Servant leadership was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, however, as a newer field of study empirical evidence has only been available for the last decade (Northouse, 2016). Although it is similar to other theories in that it observes leader behaviours, the behaviours of interest focus on the needs of, and development of others first (Northouse, 2016).
No consensus has been reached on a clear definition or framework (Van Dierendonck, 2011). The definition most often cited is the one from Greenleaf himself, however, authors appear to agree on the following foundational principles:
- Leaders have a need to serve, and to serve first (Greenleaf, as cited in Northouse, 2016). The model is unique in that it begins with the leader’s motivation (Smith, Montagno, Kuzmenko, 2004).
- Others’ needs are the priority of the leader, and the central focus is altruism (Northouse, 2016; Van Dierendonck, 2011). Although different models have cited over 44 leader characteristics, (Van Dierendonck, 2011) these characteristics are the central focus of all models and all point to a focus on others (Liden, Wayne, Zhao, and Henderson; Liden, Panaccio, Hu, and Meuser as cited in Northouse, 2016; Van Van Dierendonck, 2011).
- There is a reciprocal relationship between the leader and the follower in that the leader also learns and benefits (Smith et al., 2004).
- Outcomes are met when self-actualization of the followers has been achieved, leaders create more leaders, and there is positive societal impact (Northouse, 2016; Smith et al., 2004; Maxwell, 2013).
Strengths of the servant leadership model are a focus on altruism, sharing control with followers, the identification that this form of leadership will be not effective in all situations, and the availability of measurement tools (Northouse, 2016). Another strength is that leader behaviours are easily understood and applied, and these ideas are already used by many successful companies (Northouse, 2016; KnowledgeAtWharton, 2008). One study suggests that servant leadership in the workforce can be integrated with positive psychology to enable employees to function at optimal levels generate positive individual, team and organizational behaviour, which can enable employees to function at optimal levels (Searle and Barbuto, 2011). Empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests that employees who are served by their leaders will model this behavior and serve customers (KnowledgeAtWharton, 2008; Hwang, Kang, Youn, 2014).
Limitations of the servant leadership model are the paradoxical nature of terms, no consensus on a definition or framework, the inherent “value-push” and moralistic quality which can discourage study, and the inclusion of conceptualization when that behaviour not specific to servant leadership (Northouse, 2016). Another weakness is that contextual factors that influence the success of servant leadership are underestimated (Smith et al., 2004).
As with all other aspects of servant leadership the purpose of awareness is to make things better for others, not for oneself. This differs from awareness in emotional intelligence where the purpose is to recognize how emotions affects one’s own performance (Goleman, 2017). The purpose of self-awareness in the psychodynamic approach is to assist the leader in improving personal behaviour and interpersonal relations for the purpose of improving as a leader and influencing others; again, the motivation is not serving others as it is in the servant leadership model (Northouse, 2016).
Historical accounts of Mother Teresa suggest that she was a true servant leader, and numerous web authors have supported this claim. Her motivation was to serve others, her central focus altruism as she served “… the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for…” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 2018). She demonstrated a willingness to learn from those she served by living among them. She established the Missionaries of Charity, investing in others so they would develop to their full potential and, in turn, then continue the work and develop other leaders. As orphanages, hospices, and charity centers continue to function worldwide there can be no doubt that she had a positive impact on society (Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 2018).
Servant leadership is a relatively new concept that has received attention by researchers and employers. The primary motivation of the leader in this model is to serve others. Outcomes are measured by the development and growth of the followers, reciprocal growth in the leader, a cycle of future leader development and positive change. The model is can be practically utilized in work and other environments. One example of a servant leader is Mother Teresa, whose motivation began with serving others and spent much of her life serving the least privileged in society. The servant leadership model has much to offer for the equipping of the leaders of today and the future.
References
Goleman. (2017, Jan 12). Self-Awareness: The Foundation of Emotional Intelligence. [weblog comment]. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/self-awareness-foundation-emotional-intelligence-daniel-goleman
Hwang, H., Kang, M., & Youn, M. (2014). The influence of a leader’s servant leadership on employees’ perception of customers’ satisfaction with the service and employees’ perception of customers’ trust in the service firm: the moderating role of employees’ trust in the leader. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science,24(1), 65-76.
JohnMaxwellCo. (2013, Sep 10). John Maxwell The 5 Levels of Leadership. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPwXeg8ThWI
KnowledgeAtWharton. (2008, Jul 9). Southwest Airlines’ Colleen Barrett on ‘Servant Leadership’. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgR95vnM0c
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (n.d.). Biography. Retrieved from http://www.motherteresa.org/
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Smith, B. N., Montagno, R. V., & Kuzmenko, T. N. (2004). Transformational and Servant Leadership: Content and Contextual Comparisons. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 10(4), 80-91.
Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261. doi: 10.1177/0149206310380462