Lessons in Servant Leadership from Global Agencies and Boardrooms

I’ve spent over two decades working across markets - across Africa in the UK and the U.S. - leading marketing teams, navigating complex client relationships and managing high-pressure deliverables in both agency and in-house environments. Through it all, one truth has remained constant: the most effective leaders serve before they lead.

Whether you call it Hunhu in Zimbabwe, Ubuntu in South Africa, or refer to the similar communal philosophies echoed across the continent—from Ujamaa in East Africa to Omoluwabi in parts of West Africa—the idea that we are bound to one another in our humanity has shaped how I lead teams and show up as a professional.

These values aren’t abstract concepts for me. They are lived practices—shaped by where I’m from, honed by where I’ve worked, and validated by the results I’ve seen.

What Servant Leadership Looks Like in the Agency World

1. Listening First, Always

In fast-paced agency life, particularly in South Africa, account managers are expected to juggle multiple priorities—client expectations, creative timelines, and internal operations. The temptation is to rush to solutions. But I found that the most productive teams were those where leaders created the space for others to be heard first—whether it was a junior account executive trying to flag a concern, or a strategist wrestling with a positioning issue.

I made it my business to listen—not just to respond, but to understand.

2. Creating Safety to Contribute Boldly

In environments where the stakes are high and timelines are tight, team members often second-guess themselves. As a leader, my job was to ensure that every person on the team—regardless of title—knew their perspective mattered.

One of the most impactful campaigns I’ve worked on came from an idea voiced by a nervous junior in a Friday afternoon review. Because we’d built a team culture grounded in Hunhu—respect, shared contribution, humility—she felt safe enough to speak up. That single idea changed the course of the work.

Servant leadership isn’t about taking center stage. It’s about making others feel seen, valued, and heard.

3. Leading by Example, Not Instruction

During moments of pressure—tight deadlines, unexpected client pivots, or when a pitch deck needed reworking at 10 p.m.—I never asked anyone to do what I wouldn’t do myself. I’ve sat with team members rechecking estimates, proofing creative, or calling vendors personally. Not because it was glamorous, but because servant leadership means taking on what others can’t—or shouldn’t—do alone.

That type of leadership builds loyalty, trust, and accountability more than any title or org chart ever could.

4. Elevating Others Publicly, Coaching Quietly

Leadership isn’t about being the smartest voice in the room—it’s about helping others find theirs. In every agency or boardroom I’ve worked in, I’ve made it a point to credit ideas, efforts, and wins publicly, especially when those team members weren’t in the room. Recognition is fuel for performance—and it signals what a team truly values.

Equally important: when things didn’t go to plan, I gave feedback directly and respectfully—always in private. Correction without humiliation. Accountability with dignity. That’s Hunhu. That’s Ubuntu.

5. Remembering the Leaders Who Made Space for Me

I didn’t come into this leadership philosophy alone. I carry with me the generosity of the many mentors and managers—across Zimbabwe, South Africa, and beyond—who chose to speak my name in rooms where I had no presence, advocate for me on global accounts, and pull out chairs at tables I didn’t even know existed yet.

It wasn’t performative. It was intentional.They didn’t just open the door—they waited for me to walk through it.

And that’s the type of leader I’ve committed to becoming. One who creates space, then stays present to make sure others feel welcome in it.

Why It Matters More Than Ever

Today’s business environment is volatile, fast-moving, and increasingly human-centered. Stakeholders are more values-driven. Teams are more diverse and distributed. And the need for emotionally intelligent, empathetic, servant-minded leadership has never been greater.

This isn’t just about culture. It’s about performance.

Teams that feel respected and supported outperform those that don’t. Leaders who listen, lift, and lead with humility build organizations that are resilient and results-driven.

What I’ve Come to Believe

I no longer view leadership as a role to be held. I see it as a responsibility to serve.

Not because I want to be liked. But because I want to build environments where people thrive, brands grow, and organizations endure.

True leaders don’t cast shadows—they create space for others to shine.