Fast forward several years. I was serving in Iraq with the Army. I was proud that my Special Operations job allowed me to work in an advisory capacity with both the State Department and local NGOs. One day I opted to work from the base instead of going on the mission, only to find out that all the soldiers remaining behind needed to help with a special project: sandbag detail. When I tried to get out of it, my leader gave me a pretty healthy tongue-lashing and appointed me sandbag project leader for the day.

How did I get so mixed up about what was really important?

If I could go back, I’d give myself a little shoulder-shaking and a reminder about what service really looks like.

We All Serve a Purpose

It’s unfortunate how quickly we lose sight of the larger purpose of our efforts. For instance, why do grocery stores exist? (It’s not primarily to create a sense of self efficacy for 15 year-olds). They exist to provide food products to the local neighborhood and to earn a profit. To that extent, every function of the store, from straightening the shelves to cleaning the floors to bringing in carts helps the grocery store serve the customers. And in Iraq, there was a very real possibility that the sandbags I stacked would prevent a rocket from landing on my head at night. (The rockets didn’t care if I had “special skills”).

One of the major factors of disengagement is the inability (including by choice) to see how one’s job connects to the greater purpose. There is a significant difference between “laying track” and “building the first transcontinental railroad,” even if the job is the same. Sometimes a little perspective goes a long way.

The Purpose of Serving is Others

I remember another Army mission that started before 5 A.M. one day and lasted until late at night. Everything that could go wrong did. The next day, the battalion commander brought all the leaders into a room to take us to task. His main message was a poignant reminder: “If anyone here thinks you are too important to help one of the younger soldiers be successful, I’m here to tell you that you aren’t. And neither am I. So we’re not going to let this happen again.”

A former FBI executive once addressed our project team stating that successful leaders are the ones who “are good at making other people looking good.” In working with a Center of Excellence director at another company, we built a development model that helped identify future executives by significantly factoring in the success of their direct reports – even above their own individual performance. (After all, being a great individual contributor is never enough to succeed as an executive).

It’s interesting to hear the success stories of successful people. Nearly all of them point to individuals who went out of their way to show them the ropes – people who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty together.

In his book The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni talks about an interaction with a CEO of a hugely successful company where he asked why the competition didn’t emulate their best practices. The CEO responded that he honestly thought the competition felt it was beneath them. What a waste!

Greatness is within reach, but it’s greatness through service. Find the greater purpose in the day-to-day tasks. (And by the way, if you believe there is none, it’s your responsibility from a continuous improvement standpoint to share your thoughts). And find others around you to serve in the process. When we do the little things like they are the big things, the bigger opportunities will start to come.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.

Mark Miller developed the SERVE model and curriculum and collaborated with Ken Blanchard to publish it in their book The Secret. Each member of our small team presented a portion of the model. I’ll summarize it for you here below.

See & Shape the Future

The first thing leaders must do is be able to envision a future that is somehow different than (and an improvement on) what exists today. Think about it: if the status quo is just fine, then leaders are unnecessary. Next, leaders must be able to communicate the vision to those around them and work proactively to shape the course. After all, nothing happens without someone going first.

Engage and Develop Others

In the course of pursuing any vision, leaders must find a way to engage the people around them so that they are “in it” for themselves, not just falling in line. When followers are engaged, they know what’s in it for them and they also know where they fit in the broader scheme of things. There are many visions out there to follow. Giving your followers the chance to grow is one of the best ways to ensure they choose your vision over the rest.

Reinvent Continuously

The “what” of the vision won’t change (if it does, then it’s a new vision), but the how is always subject to change. Change is often painful but it’s necessary. When times are bad, change is easy – in the sense that there is not much choice involved. Either change or suffer the consequences. It’s much more difficult to embrace a change mindset when things are going well. That’s why constant improvement requires leadership to stay disciplined and look for ways to make things better.

Value Results and Relationships

The brilliant thing about this principle is that it makes results and relationships mutually inclusive vs. exclusive. Instead of pursuing one at the expense of the other, a vision is best served when a high value is placed on both. Many leaders tend to lean in one direction over another. That’s okay as long as there are other leaders to help provide balance, but the most successful teams find ways to win together – as a team.

Embody the Values

According to Mark Miller, someone who embodies the values exemplifies the non-negotiable elements that comprise the organization’s culture. When there is a disconnect between what a leader says and what they do, not only is credibility lost, but so is most of the motivation to follow. Trust is the ultimate foundation for any successful relationship, especially the relationship a leader has with followers. It only works when values, words and actions all point in the same direction.

You’ve probably noticed by now that the main focus of the SERVE model is always other people. A self-serving leader just won’t make it very far. Zig Ziglar famously said that you can have anything you want it you will just help enough other people get what they want. Will you join me in looking for new ways to SERVE?

If you’d like to assess your ability to lead according to this SERVE model, take this assessment from the author’s site.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

Engage others in leadership conversations and listen well

I recently shared the three leadership questions I always ask, no matter if I am talking to someone for the first time or to my best friend. They actually don’t feel like “leadership” questions at all, but by the end of the conversation, I have a good understanding of the basic leadership situation they are dealing with. I know what’s working and what’s not. Leadership isn’t always about sharing what you know with others. In fact, that’s never the right place to start. The better you become at encouraging others to talk about themselves, listening to them and truly understanding their situation, it is uncanny how much you will grow as a leadership expert in their eyes.

Share what you’ve observed

No matter how much or how little “real world” experience you have, you’ve observed leadership in action. You’ve seen things that have worked well and you’ve seen things that haven’t worked at all. You’ve seen things that started out well but ended up poorly. Always pay attention to the leadership mindsets, decision-making process and execution that happens around you. Use those learning points to inform what you know about leadership, and then share them with others. Learning from the successes and failures of others is as free a leadership education as it gets. (Click to Tweet that).

Share the things you’ve learned through experience

It’s hard to learn how to lead people if you never do it yourself. Therefore, your own experiences in leading others can be quickest and sharpest developmental points you get. For better or worse, you are always the expert on your own experience. It won’t take long before you have a list of what works well and what doesn’t work at all. Don’t keep this to yourself! Help others go further faster by sharing what you’ve learned through experience. And incidentally, don’t be afraid to share your mistakes – sometimes people relate to them much more than to your successes.

Share the ideas you’ve developed

As a student of leadership, you’re probably on the lookout for ways to lead more effectively. At the beginning, all you have are untested theories. Keep it up and eventually you may discover the “Higgs Boson” of leadership. (Hey, it’s possible!) But regardless of your progress, don’t keep from sharing your ideas with others who could use them, whether it’s on a napkin at a restaurant or publishing a white paper. Even scientists have to start with a hypothesis in order find the solutions they are looking for. (You’ll need to get your own peer-reviews just like they do!)  Even if your ideas aren’t perfect, they are better than none and often a great place to start.

Share what other experts are saying

Don’t just develop your own ideas in isolation. Even the top leadership experts pull from what others have said about leadership. You can use the best of the incredible things you’ve found that others have shared. Another perk is that you benefit from the association. On top of that, if people don’t like what you’ve passed along, they aren’t disagreeing with you but with the person you referenced!

Subtly self-promote around areas of competence

Depending on your personality, you could be the most competent leadership expert available but still have a hard time tooting your own leadership horn. (Disclaimer: I’m not sure these instruments actually exist.) Reconciling humility and leadership can be difficult for some of us. Learn to subtly self-promote around your areas of competence. If you don’t, not only will you miss a huge opportunity to share your influence, more importantly, those around you could end up following second-rate (or just plain terrible) leadership ideas instead of yours.

Serve.

I mentioned this in my last post as well, but it bears repeating. You are never too unqualified to set a good example, and that includes setting a good leadership example. Leadership is about putting others first and working toward the success of something bigger than yourself. There is no better way to earn the opportunity to influence others than to be willing to serve them.

What other ways would you include to establish yourself as a leadership expert?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.