Chapter 10 – Servant Leadership
Discussion Questions and Exercises
1. What is the historical basis of servant leadership? What are the unique, underlying values of his perspective?
Originating in the seminal work of Greenleaf, servant leadership is a paradoxical approach to leadership that challengers our traditional beliefs about leadership and influence. Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders should be attentive to the needs of the followers, empower them, and help them develop their full human capacities. They build strong relationships, with others, are empathic, and ethical, and lead in ways that serve the greater good of followers, organizations, and the community.
2. In what ways is servant leadership a
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5. How might a servant leader’s gender or ethnicity influence how he or she is perceived by followers?
In our society I don’t see any problem by gender or ethnicity influencing followers, but in other societies it can have big effects. There are still parts of the world that people are not treated the same because of the color of their skin or simply because it’s a women. They see them inferior and that can cause a lot of problems. 6. When have you had “the natural desire to want to serve, to serve first” in a situation? How does this fit with your aspirations to lead?
Being a servant does not disqualify someone from leading, it simply implies that this person wants to help and learn. They see a need to take care of a problem and want to fulfill it. They know when a problem is at hand and that is very good quality to have when it comes to leading because one has to see the problem first and attack it when it is in front of them without hesitation.
7. Some of the measures used to assess servant leadership have a spiritual dimension to them (covenantal relationship, transcendental spirituality). How are spirituality and ethical behavior related?
Spirituality and ethical behavior are related because they both require a sense of connection to something bigger than us. Spirituality involves the search for meaning in our lives and ethical behavior is sticking with those behaviors, being fair,
In Greenleaf’s work he describes ten characteristics of servant leaders. While serving the animal shelter I showed three characteristics. Listening, Empathy, and healing.
The type of leadership most noticeable in the service activity was servant leadership. Servant leadership was first introduced in 1970 by Robert K. Greenleaf in the essay “The Servant Leader”. In his essay Greenleaf says “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) Greenleaf essentially
Simply, servant leaders hold a view as a servant first and leader second (Owens & Hekman, 2012). Moreover, servant leaders emphasize personal responsibility for the organization and all internal and external stakeholders (Peterson, Galvin, & Lange, 2012). As stated, expressing a genuine concern and care for people are a basis of servant leadership. In addition, servant leadership also focuses on the growth of
An example of an individual that had outstanding leadership skills is President Andrew Jackson, who, irrespective of previous letdowns, with persistent innovation and passion did all he could to clinch the presidential seat and make America a better place. He being categorized among our forefathers, the first Presidents of the United States, makes him an individual that was not motivated by money or the like, but one that was driven by a deep feeling to serve Americans for the sake of establishment of their country (Barbuto & Wheeler, 2007). Andrew Jackson was a true servant leader because he operated within the premise upon which servant leadership is founded upon i.e. “There's no greater purpose than service to others.” He stands out from the current world presidents of today because he was never driven by power, money, and prestige but through service to other people. This paper is going to give invaluable insights concerning Andrew Jackson's leadership style through the lens of the servant leader.
Servant leadership theory’s emphasis on service to others and recognition that the role of organizations is to create people who can build a better tomorrow resonates with scholars and practitioners who are responding to the growing perceptions that corporate leaders have become selfish and who are seeking a viable leadership theory to help resolve the challenges of the twenty-first century (Parris & Peachey, 2013, p 378).
In order for an organization or movement to have success, it is extremely important that their leaders are effective. Every leader does not possess the same qualities and skills as the next leader, but that doesn't make them less effective. Each leader may also have a different leadership style than the next person. This paper will define a leader as well as servant leadership and transformational leadership styles. Finally, Eleanor Roosevelt's leadership style will be determined to be either servant leadership, transformational leadership, or both.
Explain why it is important for servant leadership to improve communities and society. Why is leadership courage important to realize these changes?
3. Servant leadership is when a leader works not out of his own self-interest, but that of his followers. This is, as claimed by many, the best form of leadership that all should follow. It has been present in the military, specifically the Marine Corps, but
Organizational consultant S. Chris Edmonds defines servant leadership as “a person's dedication to helping others be their best selves at home, work, and in their community." I totally agree with this philosophy, as I believe an employee will benefit his team and company the most if he can perform the best he can.
Finally, this paper will address how the practice of servant leadership would affect everyone from the lowest enlisted men to the most senior flag officer and everyone else in-between. Leadership goes well beyond the following definition: “Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people in such a way as to obtain their willing obedience, confidence, respect and cooperation.” In fact, when it comes right down to it, “there are no quick and easy answers to becoming an effective and efficient leader.” Leadership is difficult and enduring work. It is a lifelong process of building and molding not only your skills but also the skills of your subordinates. In a society of instant gratification, we look for the quick fix. Yet the problem is the quick fix or plug and play solution, rarely serves the long-term goals of an organization.
Servant leadership is a type of leadership whereby the leader serves the needs of the people, empathizes with them, and involves them in solving their needs. Servant leadership is all about involving the people you are leading in your decision making, being ethical and caring for the people to enhance their personal growth at the same time improve their life. A servant leader does not simply delegate roles; he starts the work and energizes the others to join him and get the work done. According to Spears (2004), the servant leader as defined by Greenleaf is one who gets the natural feeling of wanting to serve first and then a conscious choice brings him/her to lead. This leader makes sure that other people’s highest-priority needs are take
A leader is a person who takes risks, attempts to achieve shared goals, and inspires others to action (Marquis & Huston,
Servant-leaders must reinforce these important skills by making a deep commitment to actively listening to others. Servant-leaders seek to identify and clarify the will of a group. They seek to listen receptively to what is being and said (and not said) among others. By listening with intent, followers feel understood and valued, even under pressure, the servant leader demonstrates a sense of empathy and compassion by taking the time to understand what one's body, spirit, and mind are communicating.
Being a servant leader can by definition empower your followers. Attending to the needs of your employees and creating a nurturing environment can create trust. Yukl (2010) states, “The servant leader must stand for what is good and right, even when it is not in the financial interest of the organization. Social injustice and inequality should be
The authors did acknowledge that several researchers listed attributes common in servant leaders. However it should be noted that some of the attributes are closely related to spiritual leadership and this is due to the close relationship of these two theories.