Great leaders are to serve those they lead. Jesus, one of the greatest leaders that walked on earth said, “I am among you as one that serves.” Ironically, the natural man wants to sit down and be served.

The concept of servant leadership challenges the conventional notion that authority means distance and demonstrates that the most powerful leaders are those who get their hands dirty alongside their teams. As the leader of the team, you must not watch your team members sweat alone in a bid to solve their problems, you must get involved.

The paradox of power through service indicates that true power is sought by humbly serving others. Those who prioritize serving others achieve greater impact, respect, and leadership

Cheryl Strayed, CEO of Marriott International, embodies this principle in her daily leadership practice. When the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the hospitality industry, Strayed didn't retreat to boardroom strategy sessions while her frontline employees faced unprecedented challenges. Instead, she spent time in hotels, working alongside housekeeping staff, front desk personnel, and maintenance teams to understand firsthand the obstacles they faced.

During one particularly challenging period, Strayed personally helped implement new safety protocols at a flagship property, working side-by-side with employees to test procedures and identify practical problems that weren't apparent from executive reports. This hands-on involvement didn't diminish her authority, rather it amplified it. Employees saw a leader who understood their reality because she had experienced it herself.

When leaders get involved with their team members, it enables them to have a first-hand understanding of the real issues. I have done this repeatedly with every team I have worked with. As a Regional Manager some years back, I will even offload goods with my team members. It may not be many cartons but the fact that your team members see you carrying one or two cartons is something they will hold dearly. This attitude sent a strong signal of empathy to the team. They saw a leader who is able to understand their pain. Getting down with the people you lead helps you to understand their issues from an operational perspective and not only from a strategic point. Most people in positions of authority want to be a "director" and get the accolades for the results. Their pleasure is to direct events from the comfort of their cozy office while their team members struggle to get things done under the sun. That is not true leadership. True leadership requires getting involved!

Alan Mulally's transformation of Ford Motor Company during the 2008 financial crisis provides a masterclass in servant leadership during turbulent times. When Mulally arrived at Ford, the company was hemorrhaging money and facing potential bankruptcy.

Rather than maintaining executive distance while demanding results, Mulally instituted his famous "One Ford" meetings where he regularly worked directly with teams across all levels of the organization. Mulally didn't just attend meetings, but he also rolled up his sleeves and worked with engineering teams on product development, visited manufacturing plants to understand production challenges, and spent time with dealers to grasp market realities. His hands-on approach wasn't micromanagement; it was informed leadership that came from genuine understanding of operational challenges.

Lasting legacies in leadership positions require that you serve the people. Serve your team members. Sacrifice your time and resources for them. This sacrifice isn't martyrdom; it's investment in team capability and organizational trust. This is what you will be remembered for. Your time in leadership will be remembered for the problems you solved and not the team you "directed."

Southwest Airlines' legendary culture of servant leadership, established by founders Herb Kelleher and Rollin King and continued by leaders like Gary Kelly, demonstrates how sacrifice creates extraordinary organizational loyalty and performance. Southwest executives regularly work alongside baggage handlers, flight attendants, and ground crews, not as publicity stunts but as genuine engagement with the operational realities of their business.

When leaders consistently demonstrate willingness to engage in the actual work of their organizations, they earn what leadership experts call the "trust dividend." This is a reservoir of credibility that enables them to lead effectively during both routine operations and crisis situations. One of the greatest challenges of servant leadership is overcoming the ego-driven desire for distance and status that often accompanies positional authority.

True servant leadership requires the courage to be vulnerable, to admit when you don't understand something, and to work alongside others rather than above them. The comfortable distance of executive isolation may feel safer, but it creates a dangerous disconnect between leadership decisions and operational reality. Leaders who insulate themselves from their teams' daily struggles inevitably make decisions based on incomplete information and lose the trust that comes from shared experience.

In conclusion, the paradox of servant leadership is that those who humble themselves to serve are ultimately elevated by those they serve. When you roll up your sleeves and work alongside your team, when you sacrifice your comfort for their success, when you choose engagement over isolation, you don't diminish your leadership, rather you embody it. History remembers leaders who made things better, not those who simply occupied positions of authority

Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria.