The Art Of Coaching

The Art Of Coaching


E137 | Greg Adamson: Downfalls of Servant Based Leadership

November 05, 2020

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“Servant based leadership is easy to say but hard to define.”


Often overused and oversimplified, the term “servant based” has become synonymous with what you see on motivational posters, hear in inspirational soundbites and even the word leadership itself. In reality, it’s just one of many styles. And because leadership is not one-size fits all, we’re talking to Greg Adamson about the importance of understanding the labels we use, seeking to understand the needs of the people we lead and finding strategies that best fit each context.


Greg is the Associate Director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Tennessee, where he works with swimming and diving, women's soccer and men's golf. During his tenure he has also worked with the football and rowing programs. Prior to UT, Greg spent time at Winthrop University with women's basketball, baseball, men's & women's soccer, track and field, men's tennis, and lacrosse and as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan. He received his Master of Arts in Sport Administration from Central Michigan in 2010.


In this episode we dive into:




  1. The importance of questioning terms, labels and assumptions before adopting them




  2. Why a one-size fits all approach won’t allow you to truly “serve” the people you lead




  3. The case for getting our hands dirty and the need for more “imperfect leaders”




  4. How to consider the role of the follower in the leadership equation




Connect w/ Greg:


Via Twitter: @UTCoachGreg


Via Instagram: @UTCoachGreg


Via  email: greg.adamson@utk.edu