What is Servant Leadership? – Theory&Model

Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don’t work for you; you work for them.”

Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and practice that emphasizes the role of the leader as a servant of a team or organization. It is about putting the needs of others first, fostering their personal growth and development and enabling them to reach their full potential. Servant leaders actively listen, empathize and support their followers with the goal of creating a positive and empowering work environment. Servant leadership goal is to serve others and promote well-being so ultimately leading to higher levels of performance, collaboration and organizational success. 

What is Servant leadership?

The phrase “servant leadership” was devised by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. In this type of leadership, the basic idea is to serve others irrespective of rewards. Here others may include customers, partners, followers, Co-workers etc.

Who is a Servant Leader?

Robert Greenleaf recognized that organizations, as well as individuals, can be servant-leaders. The servant-leader is a servant first and then a leader. His role is to manage the group’s resources and to teach other leaders to serve others while still accomplishing the goals set forth by the business.

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5 Examples of Great Servant Leader

Some of the most well-known inspirational leaders of servant leadership are-

1.Kim Savage – The Executive Director for Hope International, has lived her life following the Servant leadership philosophy.

2.Cheryl Bachelder – was named CEO of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen; she worked to create a Servant leadership culture at Popeyes as a means to inverse the company’s fortunes.

3.Mahatma Gandhi – A nationalist dedicated his life to serving other people.

4.Martin Luther King, Jr.- left a lasting legacy through his humble and serving nature.

5.Mother Teresa – devoted her life to serving other people.

What is Servant Leadership Style?

Servant leadership style is a management style in which one prioritize team’s needs over their own needs.  Servant leaders think that when their employees are personally and professionally fulfilled, they are more productive and efficient. So, in Servant leadership, employee happiness and collaboration are critical themes.

What is Servant Leadership Theory?

As per leadership theory, Leader should emphasize their team members to become self-sufficient and independent thinkers. Servant leadership is an attitude that puts the needs of others first rather than the needs of the Leader.

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What is the Servant leadership model?

In servant leadership contexts, the authority figure tries to stimulate creativity, empower people, and ensure the well-being of those around them by moving management and personnel contact away from regulating activities and toward a synergistic partnership.

Difference b/w Servant and transformational leadership

1. In Servant leadership, the main focus is on goals, whereas the main focus is on serving people in transformational leadership.
2. In Servant leadership, leaders Influence through their service, whereas through their charisma, in transformational leadership.
3. Servant Leadership comprises a broader cause or greater good, such as community development or pollution reduction. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, attempts to at improving organizations and people in a broader sense, i.e., companies, organizations, and teams.

Principle of Servant leadership

Principles of servant leadership are listening, healing; awareness; persuasion; conceptualization; foresight; empathy; stewardship; commitment to people’s growth, and building community.

5 Servant Leader Qualities

Here are some leadership traits of a Servant leader-

• Empathy
• Humility
• Self- awareness
• Persuasive
• Stewardship

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5 Servant Leadership Examples

Here are some examples of Servant leadership

1. By putting other people’s needs first, Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to leave a lasting legacy, which evidences that anyone can make a difference through a humble and serving perspective.
2. Nelson Mandela said he was a humble servant with a passion for his people and the desire to see them enjoy equality.
3. Mother Teresa devoted her life to serving other people.
4. Kim Savage lived her life following the Servant leadership philosophy.
5. Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen CEO, Cheryl Bachelder worked to create a servant leadership culture to inverse the company’s fortunes.

5 Advantages & Disadvantages of Servant Leadership

Advantages of servant leadership are-

• Greater organizational agility
• Provides a positive work environment
• Employees feel valued
• Servant leadership is hard to fake
• It Inculcates values.

Disadvantages of servant leadership are-

• Decision-making is slower
• It takes real effort to set it up
• Some may perceive Servant leaders as ineffective
• Different leadership styles across teams can lead to confusion
• It can be more time-consuming

Best Servant Leadership books

Here are some books on Servant leadership –

1. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert K. Greenleaf
2. The Power of Servant Leadership by Robert K. Greenleaf
3. The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse
4. Dare to Serve by Cheryl Bachelder
5. The Serving Leader by Kenneth R. Jennings and John Stahl-Wert
6. The Servant Leader by James A. Autry

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Key Takeaways:

• Servant leadership is a powerful approach focused on the growth and success of others.
• It requires selflessness, empathy, and a commitment to actively support and grow the people you lead.
• By prioritizing the needs of others, service leaders create a positive and empowering work environment.