Leadership
Support organizations that deliver exceptional customer service and business value have, at their core, something in common: Leadership.
But what does leadership look like? It’s business-focused people who approach their responsibilities with energy, passion, and intelligence. They never forget where they came from and what it took for them to get to where they are. They take with them the lessons they learned and the people that influenced them along the way. They are resourceful and thoughtful. They are unafraid to seek advice, direction, and support.
Most importantly, they share the most important characteristic of all – they are servant leaders. They never let their egos convince them that they are the smartest people in the room. And they never let arrogance stand in the way of being a good listener and a continuous learner.
Servant leadership is about doing the right thing and making fact-based decisions. It’s about challenging conventional wisdom and having the moral backbone to stand up for doing the right thing for the customers and employees who serve them well. Servant leaders continuously look for innovative ways to leverage industry best practices, technology, and people. They treat every customer like they were their only customer.
I challenge all service leaders to become Servant Leaders. Set the bar high for your team, constantly measure your progress, and continuously improve. Create a rewarding and healthy service culture that is driven by your daily examples of your servant leadership.
Peter McGarahan is the founder and president of McGarahan & Associates and acting Chairman of the IT Infrastructure Management Association. Pete’s value to the support industry and business is his thought leadership and vision. As a practitioner, product manager and support industry analyst & expert, he has influenced the maturity of the service and support industry. His passion for customer service led the Taco Bell support organization to achieve the Help Desk Institute Team Excellence Award. IT Support News also named him one of the “Top 25 Professionals in the Service and Support Industry” in 1999. Support professionals voted McGarahan “The Legend of the Year” in 2002 and again in 2004 at the Help Desk Professionals conference for his endless energy, mentoring and coaching and his valuable contribution to the support industry and community.
I agree! This approach is the best way to lead your team – they will follow your example. And you can always learn from those around you – even if you ARE the smartest guy in the room. “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” – John Cotton Dana
Leaders establish the right culture. It is the culture that ensures and perpetuates the successes within the support organization. Leadership and culture is the bedrock that all organizations should be focusing on.
Regardless of the environment, leadership is critical so the right behaviours and thinking come naturally. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Harvard Business School