Characteristics of Servant Leadership free essay sample

Greenleaf first defined the phrase â€Å"Servant Leadership† he pointed out that the difference between it and leader was â€Å"a servant aspiring to serve and taking up leadership as result† (Greenleaf, 1977). Leader is defined as a person who rules or guides or inspires others. Being considered as a servant first, a servant leader’s priority is to lead in a way that they are serving others by developing them as well as giving their undivided attention to their colleagues and those they serve (Spears, 1998). Taking into consideration Greenleaf’s characteristics of servant leadership and the Biblical doctrine as well other philosophies, we will explore the idea that the Servant Leadership is â€Å"compatible with most religions and theories of philosophy. † 1 Peter 4:10-11 suggests that everyone has the gift to be a servant and as good stewards it should be used to serve one another. One of the most interesting characteristics that comes to the forefront in Greenleaf’s essay, it is the wish to help others. The leadership is secondary and the main focus here is on the needs of others which is one way to distinguish servant- leaders from all other leaders. Greenleaf includes other characteristics that are important in the Servant Leadership such as listening and understanding; acceptance and empathy; foresight; awareness and perception; persuasion; conceptualization; self-healing; and rebuilding community (Spears, 1998). One could say that the characteristics are important skills or techniques that all good leaders should possess to be effective leaders. Mr. Greenleaf is not the only author who has taken hold of the â€Å"servant leadership† philosophy; Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey have also embraced the concept. Mr. Blanchard commented in his Foreword in the book to Focus on Leadership, the he believed that Servant Leadership relevant to the business world today. He goes on to communicate in his writing that people are yearning for more when it comes to looking for a purpose and meaning when facing the challenges in ever revolving world. He also conveyed they are searching for principles and philosophies that make a difference. According to Mr. Blanchard the answer lies within the utilization of the Servant Leadership. Overall his message was one of encouragement advising leaders that the bottom line to successful leadership is to lead people to the next level by being a servant. Mr. Covey’s Insights on Leadership commented in his Forward outlining the competitive importance of servant leadership as it relates to the empowerment of employees. He communicated that the human nature of people drives all of us to look at our current circumstances and rise above them. Tapping into the Servant Leadership methodlogy, Mr. Covey believes that leaders can opened up a whole new world regarding employee motivation. Not only are authors finding that the servant leadership is uplifting so does some organizations who are applying the workforce such as TDIndustries, The Schneider Corporation and Schmidt Associates to name a few. Providing service to others is rewarding in itself and does not require a materialistic reward. The ultimate objective to be achieved from this methodology of leading is to get results. We find in many organizations an abuse of leader powers by looking at what their direct reports can do for them in service instead of displaying true leadership and asking the question how can I serve you as a leader. In a biblical context Jesus exemplified a servant mentality in his daily walk among the people with an attitude of â€Å"not to be served, but to serve. Highly effective leaders navigate change, deliver results and create the future. Even in the world of religion, we find leaders working on the system and doing the right things utilizing the philosophy of serving and embracing the Servant Leadership concept in their beliefs. One example is Sikhism which is a distinct religion that began in India in the late 1400’s with no ties to Hinduism or Islam. With at least 26 million followers worldwide, Sikhism is listed as the 5th largest religion in the world and has over a million followers in North America (Sikhism Beliefs). Their four basic principles for living a good life and leaving the life cycle include mediation, work, charity donations, and service humanity and to God (Sikhism Beliefs). According to Guru Granth Sahib Ji which is the Sikhism book of worship, â€Å"Without selfless service are no objectives fulfilled; in service lies the purest action† (World Scriptures). Greenleaf indicates that the best test to determine your service would be to assess people whom you have served in leadership and if there is evidence of their growth. Evaluate if the employees while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more independent, and leadership style of serving. (Greenfield, 1977, p. 7) There is a paradigm shift in the business world as well as not-for-profit organizations. They are shifting from the more hierarchy models of leadership and moving to the servant leadership as they learn the importance of having a relationship with employees and workers. One of the attributes of servant leadership is that it seeks to involve others in decision making, while displaying a strong ethical and caring behavior. (Greenfield, 1977). The best example of this that clearly comes to my mind is the leadership team at my church and the influential leadership style of my Pastor. He would be the first to tell you, it was not easy for him to operate in a â€Å"servant leadership† style. He did not initially empower his leadership team creating opportunities for them to release their creativity, talent, ability and potential. Once he begin to realize that working with us and sharing the vision – as a team we could move together to accomplish the goals of the ministry. Taking into consideration the ten characteristics of Greenfield’s Servant Leadership, I personally can see how my Pastor with or without knowledge of them but were vital to his development of servant-leader. Being an effective leader it is vital that in your role you are creating a vision that connects you with your direct reports as well as your customer. Realizing who is important to you as a leader and what matters the most. Knowing your purpose and how will you act toward one another regardless of your status. It is important as a leader build trust with others – living and leading by principles. Servant Leadership enhances the growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of organization life (Greenfield, 1977). References Blanchard, K (2002) Focus on Leadership: Servant Leadership for the 21st Century.