Greanleaf (1997) provided the most frequently referenced definition:
Servant leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to
serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to
lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the
servant—first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs
are being served. The best test is: do those served grow as persons;
do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous,
more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the
effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least,
will they not be further deprived? (Northouse ,2017,p.226)
There are various principles of servant leadership but the ones that stood out ot me the most are: listening, empathy and healing. All these qualities remind me a great leader from Indian history named Mahatma Gandhi. He was an example of servant leader, listened to all the problems of the followers not just in order to respond but to understand. He was an active listener and a very empathetic person. One time to truly feel and understand how a homeless man feels, he started sleeping on the floor himself so that he can put himself in their shoes and to me that a brilliant example of empathy. Healing means to make whole (Northouse 2017,p.228). To heal the servant leader has to do everything possible to alleviate and support one’s followers. Dandi march by Mahatma Gandhi is again a great example of it. Indeed, there are so many more qualities that make an ideal servant leader but i believe these are the foundational ones.
What are your views about it? Does any servant leader come to your mind while reading this? Share your views.