Discover how servant leadership and humility define the strongest leaders. Learn why putting your team's success first creates trust, engagement, and lasting organizational impact.
Her Story
About Tamara
I started in property management in 2010 after moving to Houston and quickly advanced from leasing agent to assistant manager, property manager, and now regional manager. My heart is in the 55-plus active adult communities where I oversee lease-ups like Ivy Point Friendswood, Richmond, and Cinco Ranch, plus additional properties in Nashville. I double majored in philosophy and theology at Loyola Marymount University, spent time studying Chinese philosophy abroad in China at the University of International Business and Economics and Banking, and backpacked Europe before that. I strive to be a dynamic servant leader who invests in my teams with emotional intelligence, helping many team members advance into leadership roles themselves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tamara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to counting my blessings, having a heart of gratitude, and maintaining a faithful heart.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership and growing in your career, as highlighted by leaders like regional vice presidents.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Focus on being kind and respectful to others.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A challenge right now is trying to find where we belong in the world of AI.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being empathetic, being kind, having a heart of gratitude, leading with humility and peace, and being a faithful person.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Tamara
Servant Leadership
Why the Greatest Leaders Choose Service Over Status
Servant Leadership and Humility: The Strongest Leaders Choose to Serve
Leadership is often associated with authority, influence, and decision-making. But after years of leading teams, I’ve come to believe that the most impactful leaders aren’t defined by the title on their business card. They are defined by the way they serve the people around them.
Servant leadership isn’t about leading from behind or avoiding difficult decisions. It’s about recognizing that your greatest responsibility as a leader is to help others succeed. When your team grows, gains confidence, and reaches new levels of performance, you’ve fulfilled one of the most important parts of your role.
At the heart of servant leadership is humility.
Humility isn’t weakness. It isn’t a lack of confidence or ambition. True humility is having the confidence to know you don’t have all the answers, the willingness to listen before speaking, and the courage to put the needs of your team before your own personal interests.
The best leaders I’ve encountered don’t seek the spotlight. They celebrate their team’s accomplishments before their own. They ask questions instead of assuming they know the answer. They admit mistakes, learn from them, and create an environment where others feel safe doing the same.
People don’t simply follow leaders because of their expertise. They follow leaders because they feel valued, respected, and trusted.
Servant leadership is demonstrated in the small moments every day:
- Taking time to coach instead of simply correcting.
- Listening to understand rather than listening to respond.
- Giving credit generously while accepting responsibility when things don’t go as planned.
- Being present during both victories and challenges.
- Investing in people’s growth, even when it means they may one day outgrow your team.
Humility creates trust, and trust creates high-performing teams.
When employees know their leader genuinely cares about their success, they become more engaged, collaborative, and willing to take ownership. They aren’t working out of fear; they’re working with purpose.
As leaders, it’s easy to become consumed by metrics, deadlines, budgets, and performance goals. Those things matter. But behind every number is a person with aspirations, challenges, and untapped potential. Great leadership never loses sight of that.
I’ve learned that some of the most meaningful moments in leadership don’t come from achieving a business objective. They come from watching someone you believed in discover confidence they didn’t know they had, earn a promotion they worked tirelessly for, or accomplish something they once thought was impossible.
That is the legacy of servant leadership.
Titles eventually change. Positions come and go. But the way we make people feel, the opportunities we create, and the example we set will continue to influence others long after we’ve moved on.
Leadership isn’t measured by how many people work for you.
It’s measured by how many people are better because you led them.
Lead with humility. Serve with intention. Lift others as you climb.
That is leadership that leaves a lasting impact.
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