A SERVANT LEADERSHIP EXAMPLE

Phuoc D. Nguyen

A servant leadership example of TDIndustries.

“Our culture of service is not limited to our company—we bring Servant Leadership to our local communities. TDSERVES stands for TD Serving, Encouraging, Relating, Valuing, Exploring, and Sharing. We as groups and individuals are involved in helping this world be a better place.” (TDIndustries, 2019). TDIndustries is very interested in the implementation of servant leadership training programs for all leaders and staff to understand and practice servant leadership. It focuses on and implements the principle of building a community and introducing its service culture to local communities.

“The company also shows its commitment to the principle of building a community and taking care of its employees through the way it deals with profit. TDIndustries divides around 30% of the profits between the retirement savings plan and employee stock ownership plan. In addition, it doesn’t have any separate schemes for its executives – all are equal within the company.” (Martin, 2016). TDIndustries’ ownership culture facilitates the ownership of stock for employees. Additionally, it does not have a fringe benefits policy for managers and leaders it uses a benefits policy equally for all employees.

“Any TDPartner who supervises even one person must go through training in servant leadership. In addition, all new employees continue to receive a copy of ‘The Servant as Leader,’ and TDIndustries has developed elaborate training modules designed to encourage the understanding and practice of servant-leadership.” (Spears, 2004, p. 10). TDIndustries’ TANGIBLE and QUANTITATIVE business outcomes/results of servant leadership are shown: “At TD, Servant Leadership isn’t a fad or corporate lip service. Jack Lowe, Sr. began the process of incorporating Servant Leadership into our culture in 1972. After more than 40 years of practicing Servant Leadership, it is woven into every level of our organization and it drives the way we interact with our customers and each other. As Servant Leaders, we are active listeners, eliciting trust and sharing knowledge. Our mission and values as Servant Leaders guide all our relationships – with customers‚ suppliers‚ communities and among ourselves.” (TDIndustries, 2019). “Servant leadership elevates a job into a calling and acknowledges the way that businesses make life better for all of us. It supports the free enterprise system by making it work better for everyone. At its best, it recognizes that serving others is not just something you do—it is what life is about.” (Keith, 2009, p.13). Organizations implement servant leadership to create a healthy and safe psychological effect in communities and societies, which contributes to the creation of good things physically and mentally.