Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a fairly recent addition to the field of leadership and involves the leader serving others, specifically his followers. Although servant leadership has not received an immense amount of corroboration, evidence suggests that the companies which have implemented it have experienced tremendous growth (Hunter, 2003). From Southwest Airlines to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A to Men’s Wearhouse, business and corporate leaders around the world are beginning to realize the benefits of servant leadership and are searching for servant leaders, instead of those with more qualified resumes. Not only does servant leadership improve the condition and chemistry of many secular corporations, but it is also a mandate for the Christian (Blanchard, 2003). Jesus clearly instructed his disciples to follow carefully after himself, and Christians are commanded to do likewise. Although the term servant leadership seems oxymoronic, servant leaders place a greater emphasis on the betterment of the subordinates than on the glorification of themselves (Hale, 2007). Since servant leadership is exceedingly beneficial, Christian leaders ought to develop an understanding of this nascent concept and apply the knowledge to their leadership styles.

Servant Leadership Described

            Servant leaders exhibit certain characteristics and respond to situations from an inward compass. Servant leaders, first and foremost, realize that the privilege of leading is an act of service (Blanchard, 2003). A servant leader will never view his opportunity to lead as a drudgery and will place himself in the shoes of his followers. He must not consider himself too superior for any seemingly menial task, or he will fail in his position as a servant. Furthermore, servant leaders promote a sense of community (Spears, 2002). They work not to build an elitist empire, designed for a few chosen individuals and restricted to those who meet specific qualifications, but to foster a community where mutual love, respect, and happiness are enjoyed by all members of the society, and where membership is free to the one who checks his ego at the door. Moreover, servant leaders prepare their followers to continue on the work (Blanchard, 2003). The greatest servant leader, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, perfectly illustrated this vital preparation by investing a majority of his earthly ministry training and equipping his disciples, those who would extend his legacy and carry on his message. Finally, servant leaders do not lead when money is a major motivation (Prosser, 2007). He considers not how financially blessed he will be in the position, but how he will be able to impart wisdom and strength into the lives of others.

The Results of Servant Leadership

            If servant leadership is properly practiced by organizations, positive results are to be expected. According to Peter Northouse (2016), the central goal of servant leadership is to create a healthy organization that produces individual growth, organizational performance, and, as a result, an impact on society. Successful servant leadership will result in follower performance and growth (Northouse, 2016). A primary outcome of servant leadership is the realization, by the followers, of their potential and the achievement of that potential. Another result of servant leadership is that followers will become more effective at accomplishing their assigned jobs and fulfilling their job descriptions. A final outcome of servant leadership on the follower’s performance is the process whereby followers become servant leaders themselves and train others to be servant leaders (Greenleaf, 1970). Servant leadership also results in high employee satisfaction of the leader (Hale, 2007). Followers are more prone to listen to a leader who leads by example and will have a pleasant view of him because he is a servant leader. Finally, a company which practices servant leadership will ultimately impact society (Northouse, 2016). While not a direct intention, if the organization succeeds, it will provide jobs for the community.

References

Blanchard, Ken (2003). Servant Leader. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Hale, J.R. & Fields, D.L. (2007). Exploring servant leadership across cultures: A study of followers in Ghana and the USA. Leadership, 3 (4), 397-417.

Hunter, James (2003). The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principles. New York: Crown Business.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The Servant as Leader. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

Northouse, Peter (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. SAGE: Los Angeles.

Prosser, Stephen (2007). To Be a Servant-leader. New Jersey: Paulist Press.

Spears, L. C. (2002). Tracing the past, present, and future of servant-leadership. In L. C. Spears & M. Lawrence (Eds), Focus on leadership: Servant-leadership for the 21st century (pp. 1-16). New York: Wiley