Servant leadership is defined as leaders who serve others first by listening, empathizing and helping people grow. The concept originated from ancient texts like the Arthashastra and teachings of Jesus Christ. In the 1970s, Robert Greenleaf further defined servant leadership as aspiring to serve others primarily. Servant leaders demonstrate characteristics like listening, empathy, awareness, conceptualization and building community. Modern examples include Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines and Dee Hock of Visa International, who created cultures of service and sustainability.

1. SERVANT LEADERSHIP

2. DEFINITION:
"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. Between them
there are shadings and blends that are part of
the infinite variety of human nature.“
(GREENLEAF,1970)

3. ORIGIN OF LEADERSHIP
(www.lichtenwalner.net/servantleader )
375 B.C. Chanakya’s Arthashastra:
The [leader] shall consider as good, not what pleases himself but what
pleases his subjects.
600 B.C. Lao Tzu:
The greatest leader forgets himself and attends to the development of
others.
First Century A.D., Jesus of Nazareth:
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)
1970’s Robert K. Greenleaf:
The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling
that one wants to serve, to serve first.
†

4. Servant Leader
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Stewar
dship
Commit
ment to
People
Building
Commu
nity
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualizati
on
Foresight
SERVANT LEADER CHARACTERISTICS

5. TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
 Listening
 Empathy
 Healing
 Awareness
 Persuasion
 Conceptualization
 Foresight
 Stewardship
 Commitment to the Growth of People
 Building Community
(Northouse,Chapter-10,Pg-221)

6. SERVANT CHARACTERISTICS
Servant Leader
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Stewardshi
p
Commitmen
t to People
Building
Community
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualizati
on
Foresight

7. SERVANT CHARACTERISTICS
Listening
 Active, not just passive
 360°, top to bottom
 Listen completely before deciding
Empathy
 Separate person from their work
 Walk a mile in their shoes
 Personable with appropriate individuals
Healing
 Help your staff become whole
 Consider their history
 Build a future together

8. Servant Leader
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Stewardship
Commitment
to People
Building
Community
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualizat
ion
Foresight
LEADER CHARACTERISTICS

9. LEADER CHARACTERISTICS
Awareness
 Self & Organization
 “Sharply awake and reasonably disturbed” (Greenleaf)
Persuasion
 Opposite of positional authority
 Convince and build consensus – quickly
Conceptualization
 B.H.A.G. but S.M.A.R.T.
 Make time for strategy
Foresight
 Consequences of present decisions on future outcomes

10. SERVANT LEADER CHARACTERISTICS
Servant Leader
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Stewardship
Commitment to
People
Building
Community
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualizat
ion
Foresight

11. SERVANT LEADER
CHARACTERISTICS
Stewardship
 Entrusted with resources of others
 Return on investments
Commitment to the Growth of People
 “Green and growing or ripe and dying” (Hunter)
 Not just your favorites
Building Community
 Effectiveness
 Camaraderie

12. MODEL OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP
(NORTHOUSE,CHAPTER-
10,225)

13. STRENGTHS:
 It is a unique way as it makes the central
component of the leadership process.
 It is an influence process that does not incorporate
influence in traditional way.
 It moderates the potential usefulness of leading
from this approach.
 It has proved to be a suitable instrument for future
research on servant leadership

14. MODERN EXAMPLES FOR SERVANT
LEADERSHIP:
HERB KELLEHER (Founder of
southwest Airlines ):
During his tenure as CEO of Southwest,
Kelleher is a model of stellar leadership,
He is an ethical man “who walks the walk
He talks”. However , despite his stellar
success, he remains humble. His colourful
personality created a corporate culture
which made employees to do their job seriously.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Kelleher)

15. CONT..
DEE HOCK(Founder and CEO of VISA International):
Dee Hock is one of the most influential
people of our time, yet few people
are aware of his extra-ordinary
Influence on creating sustainable
organisations through an approach
known as Servant Leadership.
(http://www.garyryans.com)

16. SOME OF THE MOST WELL RESPECTED
COMPANIES PRACTICE SERVANT-
LEADERSHIP
(www.jameshunter.com)

17. REFERENCES:
Books:
 Peter Northouse “Leadership “ Book
Websites:
 www.en.wikipedia.com
 www.garyryans.com
 www.greenleaf.org
 www.JamesHunter.com
 www.lichtenwalner.net/servantleader
 www.spearscenter.org

18. THANK YOU