Northouse (2017) suggests several behaviours that are the central focus of servant leadership.
One of these behaviours is putting followers first. This includes placing followers’ interests and success ahead of those of the leader (Northouse, 2017). In my own experience, I can recall a time when I experienced this. In my first year of teaching, I was nominated for a teaching excellence award. There were 8 nominees from our local area. Together, we attended a banquet. Each nominee made a speech and was given the opportunity to sell themselves to be the winner of the award. I remember the feeling of success that I experienced for even being nominated. After all of the speeches had been made, I started to reflect on the things that I had heard. At that moment I truly felt like another candidate would be a better choice for the winner of the award. The superintendent of our school board asked me how I felt about all the candidates. I was truthful and told her that I felt honored to have been nominated but that I felt that there was a more deserving candidate. This is an example of putting the success of colleagues ahead of my own interests and success, which Northouse (2017) suggests as a behaviour of servant leadership.
The second principle I would like to comment on is creating value for the community. I take a great deal of pride in giving back to the community that gave so much to me. I volunteer as much as I possibly can. I also try to instill these values in the children that I teach. For example, my class has done fundraisers towards our local food bank, a fundraiser for a poor community in Mexico, gift baskets for elderly people at Christmas time and other activities that give back to our community. Last year, my class collaborated with other youth to create a mural that would be donated to the town to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.
As I reflect on which principles will be challenging for me to consistently realize in my own practice, I am first drawn to empowerment. I have a difficult time allowing others to have control and the freedom to be independent (Northouse, 2017). I prefer to give a set of clear instructions and expectations towards achieving a common goal. Although I prefer to give and set guidelines, I am not opposed to accepting other people’s ideas or actions, as long as they are justifiable.
How do you allow people to have freedom and independence while still accomplishing a common goal? Can you provide specific examples?
Sadie,
It is interesting to note how, in servant leadership, we consider the development and growth of others to be an important focus of our work.
I’m intrigued by your comments regarding how we balance the importance of clear expectations while at the same time creating the space for others to make decisions. You write: “I have a difficult time allowing others to have control and the freedom to be independent (Northouse, 2017). I prefer to give a set of clear instructions and expectations towards achieving a common goal.”
From my perspective, the role of a leader in establishing a vision coalesces effectively with the role of others in an organization/team/etc. developing strategies for getting toward that goal. Perhaps the difference lies in who creates the instructions/expectations. In highly functioning teams, all levels of employees are engaged in developing processes. Once those processes are developed, then there may be less freedom in diverging from the processes, but often the most valuable voices in how to develop the processes are those who are closest to the work being done.
Thoughts?
–Leadership Prof