Learning Activity 4.1
- Why is servant leadership an interesting or worthwhile topic/phenomenon to research?
Servant leadership is an interesting topic/phenomenon to research because typically the words “servant” and “leadership” are oxymorons, they are a contradiction in terms of how most scholars view attributes of a leader (Sendjaya, S. and Sattos, J., 2002 p. 57 and p. 59). Typically, a leader is thought to be someone who “leads”, “commands”, or “gives orders” to their organization, and not someone who “serves others first, rather than leads first” (Gromm, 1995; Yukl, 1989) in Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J. (2002, p. 59). In Greenleaf’s Model of Servant Leadership (1977), a servant leader deliberately chooses to serve first rather than lead first; it is a conscious decision to put others needs ahead of your own (Sendjaya, S. and Sattos, J., 2002, p. 57).
- Why would this article interest researchers in the leadership field?
Researchers are interested in the field of servant leadership, because it is intriguing to analyze how a person that displays the qualities typically perceived of a “servant” could be a leader. Intellectually, and based on common perceptions, it would seem that a servant cannot be a leader and vice versa. There has been anecdotal observation of servant leadership, such as Spears (1995), who attempted to establish ten characteristics of a servant leader. These would be: “listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, a commitment to growth of people and community” (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p. 58). But these attributes were identified upon reading Greenleaf’s essays and not based on rigorous analysis and research. (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p. 57). Although the origins of servant leadership has been traced back to its founder, Jesus Christ, it has only recently become a topic of interest to researchers.
- What is already known about servant leadership?
In religion we know that service is the core trait of leadership (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p. 58). Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, is an example of how Jesus not only taught his people the qualities of servant leadership, but practiced them as well (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J.,2002, p. 59). In thinking of Jesus Christ, he reveals the personality attribute of “strength” in the concept that “I am the leader, therefore, I shall serve”, rather than “I am the leader, therefore, I shall lead” (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p. 60). According to De Pree (1989), “at its core, the nature of the servant leadership is serving, not leading” (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p. 60). It is important to note that being a servant leader emanates from having a strong self-concept and being confident in yourself to make the decision to serve; it should not be viewed as a weakness. In the case of Jesus washing his disciples feet; Jesus made a deliberate decision to “serve his disciples, because of his strong self-image, he placed himself before them and made “a deliberate offering of himself”. (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p.60). The two core characteristics of servant leadership are: a strong core self-image, and the drive to consciously acknowledge “I am the leader, therefore I shall serve” (Sendjaya, S. and Sarros, J., 2002, p.62).
References
Sendjaya, S., & Sarros, J.C. (2002). Servant leadership: Its origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership and Organization Studies, 9(2). 57-64.