This document discusses the concept of servant leadership. It begins by defining servant leadership as a philosophy that involves sharing power and putting others' needs first. It then provides background on servant leadership, tracing it back to ancient Chinese and Christian texts. The term "servant leadership" was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Greenleaf described the servant-first attitude of prioritizing others' highest priority needs. The document outlines 10 key characteristics of servant leaders, provides examples of famous servant leaders like Gandhi and MLK Jr, and describes how to practice servant leadership through self-awareness, listening, empowering others, and foresight.
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Leadership presentation, illustrated and documented.
Sources, references and bibliography mentioned in the scope of the presentation.
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Leadership presentation, illustrated and documented.
Sources, references and bibliography mentioned in the scope of the presentation.
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Wish to implement leadership strategies that influence, engage and encourage excellence performance in the organization? SlideTeam has come up with content ready leadership PowerPoint presentation slides to portray the management abilities of the workforce. These team management PPT templates include slides like leadership introduction, leadership vs. management, control styles and theories, participating captaincy process, strategic management, business theory, adaptive performance, group cohesion, communication patterns and many more. Apart from this, if you want customized designs for your presentation, our design team is at your service. Our predesigned leader-member exchange theory presentation can be used for the topics like leadership skills and training, qualities of leadership, leadership in management, leadership strategies & practices, productive guidance etc. Click and download our leadership PowerPoint presentation templates and make your team efficient. Folks are enthralled by the explosion of colors in our Leadership Powerpoint Presentation Slides. It's iridescence increases interest. https://bit.ly/3x4FNNn
How to make a world of difference in a challenging world. It starts with a big enough reason to lead, then a reviewing and reorganising of our mindset, engaging team commitment through effective communications, and inspiring your followers to step up with excitement. It\'s not easy - and yet it\'s worth the effort.
This is part of a presentation that deals with basic principles of leadership. It looks at certain changes that occurred in leadership theory over the last decades, and ends with a discussion on relational leadership models.
Leadership skill, definition of Leadership skill, concept of Leadership skill, factors of leadership, characteristics of leadership, theories of leadership, factors of leadership, components of leadership, functions of leadership, Qualities of Leadership
Wish to implement leadership strategies that influence, engage and encourage excellence performance in the organization? SlideTeam has come up with content ready leadership PowerPoint presentation slides to portray the management abilities of the workforce. These team management PPT templates include slides like leadership introduction, leadership vs. management, control styles and theories, participating captaincy process, strategic management, business theory, adaptive performance, group cohesion, communication patterns and many more. Apart from this, if you want customized designs for your presentation, our design team is at your service. Our predesigned leader-member exchange theory presentation can be used for the topics like leadership skills and training, qualities of leadership, leadership in management, leadership strategies & practices, productive guidance etc. Click and download our leadership PowerPoint presentation templates and make your team efficient. Folks are enthralled by the explosion of colors in our Leadership PowerPoint Presentation Slides. It's iridescence increases interest
Wish to implement leadership strategies that influence, engage and encourage excellence performance in the organization? SlideTeam has come up with content ready leadership PowerPoint presentation slides to portray the management abilities of the workforce. These team management PPT templates include slides like leadership introduction, leadership vs. management, control styles and theories, participating captaincy process, strategic management, business theory, adaptive performance, group cohesion, communication patterns and many more. Apart from this, if you want customized designs for your presentation, our design team is at your service. Our predesigned leader-member exchange theory presentation can be used for the topics like leadership skills and training, qualities of leadership, leadership in management, leadership strategies & practices, productive guidance etc. Click and download our leadership PowerPoint presentation templates and make your team efficient. Folks are enthralled by the explosion of colors in our Leadership Powerpoint Presentation Slides. It's iridescence increases interest. https://bit.ly/3x4FNNn
How to make a world of difference in a challenging world. It starts with a big enough reason to lead, then a reviewing and reorganising of our mindset, engaging team commitment through effective communications, and inspiring your followers to step up with excitement. It\'s not easy - and yet it\'s worth the effort.
This is part of a presentation that deals with basic principles of leadership. It looks at certain changes that occurred in leadership theory over the last decades, and ends with a discussion on relational leadership models.
Leadership skill, definition of Leadership skill, concept of Leadership skill, factors of leadership, characteristics of leadership, theories of leadership, factors of leadership, components of leadership, functions of leadership, Qualities of Leadership
Post #1Robert Greenleaf (2008) has so many amazing incites that .docxharrisonhoward80223
Post #1
Robert Greenleaf (2008) has so many amazing incites that are practical. The foundation to his inspiration is to lead by example, merging finding a mindful direction and skills for redirecting group behaviors. I have been introduced to leaders whom believe they are applying fabulous leadership skills, however reality is that they do not listen or are they aware of their surroundings. The emotional needs of staff are completely overlooked as well as viewed like a checklist of strategic applications with zero applications. I have observed this multiple times within my office of engineers and architects contributing to protocols, facts and procedures. Greenleaf incorporates the need to set self aside, including egos to reflect history, empathy, optimum, listening and utilizing sensible language. According to Frick (2004) history indicates the importance of service to develop social values of connection and community in which leaders need to identify and relate in their roles.
As it was mentioned, the mindset and behaviors in which leaders need to perform for others to follow takes humility and humbleness, wish can be considered a weakness or wisdom depending on self and cultural. I have found that some individuals in leadership roles believe they know the formulas; however, every equation will have variables that alters the perspective, changing the order of operations in result the solution and answer. The ability to honor the variables will determine the wisdom of the leader; in return will formulate the skills of serving. This is a very difficult concept for many leaders to embrace and apply. For some, it is common since, but one may need to listen to understand the variable is them.
References
Frick, D. M. (2004). Robert K. Greenleaf : A Life of Servant Leadership. San Francisco, Calif: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Greenleaf, R. K. (2008). The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.
Post #2
Why isn’t Servant Leadership a theory or formula for leadership success but a mindset – a way of being as a leader.
Servant leadership needs to come from a core set of beliefs or faith. One must be transformed from within for this to be a true experience. This is not a theory of leadership that you can fake it until you make it. It is a philosophy or way of life. Even for leaders in a spiritual environment such as a church or a temple, this is not a given. A life of servant leadership is sacrificial. This is not easily accomplished if it does not come from an authentic place. One will only be able to demonstrate the traits and characteristics of a servant leader for a finite time if it is not originating from a true spirit of and core of humility. While servant leadership is a known leadership style and may be widely studied, it is not widely seen because it must come from a unique leader. As someone who has been behind the scenes in church leadership for decades, in a place where most wo.
this powerpoint presentation is a useful reference for those who will be taking up leadership courses. During the course the participant will be able to apply in his life the lessons learned from the subject as it is elaborated in every slide. There will be some instences wherein the participant is requested to participate in the lecture by citing or giving example on how to increase the leadership qualities that he has.
Discussion Board Forum RepliesIn ModulesWeeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 y.docxowenhall46084
Discussion Board Forum Replies:
In Modules/Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 you will be required to post a substantive reply of at least 250 words each to a minimum of 3 classmates’ threads. Expect to enter on-going dialogues with your classmates and be prepared to answer questions about your own selected topics. Student interaction on the Discussion Board is the key to success in this course.
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Submit your replies by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the assigned module/week.
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2 days ago
Scott Buber
Robert Greenleaf
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Top of Form
Forum 2 (Modules 3-4)
Key Term: Robert Greenleaf (Servant Leadership)
Definition
“Greenleaf, was CEO of AT&T [over 30] years ago, lecturer and teacher at Harvard and MIT, and author of
Servant Leadership
” (Gebhart, 1995)
Summary
Robert Greenleaf is best thought of as a revolutionary thinker in terms of how to lead others in both business and the community. “The emphasis in servant leadership theory is on leaders whose primary aim is to serve their followers while developing employees to their fullest potential in different areas such as task effectiveness, community stewardship, self-motivation, and also the development of their leadership capabilities.” (Dierendonck & Patterson, 2015, p. 119)
In today’s workplace, Greenleaf is often quoted and the inspiration for leading people in a way that brings about positive results. Greenleaf’s theory was relatively unproved until years later by a few scholars. These scholars conducted several studies to determine the true results of the relationship of servant-leaders and their direct reports in the workplace.
Discussion
In 1977, Greenleaf published a theory about how extraordinary leaders develop the desire to serve others before themselves. This trait in and of itself is what is called Servant Leadership. Servant-leaders do all that they can to provide the highest need of those they are leading before fulfilling their own needs. This theory of leadership is not a short-term solution for problems in the company. Servant leadership has been described “as including an altruistic calling, which is the motivation of leaders to put others’ needs and interests ahead of their own, and organizational stewardship, which is orienting others toward benefiting and serving the community.” (Dierendonck & Patterson, 2015, p. 119) Greenleaf has stressed the need to genuinely show concern for other people, businesses and communities altogether.
There is a “deep connection between servant leadership and compassionate love with the outgrowths of humility, gratitude, forgiveness and .
3In the previous chapter, we reviewed how theorists’ view .docxtamicawaysmith
3
In the previous chapter, we reviewed how theorists’ view of lead-ership has changed, from the belief that leaders are simply born
to the idea that the best way to learn about leadership is to study
the behaviors or practices of people who are viewed as leaders. The-
orizing has evolved even further into an understanding of leader-
ship as a complex process. Indeed, leadership is a transforming
process that raises all participants to levels at which they can
become effective leaders.
Leadership may best be understood as philosophy. At its core,
understanding philosophy means understanding values. “Affect,
motives, attitudes, beliefs, values, ethics, morals, will, commitment,
preferences, norms, expectations, responsibilities—such are the con-
cerns of leadership philosophy proper. Their study is paramount
because the very nature of leadership is that of practical philosophy,
philosophy-in-action” (Hodgkinson, 1983, p. 202). When we exam-
ine historical leaders, we often are analyzing the values and ethics
that characterized their leadership. It is critical that we each
develop our own personal philosophy—one we hope will include
the elements of the model presented in this chapter.
Chapter Overview
This chapter presents a relational model of leadership to consider
in building your own personal philosophy. Each of the elements of
The Relational Leadership Model
73
c03.qxd 10/30/06 10:07 AM Page 73
74 EXPLORING LEADERSHIP
the model is presented in detail to give you more information about
each component.
Relational Leadership
Leadership has to do with relationships, the role of which cannot
be overstated. Leadership is inherently a relational, communal
process. “Leadership is always dependent on the context, but the
context is established by the relationships we value” (Wheatley,
1992, p. 144). Although a person could exert leadership of ideas
through persuasive writings or making speeches, most leadership
happens in an interactive context between individuals and among
group members. We emphasize once again: we view leadership as a
relational and ethical process of people together attempting to accomplish
positive change.
Chapter Two presented an overview of how leadership theories
and models have changed over time. These changing frameworks
are reflected in the descriptive terms that have been affixed to the
word leadership. Examples of these leadership theories and concepts
include situational, transforming, servant-leadership, authentic lead-
ership, and principle-centered leadership. We have used the term
relational leadership as a reminder that relationships are the focal
point of the leadership process.
Relational leadership involves a focus on five primary compo-
nents. This approach to leadership is purposeful and builds com-
mitment toward positive purposes that are inclusive of people and
diverse points of view, empowers those involved, is ethical, and rec-
ognizes that all four of these elements are accomplished by ...
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Abstract—This paper provide to what I learned in Managerial Psychology class and how to involve in real life. People can see sort of theory and model and their descriptions. I'm going to show you 6 critical topic behind descriptions and how to behave making them.
Context from my textbook. Picture are too large to upload. So I ty.docxdonnajames55
Context from my textbook. Picture are too large to upload. So I typed it.
Ten characteristics of a servant leader
1. Listening. Communication between leaders and followers is an interactive process that includes sending and receiving messages. Servant leaders communicate by listening first. They recognize that listening is a learned discipline that involves hearing and being receptive to what others have to say. Through listening, servant leaders acknowledge the viewpoint of followers and validate these perspectives.
2. Empathy. Attempting to see the world from that person’s point of view. Empathetic servant leaders demonstrate that they truly understand what followers are thinking and feeling. When a servant leader shows empathy, it is confirming and validating for the follower. It makes the follower feel unique.
3. Healing. Servant leaders care about the personal well-being of their followers. They support followers by helping them overcome personal problems.
4. Awareness. It includes understanding oneself and the impact one has on others. With awareness, servant leaders are able to step aside and view themselves and their own perspectives in the greater context of the situation.
5. Persuasion. Persuasion is clear and persistent communication that convinces others to change.
6. Conceptualization. Refers to an individual’s ability to be a visionary for an organization, providing a clear sense if its goals and direction. Goes beyond day-to day operational thinking to focus on the “big picture.” Conceptualization also equips servant leaders to respond to complex organizational problems in creative ways, enabling them to deal with the intricacies of the organization in relationship to its long-term goals.
7. Foresight. Foresight encompasses a servant leader’s ability to know the future. It is an ability to predict what is coming based on what is occurring in the present and what has happened in the past.
8. Stewardship. Is about taking responsibility for the leadership role entrusted to the leader. Servant leaders accept the responsibility to carefully manage the people and organization they have been given to lead.
9. Commitment to the growth of people. Servant leaders are committed to helping each person in the organization grow personally and professionally. Commitment can take many forms, including providing followers with opportunities for career development, helping them develop new work skills, taking a personal interest in their ideas, and involving them in decision making.
10. Building community. A community is a collection of individuals who have shared interests and pursuits and feel a sense of unity and relatedness. Community allows followers to identify with something greater than themselves that they value. Servant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe and connected with others, but are still allowed to express their won individuality.
These behaviors are influenced by context and culture.
Knowledge has to be improved, challenged and increased constantly, or it vanishes.---Peter F. As we approach the third millennium, America cries out for leadership at all levels of society and in every organization that compose it. It must be a national priority to seek out effective leaders. We urgently need culturally sensitive women and men who can grasp the vision of the future. Leadership is the essential force behind any successful organization. Effective leaders help generate vital and viable organizations that can develop and mobilize into new visionary roles in today’s modern society. In so doing, leaders can form a more desirable future for this nation and the world. In contrast, ineffective leadership directs society into becoming a dreamless society lacking purpose, vision and cohesion. Bennis states: Leaders are the ones with vision, who inspire others and cause them to galvanize their efforts and achieve change. Managers, on the other hand, will follow standard operating procedure to their graves, if necessary, because they do not possess the ability to change course (Bennis, 1997, 17).
2. 1
INTRODUCTION
Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership
practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and
exercise of powerby oneat the “top ofthe pyramid.” By comparison, the servant-
leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and
perform as highly as possible.
Servant leadership is an ancient philosophy. There are passages that relate to
servant leadership in the Tao Te Ching, attributed to Lao-Tzu, who is believed to
have lived in China sometime between 570 BCE and 490 BCE:
Servant leadership can be found in many religious texts, though the philosophy
itself transcends any particular religious tradition. In the Christian tradition, this
passage from the Gospel of Mark is often quoted in discussions of servant
leadership:
While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership”
was coined by RobertK. Greenleaf in "The Servant as Leader", an essay that he
first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:
“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
3. 2
the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material
possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types.
Between them there are shadings and blends that are part ofthe infinite variety of
human nature.”
“Thedifference manifests itself in the care taken bythe 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, becomehealthier, 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?“
Robert Greenleaf recognized that organizations as well as individuals could be
servant-leaders. Indeed, he had great faith that servant-leader organizations could
change the world. In his second major essay, "The Institution as Servant" (1972),
Greenleaf articulated what is often called the “credo.” There he said:
“This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving
each other, is the rockuponwhich a good societyis built. Whereas, until recently,
caring was largely person to person, now most of it is mediated through
institutions – often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always competent;
sometimes corrupt. If a better society is to be built, one that is more just and more
loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people, then the most
4. 3
open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as
servant of existing major institutions bynew regenerative forces operating within
them.”
In the context of leadership styles
The most common division of leadership styles is the distinction between
autocratic, participative and laissez-faire leadership styles. The authoritarian style
of leadership requires clearly defined tasks and monitoring their execution and
results. The decision-making responsibility rests with the executive. In contrast
to the autocratic, the practice of a participative leadership style involves
employees in decision-making. More extensive tasks are delegated. The
employees influence and responsibility increases. The laissez-faire style of
leadership is negligible in practice.
Servant leadership can be mostlikely associated with the participative leadership
style. The authoritarian leadership style does not correspond to the guiding
principle. The highest priority of a servant leader is to encourage, support and
enable subordinates to unfold their full potential and abilities. This leads to an
obligation to delegate responsibility and engage in participative decision-making.
In the managerial grid model of Blake and Mouton, the participative style of
leadership is presented as the approach with the greatest possible performance
and employee satisfaction. However, there is the question whether a leadership
5. 4
style can be declared as universal and universally applicable. Situational contexts
are not considered.
The servant leadership approach goes beyond employee-related behavior and
calls for a rethinking of the hierarchical relationship between leader and
subordinates. This does not mean that the ideal of a participative style in any
situation is to be enforced, but that the focus of leadership responsibilities is the
promotion of performance and satisfaction of employees.
Most writers see servant leadership as an underlying philosophy of leadership,
demonstrated through specific characteristics and practices. The foundational
concepts are found in Greenleaf’s first three major essays, "The Servant as
Leader", "The Institution as Servant", and "Trustees as Servants."
Larry Spears identified ten characteristic of servant leaders in the writings of
Greenleaf. The ten characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness,
persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth
of others, and building community. Leadership experts such as Bolman, Deal,
Covey, Fullan, Sergiovanni, and Heifitz also reference these characteristics as
essential components of effective leadership.
The Center for Servant Leadership at the Pastoral Institute in Georgia defines
servant leadership as a lifelong journey that includes discovery of one’s self, a
desire to serve others, and a commitment to lead. Servant-leaders continually
6. 5
strive to be trustworthy, self-aware, humble, caring, visionary, empowering,
relational, competent, good stewards, and community builders.
Kent Keith, author of The Case for Servant Leadership, states that servant
leadership is ethical, practical, and meaningful. He identifies seven key practices
of servant leaders: self-awareness, listening, changing the pyramid, developing
your colleagues, coaching not controlling, unleashing the energy and intelligence
of others, and foresight.'
James Sipe and Don Frick, in their book TheSeven Pillars of ServantLeadership,
state that servant-leaders are individuals of character, put people first, are skilled
communicators, are compassionate collaborators, use foresight, are systems
thinkers, and exercise moral authority.
Unlike leadership approaches with a top-down hierarchical style, servant
leadership instead emphasizes collaboration, trust, empathy, and the ethical use
of power. At heart, the individual is a servant first, making the conscious decision
to lead in order to better serve others, not to increase their own power. The
objective is to enhance the growth of individuals in the organization and increase
teamwork and personal involvement. A recent behavioral economics experiment
demonstrates the group benefits of servant leadership. Teams of players
coordinated their actions better with a servant leader resulting in improved
outcomes for the followers (but not for the selfless leaders).
7. 6
Ten Characteristics of a Servant-Leader
To further define Greenleaf's paradigm shift, Larry C. Spears identified ten
characteristics of a servant-leader in his paper titled "On Character and Servant
Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders:
1. Listening: Servant leader must listen to verbal and non-verbal signals and
interpret what the others are saying. In addition, the servant leader must
listen to their inner thoughts and feelings and interpret them (Spears, p.2).
2. Empathy: "The most successful servant-leaders are those who have
becomeskilled empathetic listeners." "One assumes the good intentions of
co-workers and colleagues and does not reject them as people, even when
one may be forced to refuse to accept certain behaviors or performance
(Spears, p.3).
3. Healing: "servant-leaders recognize that they have an opportunity to help
make whole those with whom they come in contact" (Spears, p.3).
4. Awareness: Servant leaders should "view most situations from a more
integrated, holistic position." Robert Greenleaf said awareness "is a
disturber and an awakener. Able leaders are usually sharply awake and
reasonably disturbed" (Spears, p.3).
5. Persuasion:The servant leader should rely "on persuasion, rather than on
one's positional authority, in making decisions within an organization."
The technique of convincing rather than coercion should be used. This is
8. 7
in contrast to the "authoritarian model " of leadership. "The servant-leader
is effective at building consensus within groups" (Spears, p.3).
6. Conceptualization: "The ability to look at a problem or an organization
from a conceptualizing perspective means that one must think beyond day-
to-day realities" (Spears, p.3).
7. Foresight: "a characteristic that enables the servant-leader to understand
the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely
consequence of a decision for the future" (Spears, p.3).
8. Stewardship: "a commitment to serving the needs of others. It also
emphasizes the use of openness and persuasion, rather than control"
(Spears, p.4).
9. Commitment to the growth of people: "deeply committed to the growth
of each and every individual within his or her organization." An example
is "taking personal interest in the ideas and suggestions from everyone,
encouraging worker involvement in decision making" (Spears, p.4).
10.Building community: A servant-leader should "seek to identify some
means for building community among those who work within a given
institution" (Spears, p.4).
9. 8
Famous Servant Leaders
Servant leaders are able to lead through a primary focus that puts the needs of
others before their own. These service philosophies extend beyond the team
environment to include everyone associated with an organization, including the
customers and all of the stakeholders. Serving others is a key leadership trait, but
these 5 famous servant leaders provide the best examples to follow. They
exemplify the attitude that it takes to constantly put the needs of others first.
1. . Mahatma Gandhi
Opposing the British ruling officials was bound to be dangerous, but Gandhi
believed that the best way to lose oneself was to serve others. He protested
peacefully, often through the use of fasting and logical discourse, and eventually
his ideas won out and India became an independent nation that was free of
colonialism. He is widely regarded forhis work, even if his goalwasn’t to become
famous, simply because he was willing to always put the needs of someone else
before his own.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The same thing could be said aboutMLK. He didn’t always want to be the leader
of the US civil rights movement, but he knew that there was a need for equality.
10. 9
By putting the needs of others first, he was able to leave a lasting legacy that
proved anyone can make a difference if they’re willing to have a humble, serving
perspective. Some of his speeches are still listened to regularly today because
they have such a ring of truth.
3. Albert Schweitzer
Schweitzer was a man who took his faith very literally. He took the words of
Jesus seriously and determined to love others as best as he could. To that extent,
he served in a number of ways. At one point, he and his wife examined over 2,000
patients in African while traveling hundreds ofmiles sometimes just to reach one
person. He questioned the theology of his time to help bring others a fresh
perspective.
4. Mother Teresa
She dedicated her life to serving others through her faith as well. Mother Teresa
had her critics from time to time, as most servant leaders do, but no one could
question the motives that existed behind her desire to help. She never sought
personalrecognition for the things that she was doing, though at times she insisted
on large changes and wasn’t afraid to say things that others might hesitate to say.
In the end, however, many are calling her to becomea saint because her life really
was a miracle.
11. 10
5 Nelson Mandela
Mandela stood beforehis people and told them that he was a humble servant. He
had a passionfor his people and wanted to see them achieve equality. Sometimes
that meant taking to the streets to demonstrate and put his personal well-being at
risk. At other times, it meant surviving harsh conditions in prison so that a
statement could be made. Through it all, Mandela proved that you can lead others
by putting their needs first.
How to practice servant leadership?
Servant leadership works because of the specific practices of servant-leaders,
practices that help them to be effective leaders and get positive results for their
organizations. Seven of these key practices are self-awareness, listening,
changing the pyramid, developing your colleagues, coaching not controlling,
unleashing the energy and intelligence ofothers, and foresight. Here is a summary
of each of these practices:
Self-Awareness
Each of us is the instrument through which we lead. If we want to be effective
servant-leaders, we need to be aware of who we are and how we impact others.
Other people are watching and reacting to our personalities, our strengths and
weaknesses, our biases, our skills and experiences, and the way we talk and move
and act. What we learn about ourselves depends on feedbackfrom others and our
12. 11
own reflection—taking the time to think about how we behave, and why, and
when, and consider whether there are other, better, more appropriate, more
effective, more thoughtful ways to behave.
Listening
In his classic essay, The Servant as Leader, Robert Greenleaf said that "only a
true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first."
Servant-leaders listen in as many ways as possible. They observewhat people are
doing. They conductinformal interviews, formal interviews, surveys, discussion
groups, and focus groups. Theyusesuggestions boxes. They do marketing studies
and needs assessments. They are always asking, listening, watching, and thinking
about what they learn. By listening, servant-leaders are able to identify the needs
oftheir colleagues and customers. Thatputs them in a good positionto meet those
needs. When they do, their organizations are successful—their colleagues are
able to perform at a high level, and they have happy customers, clients, patients,
members, students, or citizens.
Changing the Pyramid
One of the obstacles to listening is the traditional organizational hierarchy—the
pyramid. Often, members of the organization look up toward the top of the
pyramid, and focus on pleasing their "bosses." But if everyone is looking up to
please his or her boss, who is looking out, and paying attention to the needs of
13. 12
the customers? That's why servant-leaders talk about inverting the pyramid, or
laying it on its side, so that everyone in the organization is focused on the people
whom the organization is designed to serve.
Robert Greenleaf pointed out that the person at the top of the pyramid has no
colleagues, only subordinates. As a result, it is hard to get information, and it is
hard to test new ideas. The chief may bethe only personwho doesn'tknowcertain
things, because nobody will tell him. Or people may share information that is
biased, or incomplete, and they may not share the bad news, for fear that the chief
will shoot the messenger. It is also hard for the chief to test ideas. People are
reluctant to tell the chief that his or her idea is a bad one. The solution is
obvious—servant-leaders create a team at the top. The team consists of senior
leaders who are committed to the mission and to each other, who will share
information, and who will challenge ideas. The chief is still the chief and makes
final decisions, but those decisions will be far better informed and more relevant
to the needs of those being served.
Developing Your Colleagues
RobertGreenleaf proposedanew business ethic, which was that "the work exists
for the person as much as the person exists for the work. Put another way, the
business exists as much to provide meaningful work to the person as it exists to
provide a product or service to the customer." Work should provide people with
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opportunities to learn and grow and fulfill their potential. When your colleagues
grow, the capacity of your organization grows. Developing colleagues includes a
commitment to extensive on-the-job training, as well as formal education, new
assignments, and internal promotions.
Coaching, not Controlling
Coaching and mentoring is a good way to develop people. Organizations need
rules and regulations, but trying to control people doesn't bring out their best.
Servant-leaders bring out the best in their colleagues by engaging, inspiring,
coaching, and mentoring. Servant-leaders help their colleagues understand the
organization's mission and their role in fulfilling it. Servant-leaders make sure
their colleagues understand the organization's goals, and have the training and
tools they need to achieve those goals.
Unleashing the Energy and Intelligence of Others
After developing and coaching their colleagues, servant-leaders unleash the
energy and potential of their colleagues. People need experience making their
own decisions, becauseoccasions may arise when they need to be the leaders, or
make a decision that they normally don't make. Not unleashing the energy and
intelligence of others is extraordinarily sad and wasteful. It doesn't make any
sense to have lots of people in an organization, but let only a few people—those
at the top—use their full potential. Servant-leaders unleash everyone and
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encourage them to make the maximum contribution they can make to the
organization and the people it serves.
Foresight
Robert Greenleaf said that foresight is the central ethic of leadership. In The
Servant as Leader, he said that "prescience, or foresight, is a better than average
guess about what is going to happen when in the future." Greenleaf said that
foresight is the "lead" that the leader has. If you aren't out in front, you really
aren't leading—you are just reacting. And if you are just reacting, you may run
out of options, and get boxed in, and start making bad decisions—including
unethical ones. Greenleaf said that the failure of a leader to foresee events may
be viewed as an ethical failure, because a failure of foresight can put an
organization in a bad situation that might have been avoided.
While there are other practices that help servant-leaders to be effective and
successful, these seven are fundamental. They are about paying attention to
people, developing people, and looking ahead so that the servant-leader and his
colleagues will be able to continue serving others, far into the future.
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Advantages of servant leadership
This conceptis seen as a long-term conceptto life and work and therefore
has the potential to influence the society in a positive way.
The exemplary treatment of employees leads to an excellent treatment of
customers by employees of the company and a high loyalty of the
customers.
Servant Leaders engender trust, which catalyzes higher levels of worker
engagement, the offering of the workers' discretionary effort and ideas, and
greater speed in change and innovation.
There is a high employee identification with the enterprise.
An excellent corporate culture is developed.
Leaders of a company define themselves by their significance to the
people.
Servant leadership can be used as a principle to improve the return on
investment of staff, in all economic sectors. Managers who empower and
respect their staff get better performance in return.
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Disadvantages of servant leadership
Servant leadership is seen as a long-term application and therefore needs
time for applying.
Servant leadership assumes low level of control over team.
Deborah Eicher-Catt wrote an extensive critique of servant-leadership in
The myth of servant-leadership: a feminist perspective
CONCLUSION
Servant leadership is not necessarily a recent theory. Although first proposed in
1970, some trace it’s origins back to the human relations movement ofthe 1950’s
and others recognize its principles as having been practiced worldwide for over
2000 years. Still the theory remains in it’s infancy im terms of modern
behavioural sciences. Servant leadership lacks a formal, confirmed framework,
and has not yet been empirically linked to organizational performance. Many
areas of concern remain to be explored and answered, including the question of
whether servant leaders can be formally trained. As the theory’s popularity
continues to grow, these and other issues must be addressed.