What Does Customer Service Have To Do With Leadership?

[24 hours after election day on a small, rural campus]

"Do what I say...I'm the boss!"
   "What, I just voted for you. Why are you telling me what to do?"
"That's what you elected me for. I'm in charge now. Get going and don't talk back to me?"
   "But you promised to serve the needs of the people."
"I know what's best for the people. I'm the leader."
   "You don't even know my name. How can you know what's best for me?"

Of course you would never act that way as a student leader. Because the moment you start to talk down to people from the imaginary pedestal that you put yourself on - you start to move from leadership to dictatorship. No one likes that.

The best approach to leadership is from the posture of a servant. Asking someone how YOU can serve them is a lot better than telling someone how THEY can serve you. You'll go a lot further in your leadership with a servant's mindset and a servant's heart.

Valeria Maltoni writes about what NOT to say to customers in a recent article (Things You Should Never Tell A Customer} at the Fast Company blog. She writes from the perspective of someone working in customer service. Yet I find her ideas applicable here because oftentimes, leadership is very much about customer service.

I'm going to list the five things she say NOT to say to a customer. I'll be adding my own thoughts about why these things are harmful for leaders to say as well.

1. A lie – this is trouble from the very beginning. Once you tell a lie you will spread even more lies to cover that one. A lie may cover you for a moment, but it will come back to bite you. Plus, it eats away at your integrity and character.

Instead: The best policy of any leader is honesty, especially when you make a mistake. If you're honest up front, people will respect you more than if you lie and try to hide things from them.

2. It’s the fault of “x” department – If something doesn't go right, many have a tendency to blame others. A leader takes responsibility, even when a situation isn't entirely his or her fault. If you always point the finger of blame at someone else, then you're part of a bigger problem.

Instead: Be a part of the solution. You may not be responsible for the problem, but a leader will look for a way through. Be willing to step into a messy situation and be a part of cleaning it up. That's when leadership is most needed.

3. I disagree with you – It's okay to have a different point of view and to note when someone has offered a suggestion that won't work. But it's how you disagree that matters most. If you come off as disrespectful or uncaring toward someone else in your disagreement - you may win the argument, but you lose the relationship.

Instead: The best way to disagree with someone without being disagreeable is by asking questions. Sometimes, by asking the right question, you can show the other person where they might be off the mark. But you'll also be able to hear their heart a little more clearly. Who knows...you may end up agreeing with them.

4. I don’t know what to do about that – I'm a firm believer that a leader doesn't have to know everything. But a leader must be willing to find out where to find the answer. Once again, a leader needs to be willing to take responsibility for a situation and lead. If a leader always and ONLY says, "I don't know," then the leader loses the ability to lead.

Instead: Admit that you don't know but commit to finding the answer. People will respect the fact you only know so much. They are looking for people who will work with them and for them to find a solution. Be as knowledgeable as you can, but also build your network of go-to people when a situation is beyond your knowledge.

5. It’s your fault – When you lead people, they will always make mistakes. Laying the responsibility of failure squarely on their shoulders of others is a sign of a weak leader. If you work as a team, fail as a team.

Instead: If the team fails or an individual on the team fails, carry as much of the responsibility as you can. I like to say, "When we succeed, the team gets the credit. If we fail, I take the blame." If you do that, your team will appreciate your willingness to share the praise in success and share the responsibility in failure.

Leaders can learn a lot from good customer service practices. What are some other ways you can serve those whom you lead?