How Does Scrum Methodology Benefit Through The “Servant Leader” Role?

What is understood by the term “servant leader”?

The term can be misleading if we are to literary interpret the words as per the definition stated in the dictionary. In scrum, the term has a specific meaning. It is used to describe a particular type of leadership role which has proved to be effective for many organizations and scrum masters. It has helped many team members to deliver good productivity. Generally, people are used to traditional business models in which a manger delegates his or her authority in varying levels, and subordinates are inclined to follow the orders issued by the senior person. The total responsibility of the outcome lies with the project manager. The team members and subordinates are not liable for the success or failure of the project. 

All this changes when the manager assumes the role of a “servant leader”.  The person does not delegate his or her authority in an autocratic manner. Instead, the person puts in efforts, and tries to understand the problems faced by juniors or subordinates. He or she tries to get involved with the business flow, and proactively seeks solutions which can help the team members to effectively deal with the issue on hand. The manager contributes his or her skills and abilities to ensure that the team members and the project benefit from a healthy leadership. When the role of servant-leader is properly implemented, it can lead to a fruitful and healthy working atmosphere which can lead to a successful completion of the project on hand.

What are the benefits of a “servant leader” role?

There are several benefits which are summarized as:

 1. It creates and fosters an atmosphere of healthy teamwork 
It all depends upon how you conduct yourself in front of others and the manner in which you try to delegate your authority. Traditional managers prefer to use words like “I” and “me”, while an individual following the servant-leader role uses words like "us" and "we". It makes a lot of difference to other people and the team members. By using words such as “we”, the subordinate automatically feels more involved, and responsible for the results associated with the project. The main issue is about feeling “involved”. In the servant leader role, the subordinates feels more involved, and therefore tries to contribute his or her efforts in a genuine manner. Moreover, the leader tries to lead by example. He or she also tries to reduce the intensity of the “senior-junior” professional relationship which is so prevalent in most organizations, even today. One of the main advantages is that the role fosters a healthy working environment which is conductive to all. 

2. It adds on to the value of the team members
It has been found that when people feel they are valuable and their efforts can lead to success or failure of the project, they tend to be more productive and responsible. It is important for them to feel that they “count” and they “belong”. These two virtues are important not only from the professional point of view, but also on a personal level. They help to lower “red-tapism” and create a one-to-one rapport between the senior level management and the subordinates. It can lead to open discussions in which people put in genuine efforts to find solutions rather than follow the daily rote of seeking answers to difficult problems. The servant leader role helps to add on to the value of the team members.

3. You reap what you have sown
It is actually very simple, you receive the same type of treatment that you render to others. If you are good to people, they will be good to you. By being good, you don’t necessarily have to compromise upon your professional obligations and accept unethical or unwarranted behavior, or make do with substandard work delivered by subordinates. You should be firm with what you have to convey to people and what kind of work you want them to deliver. It’s just that you could achieve a lot in terms of cooperation and help from people if you are genuine in your behavior towards them.   

4. It creates trust
The servant-leader role is great for building trust. The main reason is people around you know about your helpful and understanding nature, and respect you for putting in your efforts while dealing with the project. Since you care about people, they are most likely to respond in a positive manner and depend upon you for guiding them along the correct path. It fosters trust.

How do scrum projects benefit from the “servant leader” role?

• It is the scrum master’s responsibility to help the development team perform at the highest levels. Scrum supports collaboration and joint efforts. The servant-leader role helps to break down the senior-subordinate relationship. It encourages active participation owing to the personal relationship created between the scrum master and the team members.
• Another responsibility of the scrum master is to remove any problems or impediments faced by the team. The role helps to facilitate effective communication, and so the problems get identified early when they occur. It is much easier to tackle problems in their infancy, and before they assume gigantic proportions.    
• The scrum master is often looked upon as a protector of the team. One of the duties of a scrum master is to protect the team and the sprint by ensuring that the team members do not over commit while taking up tasks from the sprint backlog. Over commitment can lead to unsuccessful sprints. The servant-leader role facilitates healthy communication between the scrum master and the team members. It becomes much easier for the scrum master to provide suggestion which may be taken positively by the members.   

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