Redefine Your Servant Leadership with Jon Kidwell
Jon Kidwell believes that servant leadership needs a refresh. Too often, leaders burn out because they give everything and ask for nothing. Jon shares his experience from teaching to leading a team of 1,100 people, and how tough feedback about his inability to engage in conflict changed his leadership approach.
Key Takeaways
Mission First, People Always: Jon emphasizes that effective servant leadership requires putting the mission first while caring deeply about people, replacing the false choice between results and relationships.
Productive Tension: Leadership involves balancing seemingly opposite qualities (like being humble yet confident) that create strength through tension, similar to how weight training builds muscle.
Kind Truth vs. Nice: Servant leaders need to be kind rather than nice. Being nice focuses on how others see you, while kind truth helps people grow even when it's uncomfortable.
Notable Quotes
"A servant leader is always accepting but they do not always accept performance as is good enough."
"When we do that right, when we put the mission first and say we're going to do these things, and then we love people always—Mission first, people always—it kind of becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."
"A manager has more impact on how well your life is going than your therapist."
Real-World Applications
Financial Transparency: Jon shares how being honest about financial limitations while painting a vision for future benefits (like paid parental leave) builds trust. For example, explaining to team members exactly what financial targets need to be hit before certain benefits can be implemented.
Leading Through Crisis: When a team member experienced a family tragedy, Jon's company chose principles over policy, allowing time off and maintaining pay despite contract requirements. This built exceptional loyalty and reinforced their people-first values.
Empowering Others Responsibly: Rather than dumping responsibility on someone unprepared, Jon describes gradually transferring power as people demonstrate readiness. This might mean giving a proven finance person authority to make investment decisions independently.
Servant leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters. Jon Kidwell reminds us that leaders need boundaries, values, and clarity to serve well. If you want to be helpful and effective, start by leading yourself.
00:45 Introducing John Kidwell: A Journey into Servant Leadership
00:59 Unpacking the Essence of Servant Leadership with John Kidwell
05:46 Defining Mission-Driven Leadership
14:42 The Power of Productive Tension in Leadership
20:42 Exploring the Essence of Servant Leadership
22:16 The Power of Constructive Feedback
23:06 Navigating Leadership Challenges with Transparency
26:51 Embracing Generosity and Humanity in Leadership
31:16 Empowering Others Through Responsible Leadership
35:02 Going All In: The Ultimate Leadership Commitment
39:05 Closing Thoughts and Resources
Links Mentioned:
Jon Kidwell's Book: Redefine Your Servant Leadership: https://amzn.to/441HAEN
Jon Kidwell's Website: https://leadwell.com/
About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.