Cultivating Purpose and Empowering the Team

Every journey begins with a purpose – a destination and a sense of direction. At XOOTS, we use our purpose to empower our team. An inspiring, customer-centric purpose is essential; without it, one might question their very presence in the endeavor.

A clear sense of purpose should be reinforced by our strong community culture and shared values. By uniting everyone behind the purpose, leaders at XOOTS delegate decision-making to those with the most context and expertise. To achieve this, leaders need to establish psychological safety and adopt the principles of servant leadership.

In today’s fast-paced world of technological advancement, continuous learning and skill development are crucial. The era of mastering a single skill has passed; now, professionals must become versatile “rakes,” cultivating multiple skills and constantly growing. That’s why we are passionate and excited about the XOOTS Academy, which upskills our team. We firmly believe that this growth mindset is a fundamental principle of developing autonomous teams, where ownership and accountability are key.

To unlock their full potential, XOOTS teams are granted the freedom to steer their part of the business. Command-and-control structures and coercion hinder creativity and innovation. By providing psychological safety, leaders enable team members to voice their opinions openly, without fear of retribution. We strongly believe that with this sense of freedom, individuals are more likely to embrace change and take ownership.

However, leaders must first transform themselves by examining their own actions and considering how they can improve the community. One way to become a better leader is to ask thought-provoking questions instead of always striving to provide answers. Servant leadership means delegating decision-making to those with the most relevant knowledge and supporting the team in their pursuits. Servant leadership involves:

• Shifting from command and control to inspire and enroll
• Delegating authority to those with the most information
• Focusing on the success of team members and providing the necessary resources
• Offering coaching, mentorship, and removing obstacles rather than dictating actions, thus fostering better decision-making within the team

In essence, a servant leader excels when they work behind the scenes, allowing the team to shine. Upon achieving success, the team will proudly say, “We did it ourselves.” Embracing a servant leadership culture is the key to fostering agility and empowering teams within a startup like XOOTS.