s connect and explore how to put these principles into practice for your team. Book a call
"I help create ecosystems that become legacies.”
- Jeremy Berriault
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