The Servant’s Heart in the High Ground
This article is Part Two of a four-part series titled The Northwoods Way: Cultivating Lifelong Leadership in Northern Minnesota. In this collection, we explore how the unique culture, geography, and interconnectedness of the North shape what it means to lead with integrity and impact.
Leadership in the North is not about you—it’s about the collective impact your team has on the community. Being a leader has nothing to do with touting your own accomplishments; it’s about flying under the radar while highlighting the efforts and successes of your people. In the North, leading means inverting the traditional pyramid: becoming the foundation that supports the team rather than the figurehead at the top. If your primary goal is to keep the focus on yourself, you simply won't last as a leader here.
Do What You Say You Will Do
Effective leadership begins with a simple, unwavering commitment: doing what you say you will do. While this sounds straightforward, we have all faced moments where we’ve fallen short—whether through overpromising, failing to follow up, or backing initiatives we knew were unlikely to succeed. In leadership, these small gaps between words and actions eventually erode the foundation of trust you need to lead.
In the North, leaders must "model the way" by demonstrating that they are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. You must show your team that you would never ask them to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. It isn't enough to simply set policies; you have to live them out every day. Because your team is always watching, the old "do as I say, not as I do" mentality will never work. Your team learns what is truly expected of them by watching how you handle challenges, high-stress situations, and moments where your integrity is put to the test.
Seek Feedback
To lead effectively, you must normalize the flow of information from the bottom up. High-ground leadership requires more than just an "open door policy"—a phrase that often places the burden of courage on the employee. Instead, leaders in the North must proactively build a culture where the door is effectively gone.
Move Beyond the Open Door: Having an open door is meaningless if your team is too intimidated to walk through it. True accessibility means going to where your team is, asking specific questions, and creating safe, low-friction "feedback loops" that happen weekly, not just during annual reviews.
The Power of Radical Candor: Promote a culture of open, honest feedback that is focused on growth. For feedback to be actionable, it must be clear, kind, and specific. As a leader, you should be the first to model this by asking, "What is one thing I could do to make your job easier this week?"
Close the Loop: The fastest way to kill a feedback culture is to ignore the input you receive. You don’t have to agree with every suggestion, but you must acknowledge every piece of feedback. Show your team that their voice has an impact by explaining how their input influenced a decision—or, if it didn’t, explaining the "why" behind the chosen path.
By making feedback a regular, non-threatening part of the daily rhythm, you ensure the "high ground" is never out of touch with the reality of the front lines.
Be Clear on Your Philosophy of Leadership
A team should never have to guess who their leader is or what they stand for. To lead effectively, you must provide your team with a clear "user manual" for your leadership style. This means being remarkably consistent in what you say, what you do, and—most importantly—what you expect. When a leader is a known entity, it removes the anxiety of the unknown and allows the team to focus entirely on the mission.
Part of this clarity involves radical transparency regarding your own capabilities. Your team should know your strengths, but they should also be well-aware of your weaknesses. By being open about where you fall short, you give your team permission to be human as well, while simultaneously allowing them to step up and fill those gaps.
Ultimately, your philosophy must be rooted in the concept of "extreme ownership". Your team needs the security of knowing that you will always stand up for them and relentlessly promote their efforts to the rest of the organization. They must know, without a shadow of a doubt, that when things are going well, you will pass the credit to them—and when things are going poorly, you will be the first to step forward and take responsibility. When a team feels protected by their leader’s philosophy, they are empowered to take the risks necessary to achieve greatness.
Conclusion
Leading in the North isn't about the authority you hold; it’s about the trust you earn. By prioritizing a servant’s heart, you shift the focus from your own success to the collective success of your team. This requires a relentless commitment to doing what you say you will do, a genuine hunger for feedback, and a leadership philosophy that is clear and unwavering.
When you lead with transparency—owning your mistakes and standing at the front when things get difficult—you create more than just a productive team; you create a culture of psychological safety and mutual respect. As you move forward, remember that your "high ground" is only as stable as the foundation of integrity you build beneath it. Lead with heart, stay consistent, and always keep your door—and your ears—open.