Summer Institute I 2013 Linda Beninghove
July 18, 2013 Yelena Lyudmilova

Servant Leadership

History

Servant Leadership is a term coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, and inspired by the 1956 book The Journey to the East, by Herman Hesse. Greenleaf was stricken by the story in which a group of travelers embark on a journey during which they are led and entertained by a servant. When the servant disappears, the group is thrown into disarray, ultimately abandoning the journey. From this Greenleaf concluded that the servant emerged as the leader of the group through selfless care for the travelers (Northouse, 2013, p. 220).

Theory /Model/How does it work?

●The model of Servant Leadership is based on three main components: antecedent conditions, servant leader behaviors, and leadership outcomes (Northouse, 2013; Liden, Wayne, Zhao, and Henderson, 2008).

●Servant Leadership behaviors include: Conceptualizing; Emotional Healing; Putting Followers First; Helping Followers Grow and Succeed; Behaving Ethically; Empowering; Creating Value for the Community (Northouse, 2013, p. 225).

●Servant Leaders “commit themselves to putting their subordinates first, being honest with them, and treating them fairly” (Northouse, 2013, p. 233).

●Servant Leaders seek to develop strong long-term relationships with colleagues and listening is a priority. “Servant Leadership works best when leaders are altruistic” and “followers must be receptive to servant leaders who want to empower them and help them grow (Northouse, 2013, p. 233).” Servant Leaders seek to understand the abilities, needs, and goals of followers, allowing the followers to reach their full potential.

●Servant Leaders exhibit altruistic and humanistic behaviors rather than seeking to dominate subordinates. The goal is to share power, help others grow, and encourage autonomy. This downplays competition in an organization and promotes egalitarianism (Northouse, 2013, p. 233).

●Servant Leadership ideally results in community and societal change (Northouse, 2013, p. 233).

Strengths/Criticisms

1.Servant Leadership is unique in the way it makes altruism the central component of the leadership process (Northouse, 2013, p. 233).

2.It is not clear why “conceptualizing” is a determinant of Servant Leadership. Critics ask if conceptualizing is a behavior or a cognitive ability and whether it plays a central role in SL (Northouse, 2013, p. 235).

3.To date, the core process of Servant Leadership has not been explicated. Instead, 40 years of available literature focuses on subjective best leadership behaviors and outlooks. The last ten years of publications have just started to clarify and substantiate the basic assumptions of the style (Northouse, 2013, p. 235).

4.Servant Leadership is prescriptive and altruistic which conflicts with the principles of traditional leadership: individual autonomy, concern for production, and goal setting (Northouse, 2013, p. 235).

Applications

1.Variety of leadership situations (Northouse, 2013, p. 235).

2.Ideas from Servant Leadership theory may be borrowed and combined with alternative leadership styles (Northouse, 2013, p. 236).

3.Servant Leadership principles can be applied throughout all styles of organizations (Northouse, 2013, p. 236).

References

Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment. The Leadership Quarterly,19(2), 161-177.

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.