In the context of paradox, leadership, is someone who can serve people and lead them at the same time. According to Spears (2010), servant and leader are two contradictory terms; generating a paradoxical thought of servant leadership (p. 12). A servant is a person devoted to helping others. They make sure the people’s needs are taken care of. In contrast, a leader is a person who shows the way and gives orders, but doesn’t serve one’s needs but his own. Yet, a servant leader, “is a servant first” (Spears, 2010, p. 17). A servant leader starts from the bottom and works his way up. For instance, it's like climbing a mountain, which allows people to follow him. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. was a true servant leader. He transformed
What is a servant leader? A servant leader is a individual that wants to serve first and is selfless. “The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” (Keith) A servant leader can be anyone in a group setting from a work place, education, religion and cultures. Jesus was a servant leader. He was selfless he died on the cross for our sins. He was selfless and while here on earth was always helping people and teaching the way of the lord.
Servant leadership is a designation coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 in an essay entitled The Servant as Leader. In this essay, he describes the servant leader and a servant first contrary to one who is a leader first. The difference is the servant chooses to put others needs before his own while the leader first may later become a servant from the promptings of a sense of right and wrong or simply because they are coerced in that direction (Greenleaf, 1991).
Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that augments the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and creates a more just and caring world, they put the team first, and themselves second (MindTools, 2015). Servant leaders are able to demonstrate their traits through interaction with followers and other leaders within the organization. The characteristics of servant leaders include their commitment to the growth of people, stewardship, and building community, and provide leaders with the opportunity to experience change and to invite followers to change (Savage-Austin & Honeycutt 2011). Servant leadership encourages leaders and followers to ‘raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality’, and set their leadership focus: follower’s first, organizations second, their own needs last (Sendjaya, Sarros, & Santora, 2008). The servant leader focuses on the needs of others to include team members.
The Servant Leader discusses the importance of leaders who adopt a service oriented attitude in which they care for the needs of others before their own. A servant leader need not be an actual servant or have ever been a servant to become a servant leader. Rather, a servant leader is born with or adopts an “others first” disposition. Climbing through the ranks may help to create a servant leader, though it is not necessary. When leaders choose to see that the needs of their followers or their organizations are the highest priority they become servants.
The two most intriguing leadership styles presented in the readings were transformational leadership and servant leadership. Both leadership styles are relationship-oriented, that is, in order for these leadership styles to be effective, positive relationships must exist between leaders and followers. Also, both leadership styles reject the role of leader as being reserved for those individuals in designated positions of power, but rather a quality that may be exhibited by any individual (Kelly, 2012, pp. 10-11). However, the differing goals of each leadership style is the seemingly critical factor that separates transformational leadership from servant leadership.
According to Northouse (2013), “Servant leadership is an approach focusing on leadership from the point of view of the leader and his or her behaviors” (p. 219). The servant leadership approach was designed to put subordinates first and to build and develop them to the personal capacities. There are ten characteristics of s Servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of the people and building community. The model consists of three components: antecedent conditions, servant leader behaviors and outcomes. An effective leader puts their subordinates first; they are honest, trustworthy and supportive in order to get the staff to work to their full potential.
Servant leadership consists of leaders helping their followers become leaders themselves. The use personal skills such as empathy, compassion and listening to help their followers succeed. It is not necessarily the most popular form of leadership but, it has been proven successful b those leaders who implement it in their work practices. Servant leaders typically have a strong bond with their team. They are the base and the foundation of their teams.
Leadership describes a characteristic that often helps others that need guidance. A true leader exemplifies strong initiative and notably different from others. A leader starts something new for people to try out instead of old traditions. Being a good leader helps prevent bad things from happening. If a person conducts themselves as a follower that person places themselves at risk of participating in the wrong thing. Followers cause harm to many people in Shirley Jackson’s “Lottery”, the villagers follow their leaders by practicing the same old traditions that cause harm or even death. People need leaders instead of followers. Followers potentially get hurt by following the wrong leadership.
Servant leadership was a term that was first used by Keifner Greenleaf(1970) in his first essay, The Servant as Leader (as cited by Crippen, C., 2005). Greenleaf based his essay on his belief that a servant leader is a servant first, and explained that it would begin with the natural urge to serve and then the leader would make a conscious choice to become a leader, in doing so he makes the choice to ensure that others needs are met first (2005 ). As a servant leader develops he should always keep aware of those who he serves and strive to ensure that they are becoming healthier, wiser, freer, have an increase in autonomous, and are become more like servants themselves (2005). Leaders and organizations can use the principles of servant leadership to frame decisions, and service that include focus on the community, care of others and quality services (Waterman, R., 2011). Watermen states that working to higher purpose increases standards, integrity and should lead the followers through supports, shared visions and bring followers together in toward a common purpose to provide service to others.
Howell, and Avolio (1993) argue that leaders who exhibited less management, less contingent reward and more concerns for individuals, intellectual stimulation, and charisma contributed positively to the achievement of business-unit goals. In other words, the empirical evidence support the positive effects of transformational leadership on followers and organizational outcomes. While, Peterson, Galvin, and Lange (2012) argue that servant leaders focus on the long-term prosperity of the organization and the development of their employees. In doing that, servant leader activate an exchange process in which employees respond by better performance, and not just on the individual level but rather on behalf of the company as whole. Moreover,
Many leadership styles exist. The determining factor if a leadership style is effective or not is often how it is carried out and if it is appeasing to those, the leader is attempting to lead. One of the leadership styles that has become popular is Servant leadership. Although Greenleaf developed servant leadership more than thirty-five years ago and he identified ten characteristics that pertain to servant leadership. (book p. 56) Servant leadership has been successful in various industries and its popularity continues to increase.
In all the general aspects of this particular term one would conclude that, “Leadership” embodies different characteristics, goals, rules, and standards for different positions in society. In the text, Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leaders, author Gary Bredfeldt states, “The nature of leadership differs from situation to situation. What is required of a leader on the battlefield is quite different from what is required on the ball field or mission field. Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all formula.” This bold statement makes minds take a deeper look at the general definition of leadership and how each individual can theoretically determine what that is for their lives. In addition, from a Christian Worldview perspective what attributes in which the Scripture provides on servitude can be applicable and relevant to becoming a successful leader.
Servant leadership has been increasingly gaining in popularity not only in the business world but also in the world of nursing (van Dierendonck & Patterson, 2015). In order to encourage servant leadership one must first understand what servant leadership is, and what one’s personal role is within the position. One must also take a closer look at how these ideals of servant leadership affect one’s life and what qualities one can use to help enrich the communities, businesses, and lives around oneself. Conclusions can then be drawn about how one is better able to apply servant leadership in the care of patients to reduce cost and increase value of the care that is provided.
Leadership is both a research area and a practical skill, regarding the ability of an individual or organization to "lead" or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. Leadership can not be defined by just one word but by action. I have seen development within myself through my volunteer service. Leadership is both a research area and a practical opportunity to share the ability gained as an individual, also through my organization, to lead or guide other individual team members who have a common goal. Volunteering in the church organizations matches my need to be of service to others.
Servant Leadership means to serve others and to lead. It puts everyone else first teaching to put others before yourself, with this leading qualities emerge. Just being or having leadership qualities doesn’t always work. Most leadership models show possessive towards the better for themselves, some work out while others don’t, mostly I think because the unwillingness to see others before yourself is a hard concept for some to understand and use. You can be a great leader but if you don’t understand servant qualities or serve for the benefit of others your probley not much liked. Most I don’t think know what Servant Leadership is or means, I didn’t until this course opened it up to me.