Topic 14.servant Leadership

Servant Leadership
Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? - Robert Greenleaf, 1977
Servant Leader
A servant leader serves constituents by working on their behalf to help them achieve their goals, not the leaders own goals.
Places service before self-interest Listens first to express confidence in others Inspires trust by being trustworthy Focuses on what is feasible to accomplish
Lends a hand
Provides tools
Law of Service
The law of service: He who wishes to live long must
serve, but he who wishes to rule does not live long. Hesse, Journey to the East
Servant- Leadership Defined

Servant leadership is defined as an approach to leadership development, which emphasizes the leaders role as steward of the resources (human, financial and otherwise) provided by the organization.
It encourages leaders to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organizations values and integrity.
Modern Concept
Modern Concept started with Robert Greenleaf Published The Servant as Leader in 1970
Led to further essays from Greenleaf as well as others, especially in recent years
Concept History
Concept of Servant Leadership is thousands of years older than Greenleafs ideas.
Chanakya or Kautilya, the famous strategic thinker from ancient India, wrote about the topic in his 4th century B.C. book Arthashastra:
the king [leader] shall consider as good, not what pleases himself
but what pleases his subjects [followers] the king [leader] is a paid servant and enjoys the resources of the state together with the people.
Concept History
The concept in the west can be traced back, at least partly, to various aspects of religious doctrine.
The Concept Father

Robert Greenleaf is recognized as the father of servant
leadership. In 1977, Greenleaf described servant leadership in this manner:

It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve
first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead The difference manifest itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other peoples highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons, do they grow while being served, become healthier, wider, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?
Ten Characteristics
Larry Spears, director of the Robert K Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, identified ten characteristics.
Listening Empathy Healing Awareness Persuasion
Conceptualization
Foresight Stewardship Commitment to growth
of others Building Community
Listening
Leaders valued for communication skills and decision
making skills
Reinforced by deep commitment to listening intently to others
Leaders seek to identify and clarify will of group Listen receptively to what is said and not said Listening encompasses getting in touch with inner voice
and seeking an understanding of the body, spirit and mind are communicating.
Empathy
Leaders strive to understand and empathize with others. People need to be accepted and recognized for their special and unique spirit.
Assume good intentions of coworkers and not reject them as
people
Even if forced to reject behavior or performance
Healing
Powerful force for transformation and integration Great strength of servant leader, potential to heal self and
others.
Greenleaf writes,
There is something subtle communicated to one who is being served
and led if, implicit in the compact between the servant-leader and led is the understanding that the search for wholeness is something that they have.
Awareness
General awareness and self-awareness, strengthens the
servant-leader.
Making a commitment to foster awareness can be scary
One never knows that one may discover! Awareness is not a giver of solace its just the opposite. It
disturbed. They are not seekers of solace. They have their own inner security. -Greenleaf
Persuasion
Leaders rely on persuasion, rather than positional
authority in making decisions.

They speak to convince others, rather than coerce
compliance.
Persuasion offers one of the clearest distinctions between
the traditional authoritarian model.
Conceptualize
Servant-leaders seek to nurture their abilities to dream
great dreams.
The ability to look at a problem or organization from
conceptualizing perspective
One must think beyond day-to-day realities.
Servant-leaders must seek a delicate balance between conceptualization and day-to-day focus
Foresight
Enables leaders to understand lessons from the past,
realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision in the future.
Deeply rooted in the intuitive mind
Stewardship
Greenleafs view of all institutions was one in which CEOs, staff, directors, and trustees all play significant roles in holding their institutions in trust for the greater good of society.
Commitment to the Growth of Others

Servant-leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. Servant-leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of all individuals in the organization.
Building Community
As weve shifted to larger organizations, there is still a
need to build a sense of community.

Topic 14.servant Leadership

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Topic 14.servant Leadership

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Topic 14.servant Leadership

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Servant Leadership

Servant- Leadership Defined

The Concept Father

leadership. In 1977, Greenleaf described servant leadership in this manner:

of others Building Community

Reinforced by deep commitment to listening intently to others

Even if forced to reject behavior or performance

authority in making decisions.

the traditional authoritarian model.

Commitment to the Growth of Others

need to build a sense of community.

You might also like