Servant leadership

From CEOpedia | Management online

Servant leadership is a style of leading in which the primary focus is on the growth and development of the people in the organization. It is a leadership style that emphasizes on the leader’s responsibility to serve the people that he or she is leading. The leader takes on the responsibility of taking care of the people’s needs and helping them to grow as individuals. The core principles of servant leadership are:

  • Listening: The leader should actively listen to the people he or she is leading in order to gain a better understanding of their needs and concerns.
  • Empathy: The leader should be able to empathize with the people he or she is leading in order to be able to understand their needs and concerns better.
  • Awareness: The leader should be aware of the needs and concerns of the people he or she is leading and be able to provide support and guidance to them.
  • Healing: The leader should be able to recognize the areas where the people he or she is leading need healing and be able to provide support to help them heal.
  • Building: The leader should be able to build relationships with the people he or she is leading and be able to provide support to help them grow.
  • Stewardship: The leader should be able to take responsibility for the people he or she is leading and ensure that they are taken care of.

Example of Servant leadership

The example of servant leadership is Mahatma Gandhi. He was a leader who focused on the growth and development of the people he was leading. He actively listened to their needs and concerns, empathized with them, was aware of their needs and concerns, provided guidance and support to help them heal and grow, and was responsible for taking care of them. He was a leader who was able to put the people’s needs and concerns first, and was committed to helping them to grow and develop. His example of servant leadership is one that still inspires people today.

Servant leadership is an inspiring leadership style that emphasizes on the leader’s responsibility to serve the people that he or she is leading. It focuses on the growth and development of the people in the organization and encourages the leader to take an active role in their development. The core principles of servant leadership are listening, empathy, awareness, healing, building, and stewardship. The example of servant leadership is Mahatma Gandhi, who was able to put the people’s needs and concerns first and committed to helping them to grow and develop.

Formula of Servant leadership

Servant leadership is best described by the following formula:

Leadership = Service + Empathy + Awareness + Healing + Building + Stewardship

Servant leadership is a leadership style that focuses on the development and growth of the people in the organization. It is based around the leader's responsibility to serve the people that he or she is leading. The formula of servant leadership is Leadership = Service + Empathy + Awareness + Healing + Building + Stewardship. This formula emphasizes the leader’s responsibility to listen to the people he or she is leading, empathize with them, be aware of their needs, provide healing and support, build relationships and take responsibility for their wellbeing.

When to use Servant leadership

Servant leadership is an ideal leadership style to use in situations where the primary focus is on helping the people in the organization to grow and develop. It is especially useful in situations where the leader needs to gain a better understanding of the needs and concerns of the people in the organization, and be able to provide support and guidance to them. It is also a great style of leadership to use when the leader needs to build relationships with the people in the organization and ensure that they are taken care of.

Servant leadership is a leadership style that focuses on the growth and development of the people in the organization. It emphasizes on the leader’s responsibility to serve the people and take care of their needs, as well as helping them to grow as individuals. The core principles of servant leadership are listening, empathy, awareness, healing, building and stewardship, and it is ideal to use in situations where the primary focus is on helping the people in the organization to grow and develop.

Types of Servant leadership

Servant leadership comes in two forms, the transformational and the transactional leadership styles.

  • Transformational leadership: This style of leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating the people in the organization to work towards a common goal. The leader is focused on developing a shared vision and motivating the people to work towards it.
  • Transactional leadership: This style of leadership focuses on setting clear expectations and holding people accountable for meeting those expectations. The leader is focused on ensuring that everyone is doing their part to reach the goal.

Steps of Servant leadership

The steps of servant leadership are as follows:

  • Setting Goals: The leader should set clear and achievable goals for the people he or she is leading.
  • Establishing Vision: The leader should be able to establish a vision for the people he or she is leading and ensure that they are working towards achieving it.
  • Building Trust: The leader should be able to build trust with the people he or she is leading and be able to provide support and guidance to them.
  • Showing Appreciation: The leader should show appreciation for the people he or she is leading and make sure to recognize their efforts.
  • Encouraging Collaboration: The leader should be able to encourage collaboration among the people he or she is leading in order to foster a spirit of unity.
  • Empowering Others: The leader should be able to empower the people he or she is leading and give them the opportunity to take ownership of their work.

Advantages of Servant leadership

Servant leadership has a number of advantages, such as:

  • Improved Morale and Increased Productivity: Servant leadership encourages employees to work together and create an environment of trust and respect. This leads to improved morale and increased productivity as employees are more motivated to do their best and work as a team.
  • More Effective Decision Making: Servant leadership encourages employees to have a voice and be involved in the decision-making process. This leads to more effective decisions as employees are able to provide input and share their ideas.
  • Increased Accountability: Servant leadership creates an environment of accountability as the leader is responsible for the success of the team and is held accountable if things go wrong. This leads to increased accountability and a better understanding of the team’s goals and objectives.

Limitations of Servant leadership

Servant leadership is a very effective style of leadership but there are some limitations that can arise from its implementation. These limitations include:

  • Difficulty in creating a culture of service: It can be difficult to create a culture of service within an organization as it requires the leader to be constantly engaged and attentive to the people in the organization.
  • Risk of abuse of power: Since the leader is taking on a more active role in providing support and guidance to the people in the organization, there is a risk of the leader abusing his or her power.
  • Difficulty in motivating people: It can be difficult to motivate people in an organization as the leader is only providing support and guidance rather than giving explicit instructions.
  • Difficulty in managing conflict: It can be difficult to manage conflicts in an organization as the leader is focused on providing support and guidance rather than enforcing rules and regulations.

Other approaches related to Servant leadership

Other approaches related to servant leadership are transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and ethical leadership.

  • Transformational leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes on inspiring and motivating people to reach their full potential. It focuses on helping people to become more motivated and committed to the organization's goals and objectives.
  • Authentic leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes on the leader’s personal integrity and authenticity. It focuses on creating an environment of trust and openness where the leader is able to be true to themselves and their values.
  • Ethical leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes on the leader’s commitment to ethical principles and practices. It focuses on creating an ethical culture within the organization, where the leader is accountable to the standards of morality and justice.


Servant leadership — recommended articles
Transformational leadership — Leadership and organizational culture — Ingroup and outgroup — Participatory management — Importance of trust — Organisational commitment — Leadership skills development — Sense of community — Low power distance

References

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