I completely agree with some of your comments in your post. Like you, I was surprised to discover that Northouse views leadership as a process that can be learned, rather than a set of special characteristics or a particular manner of behaviour. In fact, I avoided pursuing post-graduate studies in leadership for many years because I do not have the stereotypical personality that one associates with leaders: extroverted, highly-opinionated, and stong-willed, for example. Northouse’s view of leadership opens the door for many different types of people to embrace the idea that they can function as effective leaders.
You also made a very good point that when the distance between the leader and the followers increases, the leadership tends to move more and more towards position power vs personal power. I wonder if there is an optimal organizational size for servant leadership to work effectively? Given the emphasis that Northouse places upon the need for a relationship between the leader and follower, is it possible for a servant leader to serve effectively as his or her organization multiplies in size?