Robert Kiefner Greenleaf introduced the concept of servant leadership in 1970. He defined the servant leader as one who serves others first to help them develop and perform at their best. Some key attributes of servant leadership include listening, empathy, foresight, and commitment to enhancing others' personal growth. While critiqued as potentially ineffective for business goals, servant leadership focuses on ethical and sustainable leadership through service, community-building, and empowering others. Greenleaf established the Center for Applied Ethics to promote servant leadership principles.

1. Servant leadership by Robert Kiefner GreenleafPresented by Celeste DosdosPA 205

2. Life of Robert Kiefner GreenleafBorn 1904 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Died 1990 (86)Spent most of his organizational life in the field of management, research, development, and education at AT&T (38 yrs)Founded Center for Applied Ethics in’64, renamed Robert K. Greenleaf Center in ‘85Taught at Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia‘70: The Servant as Leader‘72: The Institution as Servant‘72: Trustees as Servants

3. Servant LeadershipProposed in 1970Theoretical framework advocating service to others as primary motivation of a leaderGreatly inspired by Herman Hesse’sJourney to the East (mythical journey by a group of people on a spiritual quest) in the ‘60s

4. Concept of Servant Leadership Prior to GreenleafArthashastra: “The [leader] shall consider as good, not what pleases himself but what pleases his subjects.” (375 BC : ancient Indian treatise by Chāṇakya)Jesus Christ: “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11), “The one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” (Luke 22:26)

5. Some Servant-Leadership Experts after GreenleafLarry SpearsJames AutryJames HunterKen BlanchardStephen CoveyPeter SengeJim Collins

6. Definitions of servantOne who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsionA person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his commandA person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employerA subordinate helper

7. Definitions of ServiceAn act of assistance or benefit; a favorAn act of help, aidWork done by one person or group that benefits anotherThe performance of work or duties for a superior or as a servantBe of service or be useful

8. Definitions of LeaderA guiding or directing headOne that leadsOne who is in charge or in commandOne who has influence or power, especially of a political natureA person who inspires othersA person who is in front or goes firstA person who directs the work of others

9. Servant-Leadership as Defined by Greenleaf “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types…The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, not be further deprived?”

10. Servant-Leadership as Defined by Larry Spears, Executive Director of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership “…A new kind of leadership model – a model which puts serving others as the number one priority. Servant-leadership emphasizes increased service to others; a holistic approach to work; promoting a sense of community; and the sharing of power in decision-making.” (1996, p. 33)

11. Ten Attributes of Servant-LeadershipListeningEmpathyHealingAwarenessPersuasionConceptualizationForesightStewardshipCommitment to the Growth of PeopleBuilding Community

12. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 1: Listening“Only a true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first. (1970, p.10)

13. Critical communication tool

14. Active demonstration of respect for others

15. Together with regular reflection is essential for a servant leader

16. Active, not just passiveServant-Leadership Attribute # 2: Empathy“The servant always accepts & empathizes, never rejects.” (1970, p.12)

17. “Men grow taller when those who lead them empathize,& when they are accepted for who they are…” (1970, p.14)Servant-Leadership Attribute # 3: HealingHealing was defined as “to make whole.” (1970, p.27)Recognizes the shared human desire to find wholeness in one’s self & supports it in other peopleConsider their history

18. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 4: Awareness“We miss leadership opportunities” (1970, p.19) without awareness“Sharply awake and reasonably disturbed”Becoming conscious of one’s self and others (addressing needs & opportunities for improvement)

19. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 5: PersuasionEffective servant-leader builds group consensus through “gentle but clear and persistent persuasion, and does not exert group compliance through position power”“A fresh look is being taken at the issues of power & authority, and people are beginning to learn, however haltingly, to relate to one another in less coercive and more creatively supporting ways.” (1970, pp. 3-4)Convince and build consensus – quickly

20. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 6: Conceptualization“The servant-leader can conceive solutions to problems that do not currently exist.” (1970, pp. 23-25)Thinking beyond day-to-day realities‘Dreaming great dreams’Taking time to strategize

21. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 7: Foresight“Prescience, or foresight, is a better than average guess about what is going to happen when in the future.” (1970, p. 16)Understanding lessons from the past, realities of the present & likely consequences of future decisions

22. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 8: Stewardship“Organizational stewards, or ‘trustees’ are concerned not only for the individual followers within the organization, but also the organization as a whole, and its impact on and relationship with all of society.” (1970, p. 31)Building on trust on other people & their capacity to perform their tasks in the organization

23. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 9: Commitment to the Growth of People“The secret of institution building is to be able to weld a team of such people by lifting them up to grow taller than they would otherwise be.” (1970, p. 14)Appreciating & encouraging others

24. Servant-Leadership Attribute # 10: Building Community“All that is needed to rebuild community as a viable life form…is for enough servant-leaders to show the way.” (1970, p. 30)Camaraderie

25. “If a good society is to be built, one that is more just and more caring, and where the less able and more able serve one another with unlimited liability, then the best way is to raise the performance as servants of institutions, and sanction natural servants to serve and lead.”Robert K. Greenleaf

26. Reflection Point In relation with the attributes of a servant-leader, do Filipinos manifest a form of servant leadership?

27. Some Paradoxes of Servant-LeadershipGreat Enough to be Without PrideTeam gets the credit, you get the blameCompassionate Enough to DisciplineMust not be soft – set high expectations and follow throughRight Enough to Say, “I’m Wrong”Leaders make mistakes too, admit you are humanWise Enough to Admit You Don’t KnowFind out quickly, but do not misleadBusy Enough to ListenBeware the busy manager – they do not leadConstantly seek opportunities for improvementNo job too big, no job too smallAll members of the organization make significant contributions

28. Critiques on Servant-LeadershipDue to its focus on the individual, gears toward unresolved cases of individual goals and values in conflict with the organizational goals and values >> Org. goals remaining unfulfilled owing to employees not giving the appropriate attention, priority or urgencyCommitment to team building by the servant-leader may be too interfering for some of the membersOrganizations with servant-leadership styles would fall down when market pressures force the organization to downsize

29. “If a leader must challenge the status quo to be a leader, it would not be inconsistent to imagine him challenging individuals also as any good coach would do. But can a servant challenge his master?” (McCrimmon)Management (guidance, supervision, administration) is different from leadership, and most of the functions of a manager is different from a leader. Given the term servant management, “What kind of role model for developing leaders is provided by a manager who is only a nurturer of others, a servant type?”

30. Reflection Point Some critics argue that servant leadership is an end itself, not achieving other goals. Do you agree or disagree?

31. Reflection Point What were your first thoughts on hearing the term servant leader? Were they validated or disproven after reading Greenleaf's concept of it?

32. Greenleaf Center for Servant LeadershipLocated in Westfield, INMission & Vission:“The Greenleaf Center promotes the awareness, understanding, and practice of servant leadership by individuals and organizations.

33. Across our global community, servant leadership is embraced as a guiding principle, thus building a more just, caring, and sustainable world with hope and prosperity for future generations.”Programs & ServicesHosts annual conference & Leadership Instituite for Educators (LIFE) conference

34. Sponsors Speakers Bureau

35. Publishes books & materials (essays, videos & DVDsLogoVariation of a Mobius strip

36. Servanthood merging to leadership, & back to servanthood in a fluid & continuous pattern

37. To serve & lead othersOrganizations Practicing Servant-Leadership