John Harbaugh defines servant leadership as, "Do whatever you can to help others be their best."

Great leaders believe they serve the team.

Leadership isn't about receiving anything from your team, but being there to give to your team.

Servant leadership is the art of letting go and realizing that the real power of servant leadership is empowering others, caring for others, and giving them what they need.

Servant leadership is wanting to see others at their best.

John Harbaugh Principles for Servant Leadership:

1. You don't drive the car all of the time - This is the art of letting go as a leader. You have to have faith and trust your team. Empower them, love them, and care for them. You have to be smart, tough, and use good judgment. It should be easy to serve them and want to see them at their best.

2. It shouldn’t be about where it takes you, it should be about where it takes us - It isn't about what you can accomplish, but asking what can we accomplish together. Ask yourself what can we build together that is special and can last? The goal should be to make it bigger than just the bottom line, whether that is winning games or making money.

3. Check your own heart - It should be about connecting and truly caring about your team. Ask yourself what is your motivation and intention behind what you are doing. Do you really care about your team? Are you showing it? Because you should.

4. Get feedback from everyone Serve the team by learning from the team. John Harbaugh says the 4 most important words he asks someone is "What do you think?"

  • Ask for their ideas on improvement, growth, and change.

  • Ask if they are happy and they feel they are doing their best.

  • Let their voice be heard.

5. Find out who you need to be helping - It’s easy to just sit back and wait around, but you need to take action. You need to help people get to where they need to be. Ask:

  • How are we doing?

  • Where are we not performing?

  • Are people having problems where I can help?

    These are the areas where you need to look for improvement.

6. How we act around each other It shouldn't just be about yourself, but it should be about the team. You should have a great attitude, be collaborative, and work together. If you can help each other accomplish what you need then you have a chance to be great. Ask:

  • Are we helping each other?

  • Are we connecting?

Phil Jackson said, "Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go."