One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned in my career — across Wall Street, real estate, and strategic finance — is this:
Real leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about taking responsibility.
And that’s the heart of servant leadership — the idea that great leaders serve their teams, not the other way around.
Servant leadership isn’t soft. It’s not passive. And it’s not just a nice-to-have.
In my experience, it’s the most effective way to build trust, unlock potential, and scale high-performance teams — especially in fast-moving, high-stakes environments.
What Is Servant Leadership?
At its core, servant leadership flips the traditional leadership pyramid.
Instead of seeing leadership as power flowing from the top down, servant leaders invert the structure:
- They listen first.
- They remove obstacles.
- They prioritize people development.
- And they model what they expect from others.
It’s not about command and control. It’s about clarity and care.
Why It Works
In strategic finance, I’ve led teams through intense budgeting cycles, M&A diligence, company-wide reforecasts, and system overhauls.
These are high-pressure moments. People are tired. Stakes are high.
You don’t lead through those moments with a title. You lead by being present, asking the right questions, and making it safe for people to tell the truth.
You lead by being the calmest voice in the room — and the first one to roll up your sleeves.
At Amherst Residential, I led an eight-person FP&A team across a 30,000+ unit single-family portfolio. My job wasn’t just to get the forecast right.
It was to build a culture where my team could thrive under pressure, speak up when something was off, and know they had air cover from me when things got hard.
That’s servant leadership in practice.
What it Looks Like
1. Listening Before Leading
I make it a habit to ask my team two questions:
- “What’s getting in your way?”
- “How can I help?”
Sometimes it’s process. Sometimes it’s tools. Often it’s clarity.
But until you ask — and really listen — you’re just managing, not leading.
2. Setting a Clear Vision, Then Getting Out of the Way
Servant leadership isn’t aimless.
It requires vision + trust. I’m clear about the “what” and “why.” Then I give my team the space to own the “how.”
In my consulting practice, I apply this to client engagements too. I don’t drown operators in reports. I ask questions, build the framework, and empower them to lead the business better.
3. Owning Mistakes at the Top
The servant leader absorbs blame and deflects credit. That’s not martyrdom — it’s culture-building.
When your team knows they can take smart risks without fear, they move faster, think bigger, and execute better.
In Real Estate and Consulting
In real estate, deals fall apart all the time — poor communication, unclear expectations, weak execution.
In consulting, clients don’t just want numbers — they want a partner who brings calm, clarity, and a bias toward action.
That’s why I anchor all my work — from multifamily development to fractional CFO services — in servant leadership.
Because relationships drive results. And trust compounds.
Faith + Leadership: The Deeper Root
For me, servant leadership is also rooted in my faith.
As a follower of Christ, I take seriously His model of leadership — not from a throne, but with a towel.
Washing feet. Feeding people. Walking with them.
It’s a daily challenge — and a daily call: to lead with humility, courage, and love.
Why Servant Leadership Wins
In any industry — real estate, finance, tech — the leaders who create trust will build the strongest teams, the best businesses, and the most resilient outcomes.
Because when people feel seen, supported, and safe — they rise.
That’s the kind of leadership I want to practice. That’s the kind of culture I want to build.
And that’s the kind of business I want to run.
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