Servant Leadership: A Paradigm Shift in Modern Organizations

Introduction

The information revolution has caused a significant shift in commerce, transforming many businesses and nonprofits from hierarchical leadership models to servant leadership. Servant leadership involves inclusive decision-making, principled and compassionate behavior, and promotes workforce development and organizational well-being. Some argue that servant leaders are those who are motivated to lead while also having a desire to serve others.

Personal characteristics and culture, along with the motivational dimension, are essential aspects of servant leadership. Servant leadership is demonstrated through empowering and cultivating individuals, exhibiting humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, and stewardship, as well as providing guidance.

The presence of a strong dyadic relationship, trust, and fairness all contribute significantly to promoting self-actualization, positive job attitudes, performance improvements, and an increased emphasis on sustainability and corporate social responsibility within the organization. This article will examine the attributes and principles of servant leadership in comparison to two other leadership styles.

The idea of Servant Leadership

The idea of servant-leadership is a paradoxical concept that combines the conflicting terms servant and leader.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified writer

Proficient in: Leadership

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

It goes against the belief that people are mere objects or workers treated as parts of a machine, which has been dominant since the industrial revolution. However, there has been a change in this viewpoint in recent years. Influential figures like Robert Greenleaf, Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, Max DePree, Margaret Wheatley, Ken Blanchard, and others have put forward alternative methods for leading and managing organizations that are quickly gaining approval.

Servant-leadership, initially proposed by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, is a theoretical concept that promotes a leader's primary motivation and role as being of service to others.

It has gained widespread adoption as a leadership model. The servant leader prioritizes serving the individuals he/she leads, emphasizing their intrinsic value rather than viewing them solely as a means to achieve organizational goals or financial success. There are ten key attributes associated with servant leadership: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to personal growth, and fostering community. This approach aims to replace traditional command and control leadership styles by focusing on meeting the needs of others while naturally having an inclination to serve.

The idea that true leaders are measured by the growth and improvement of those they serve, such as their health, wisdom, freedom, autonomy, and potential to become servants themselves, demonstrates the concept of conscious choice leading to a desire for leadership. It is also important to consider how society's most disadvantaged will be impacted - whether they will benefit or face further deprivation (Greenleaf, 1977/2002, p. 27).

In 1970, Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990), a retired AT&T executive, introduced the term servant leadership with this definition. This sparked a quiet revolution in our perception and practice of leadership. Nowadays, servant leadership is increasingly seen as an ideal form of leadership that many individuals and organizations strive to achieve. In fact, there is currently an unprecedented surge of interest in and adoption of servant leadership.

Servant Leadership is a leadership style that revolves around the leader's dedication to serving individuals and the community.

Servant leadership involves understanding the concept of leadership.

Leadership involves using social influence to bring together a group of people towards common goals. Leaders provide guidance and instructions, showing how to achieve objectives. Leadership can exist with or without formal permission. The trait theory of leadership proposes that certain personal qualities enhance an individual's ability to lead. These qualities include intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, and overall self-confidence.

Defining Servant Leadership

Servant leadership encompasses a sense of responsibility towards the world and actively participating in the betterment of individuals and communities. It initiates with the desire to serve. A servant leader evaluates the needs of people and seeks ways to assist them in resolving issues and facilitating personal growth. The primary emphasis is placed on individuals as motivated and fulfilled individuals are more capable of achieving their objectives and meeting expectations.

Characteristics of Servant Leadership

Larry C. Spears identified 10 characteristics that are central to servant leadership. 1. Listening: In traditional management and servant leadership, communication skills are essential. A servant leader actively listens to their subordinates and provides support in decision-making. 2. Empathy: A servant leader strives to understand and empathize with others. They view workers not only as employees but also as individuals deserving respect and appreciation for their personal growth. 3. Healing: A notable strength of a servant leader is their ability to heal themselves and others. They aid in problem-solving and conflict resolution, as their aim is to encourage and support the individual's personal development.

4. A servant leader must develop both general and self-awareness in order to attain a comprehensive understanding of ethics and values. This involves being able to consider situations from interconnected and holistic perspectives.
5. Rather than exerting their power and authority to force compliance, servant leaders aim to persuade those they oversee. This sets them apart from traditional, authoritarian leadership models.
6. Servant leaders possess the capacity for conceptualization, allowing them to think beyond immediate circumstances and concentrate on long-term objectives.
7. The ability to anticipate likely outcomes, known as foresight, enables servant leaders to learn from the past and comprehend the ever-changing nature of the present reality.

8. Stewardship: Servant leadership is about feeling obligated to assist and support others. Rather than exerting control, it places greater importance on being open and persuasive. 9. Commitment to the growth of people: A servant leader firmly believes that individuals possess inherent worth beyond their roles as employees. As such, they should foster the personal, professional, and spiritual development of their staff. 10. Building community: A servant leader aims to establish a cohesive community within their organization. Additionally, they strive to create a genuine sense of community among various businesses and institutions.

2) Analyze and find similarities and differences between servant leadership and two other models of leadership.

Comparison of Theories

When it comes to finding effective practices for successful leadership outcomes, there is no need to be overwhelmed by the search for a comprehensive leadership theory. Instead, we can draw from two main theories: transformational leadership and servant leadership. By combining these two approaches, we have the potential to create an effective blend of leadership styles. Servant-leadership is often compared to transformational leadership as both focus on initiating change in individuals and social systems. When implemented effectively, transformational leadership can improve motivation, morale, and performance among followers through various methods.

Transformational leadership is a theory that was introduced by James MacGregor Burns in 1978 and expanded upon by Bernard M. Bass in 1985. It focuses on connecting followers' sense of identity and self to the mission and collective identity of the organization. The leader serves as a role model, inspiring and challenging followers to take ownership for their work. Additionally, the leader understands followers' strengths and weaknesses to align them with tasks that optimize performance.

This leadership model has gained popularity due to its emphasis on exceptional leader qualities and its humanistic appreciation of followers. Some behavioral scientists argue that transformational and servant-leadership theories are based on Max Weber's charismatic leadership framework developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Smith, Montagno & Kuzmenko, 2004).

Both transformational leadership and servant-leadership theories have a focus on leadership qualities and behavior, but they are not the same nor is one a subset of the other (Stone, Russell & Patterson, 2003). Instead, they are complementary frameworks that share an emphasis on the individual, appreciation of followers, and focus on leadership characteristics. However, they differ in terms of leader motivation, organizational objectives, measures of success, resulting cultures, and contextual appropriateness. According to Smith et al. (2004), the distinction between the two theories lies in the leader's motivation for behaving (p. 85). Transformational leaders are motivated by achieving organizational goals while servant-leaders are motivated by supporting their followers' self-actualization.

Transformational leadership and servant-leadership are two distinct leadership styles that prioritize different aspects of organizational success. Transformational leadership focuses on utilizing personal development and empowerment to achieve organizational objectives, prioritizing production. On the other hand, servant-leadership places more importance on the personal development and empowerment of followers, emphasizing people over production.

The differing emphases of these two styles also result in distinct cultural environments. Transformational leadership fosters an "empowered dynamic culture" through its emphasis on performance and inspiration. In contrast, servant-leadership creates a "spiritual generative culture" by promoting shared leadership and healthy follower relationships (Smith et al., 2004, p. 86).

These dissimilar cultures indicate that contextual appropriateness may vary between transformational leadership and servant-leadership.

Comparisons and Contrasts

Is there a genuine difference, if any, between transformational leadership and servant leadership? Is servant leadership simply a subset of transformational leadership or vice versa? Are transformational leadership and servant leadership essentially the same theory, apart from their use of different names? A side-by-side comparison reveals that transformational leadership and servant leadership share similar characteristics. This may be because both transformational and servant leadership aim to define and explain people-oriented leadership styles. Both concepts encompass elements such as: (a) influence, (b) vision, (c) trust, (d) respect or credibility, (d) risk-sharing or delegation, (e) integrity, and (f) modeling. Both transformational leadership and servant leadership highlight the significance of valuing and appreciating individuals, actively listening to them, mentoring or teaching them, and empowering followers.

The theories have similarities in their focus on individualized consideration and appreciation of followers. However, there are differences between transformational leadership and servant leadership. Servant leadership places a greater emphasis on serving and being of service to followers. Servant leaders gain influence through their acts of servanthood, while transformational leaders gain influence in other ways. Servant leaders give followers freedom to use their abilities and trust them more than other leadership styles that require more direction from the leader (Russell & Stone, 2002).

The Distinction

Transformational leadership and servant leadership share many similarities and are complementary theories. However, they form distinct frameworks due to a primary difference. The key distinction lies in the focus of the leader. While both types of leaders display concern for their followers, servant leaders prioritize serving their followers.

The primary factor in distinguishing whether a leader is transformational or servant lies in their ability to shift their focus from the organization to the follower, showing a greater concern for engaging and supporting organizational objectives. This primary distinction also affects other characteristics and outcomes, leading to secondary differences between the concepts.

Servant Leadership vs. Authentic Leadership: What are the Differences? written by N Nayab, edited by Jean Scheid, updated on 6/8/2010

The idea of authentic leadership was initially presented by Bill George, a management expert, in his 2003 book "Authentic Leadership," and expanded upon in his subsequent book "True North." George defines authentic leadership as a style of leadership that is consistent with a leader's personality and fundamental values, emphasizing honesty, ethics, and practicality. While both servant leadership and authentic leadership are positive concepts in leadership that have similarities, they diverge in their approach, implementation, and style. slide 1 of 6

Authentic Leadership and Servant Leadership are both concepts that explore different aspects of leadership.

Authentic leadership, as defined in Bob Terry's book "Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action" (1993), entails acknowledging and taking action based on one's genuine self, team, organization, and the world's reality. It necessitates leaders to possess confidence, hopefulness, optimism, resilience, and a profound sense of self-awareness. These individuals prioritize honesty and are dedicated to their organization's growth through purpose, values, compassion, relationships, and self-control. Servant Leadership is a positive leadership model that originates from authentic leadership.

In his 1970 essay "The Servant as Leader," Robert Greenleaf describes servant leaders as individuals who possess an innate desire to serve. Rather than pursuing power or material possessions, these leaders opt to lead in order to serve others. They strive to embody traits like listening, empathy, healing relationships, self-awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to human resource development, and dedication to fostering community within their organizations.

Both Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership have several similarities. They both have a genuine desire to serve others and are focused on empowering the people they serve. Additionally, they both place a high importance on values and are guided by qualities such as compassion and passion. Furthermore, both styles of leadership refuse to compromise on principles.

Place high importance on establishing relationships with people

Rely on their personal charisma to get things done

Leaders lead from personal conviction rather than a desire for status or reward

Focus on building people’s strengths rather than focusing on what is wrong with people and their weaknesses

The basis of both authentic leadership and servant leadership lie in either explicit or implicit recognition of the leader’s self-awareness and the focus on integrity, trust, courage, and hope.

While these remain established traits in authentic leadership, they remain largely theoretical and not supported by empirical research in the servant leadership model. slide 3 of 6

The difference between Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership lies in their approaches. Servant Leadership aims to be "right," while Authentic Leadership aims to be "real." Servant Leadership is a normative leadership style that sets specific characteristics for all leaders to follow in order to achieve success and works to shape the leader's character and personality according to these values. On the other hand, Authentic Leadership is driven by character and does not acknowledge specific leadership styles or a fixed set of characteristics that leaders should emulate. The theory of Authentic Leadership asserts that each leader has their own unique style, which is developed through study, experience, consultation, introspection, and aligns with their character and personality. slide 4 of 6

The application of servant leadership and authentic leadership highlights a key difference in their approach towards serving others. Servant leadership focuses on prioritizing the interests of others, with the leader's primary duty being to fulfill their needs, aspirations, and desires. On the other hand, authentic leadership does not advocate for excessive responsiveness to others' desires, as it can lead to problems such as competing interests hindering organizational goals.

The risk of straying from the planned path should not be underestimated.

Slide 5 of 6: The leader is avoiding making difficult decisions because he/she is afraid of causing offense.

The difference between Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership lies in their respective styles. Servant leadership is characterized by a one-dimensional approach that remains consistent regardless of the situation. This style emphasizes the importance of listening, persuasion, and empathy, even in times of grave crisis. On the other hand, Authentic leaders are more adaptive and modify their approach to suit the immediate circumstances. They can be inspiring and motivating in one instance, while also being firm in their decisions concerning people or finances in another instance. While both servant leaders and authentic leaders seek opportunities to collaborate with individuals and groups to address organizational, societal, and environmental issues, the significant contrast lies in how authentic leaders nurture innovation and enable their organizations to find unique and creative solutions. This is highlighted on slide 6 of 6.

What does it mean to have an authentic leadership style?

The concept of authentic leadership was introduced by Bill George, a management expert, in his book "Authentic Leadership" published in 2003. He further expanded on this concept in his later book "True North." George defines authentic leadership as a leadership style that aligns with a leader's personality and core values and emphasizes honesty, ethics, and practicality. Authentic leaders prioritize empowering their employees over personal gain or power, and they are driven by compassion and empathy in their actions. George emphasizes that anyone can develop the qualities of an authentic leader through hard work and self-improvement. Authentic leaders are committed to their personal growth and strive to build strong relationships and organizations.

Authentic leaders derive their inspiration from their own experiences. For instance, Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, was motivated by his fathers' health difficulties to establish Starbucks as the pioneer American business offering healthcare benefits for part-time staff. Schultz deliberately utilized his personal life encounters to shape a company that aligned with his individual principles.

Related Reading: The Effects of a Manager's Leadership Style

An authentic leader is unafraid to acknowledge errors and address areas for improvement. By confronting weaknesses without compromise, authentic leaders can find strategies to overcome them, consequently enhancing their leadership abilities.

An authentic leader creates their own leadership style, but it should not be too inflexible. An authentic leadership style is one that can adjust to new circumstances and situations. It is also important to be able to delegate when needed and not be afraid to adapt your approach to suit different scenarios. According to George, the first step in developing your authentic leadership style is to evaluate yourself based on the five qualities of an authentic leader. These qualities include understanding your purpose, embodying your values, leading with empathy, forming meaningful relationships, and displaying self-control.

3) Provide a description of the organization, including details about the industry it operates in, the number of employees it has, as well as its vision and goals.

MDI is the embodiment of servant leadership within the company.

4) Provide a description of how servant leadership can be implemented within your organization.

By adopting servant leadership, the organization's ability to achieve its vision and goals would be influenced.

6) Provide an explanation regarding the implementation of servant leadership within your organization or a specific department under your leadership.

7) In implementing servant leadership within your organization, it is important to identify the following:

• (a) Stakeholders who would act as advocates or supporters.
• (b) Potential challenges or obstacles and strategies to overcome them.

References
Arkin, A. (2004). Serve the servants. People Management, 10(25), 30-33.
Biberman, J., and Whitty, M. (1997). A postmodern spiritual future for work. Journal of Organizational Change, 10(2), 130-138.

The following texts discuss different aspects of leadership and its impact. The first source is a book by Bass, B. M. (1998) titled "Transformational leadership: Industrial, military, and educational impact" published in Mahwah, NJ by Erlbaum. The second source is an article by Brody, D. (1992) titled "First among equals: a corporate executive’s vision and the reemerging philosophy of trustees as servant leaders" published in Foundation News by the Council on Foundations. It was retrieved on November 22, 2005. The third source is a book by Burns, J.M. (1978) titled "Leadership" published in New York by Harper & Row.

Eicher-Catt, Deborah (2005). The myth of servant-leadership. Women and Language, 28(1), 17-25. Frick, Don M. (2004). Terre Haute’s Original Servant Leader: Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990). George, Bill & Bennis, Warren. (2008) Authentic Leadership. Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value. Greenleaf, R.K. (1991). The servant as leader. Indianapolis, IN: The Robert K. Greenleaf Center. [Originally published in 1970, by Robert K. Greenleaf]. Greenleaf, R.K. (1996). On becoming a servant-leader. San Francisco: Josey-Bass Publishers.

Hunter, J.C. (2004). The world’s most powerful leadership principle: how to become a servant leader. New York: Crown Business. Joseph, E.E., and Winston, B.E. (2005). A correlation of servant leadership, leader trust, and organizational trust. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26(1), 6-22. Kiechel, W. (1992). The leader as servant. Fortune, 125, 121-122. King, S. (1994). What is the latest on leadership? Management Development Review, 7(6), 7-9.

Lee, C., and Zemke, R. (1993). The search for spirit in the workplace. Training, 30, 21- 28. Lloyd, B. (1996). A new approach to leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 29-32. McCormick, D.W. (1994). Spirituality and management. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 9(6), 5-8. Russell, R.F. (2001). The role of values in servant leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 22(2), 76-83. Russell, R.F., and Stone, A.G. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes: developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157. Sarkus, D.J. (1996). Servant-leadership in safety: advancing the cause and practice. Professional Safety, 41, 26-32. Sendjaya, S., and Sarros, J.C. (2002). Servant leadership: its origins, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadershiop and Organization Studies, 9(2), 57-64. Smith, B.N., Montagno, R.V., and Kuzmenko, T.N. (2004). Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 10(4), 80-91.

Spears, L. (1996). Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf and servant-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 33-35.

Spears, L.C., and Lawrence, M. (eds.). (2004). Practicing servant-leadership: succeeding through trust,bravery and forgiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Stone, A.G., Russell, R.F., and Patterson, K. (2003). Transformational versus servant leadership: a difference in leader focus. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(4), 349-361.

Tate, T.F. (2003). Servant leadership for schools and youth programs. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 12(1), 33-39.