Maybe you’ve heard other leaders and/or employers say this (maybe you’ve even said it yourself): “I just want somebody working for me who will make my life easier…” Ah, and who wouldn’t? The key is how do you accomplish this? I have often found that the best way to do this also takes the most work (do you see a dilemma?) Servant leaders must lead from the front of their organizations by being willing to be the example for what they expect out of their team. So you want a team that works relentlessly toward its goal/objective? Are you a shining example of working relentlessly toward that goal or objective? Do you want team members to be dependable and diligent in their work? How are you modeling that for them? You want employees to make you successful? So what are you doing to make them successful in their work? You see, building a great team takes a great leader. You can intimidate others into doing what they should but what long-term benefits do you reap from that tactic? I personally don’t want team members that despise their jobs and always wish they were somewhere else. I want to make my team successful, and in turn, we will all be successful together. The key is putting aside the pride and self-importance that we all have a tendency to battle and say, “we can do this… we will do this, and I’m going to show you how and we’re going to tackle this together. So, here’s to making your life easier… the hard way.