Characteristics Of A Servant Leader

I have recently completed a service project at the animal shelter in Bulloch County, Georgia. For four days I rode with my group to the animal shelter to play with the animals. Playing with the animals shows them compassion. We played with many dogs over the course of four days. Doing this service have made myself and my group servant leaders. What is a servant leader you ask, well a servant leader wants to help others better themselves. They want to help even if they do not look like, think like, or talk like us.

According to Greenleaf (1970), servant leaders “want to serve, to serve first” and there are ten key characteristics of servant leadership, which are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community. The bottom line within an organization looks to measure the success of the business by looking at more than its financial success. It also looks at factors such as how well the organization treats its employees and even the environment. According the video, statistics showed that in the survey of the 100 Best Places to Work, about one-third of these companies claimed to be servant lead companies. Additionally, public held companies, who also claimed to be servant lead, showed significantly better financial success than those companies who were not servant lead. Servant leadership allows for team members to feel more empowered and involved and therefore in control of their work. Servant leadership can be a company’s competitive advantage. In the video we learn that many of the top companies which are considered as being the best companies to work for are servant lead companies. These companies are able to realize the growth and development of employees and in the process, the company benefits as well. Servant lead companies have shown to be able to survive difficult times and are able to continue to thrive when other companies are struggling.

For many generations the concept of servant leader has been used in religious arenas as a positive influence. Since the early 1970’s the actual term was coined as the concept has been applied to the general business world. The characteristic of a leader to show servant type tendencies has been universally held as positive attribute for anyone in a leadership role. But how is a servant leader measured? Are their acid or litmus type tests based on fulfillment of key characteristics that distinguish a leader as a servant leader? In this paper the concept of servant leadership, identification of servant leaders, developing servant leaders, and the impact servant leaders have in organizations will be reviewed. Perspectives will include those

Three attributes a servant leader must have are the abilities to be selfless, respectful, and hard working. Finding ways to help your community through volunteering could be considered selfless. Listening to and valuing others opinions could be considered respectful. Fighting hard to reach a common goal with a sports team could be considered hardworking. Having completed these actions, I would consider myself a servant leader.

Sweaty and slightly shaking, I walked into a room of strangers feeling unprepared for a campaign speech. I made it through and earned a position as an officer in my college's Phi Theta Kappa chapter. It was a life changing moment. Now, I have an amazing resource of challenges, opportunities, and different surprising life lessons. Phi Theta Kappa has pushed me into becoming a stronger leader and a confident public speaker. I would continue with this group because no matter how far I have come there is always room for improvement in being a servant

A prominent religious leader in my community is quoted as saying that “life is business and business is life. If you learn one, you learn the other.” This quote implies that the day-to-day operations of any successful business are comparable to the steps required to live a complete and balanced life. Understanding the intricacies of what makes a person happy is not only advisable, but crucial, in being successful in any business endeavor. In the status quo, many corporations have dishonest or harsh practices which belittle the workers and exalt those seen in a position of power. However, this is what kills the “life” of those involved, and eventually what kills the business as well. This is why the servant-leadership mentality is so important in the emerging business

Servant leadership is a type of leadership whereby the leader serves the needs of the people, empathizes with them, and involves them in solving their needs. Servant leadership is all about involving the people you are leading in your decision making, being ethical and caring for the people to enhance their personal growth at the same time improve their life. A servant leader does not simply delegate roles; he starts the work and energizes the others to join him and get the work done. According to Spears (2004), the servant leader as defined by Greenleaf is one who gets the natural feeling of wanting to serve first and then a conscious choice brings him/her to lead. This leader makes sure that other people’s highest-priority needs are take

“It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Robert K. Greenleaf).

Robert Greenleaf, the man given credit for launching the modern term “servant-leadership”, points out that a leader is first a servant. The idea of servant leadership can be traced back to The New Testament and the many stories of Jesus first serving others. Although not traditionally thought of as “leadership”, His example of servant leadership is one I follow. Giving of my time to those in need is how I lead and set an example for others.

Servant leadership: “A leadership philosophy in which an individual interacts with others, either in a management or fellow employee capacity - with the aim of achieving authority rather than power. The authority figure intends to promote the well-being of those around him/her. Servant leadership involves the individual demonstrating the characteristics of empathy, listening, stewardship and commitment to personal growth toward others” (Investopedia). This definition is only one of many ways to describe what a true servant leader does and is. The center point is this leader’s main focus is on others, not themselves. To create a relationship to lead, to teach, to encourage opposed to control. The true significance

The application of the principles of servant leadership will benefit my organization quite a lot. Being a private organization, this hospital does not follow servant leadership style. Still, we apply some of the principles of Greenleaf, like empathy, healing, and awareness (Casterlow, n.d.). These principles help generate good team spirit in the employees. Once the people know that the leadership is aware of their needs and the leaders would try meeting these needs of the staff, like provision of leave when needed by the staff, arrangements in duty, and so on, the staff will remain happy and satisfied. They will commit themselves more towards the organization. When the leadership shows empathy and healing attitude to the staff, they feel as if the leaders care, this feeling motivates them and they will be willing to work hard as the way the management desires. These features are already evident in my hospital. Hence, if my hospital follows the servant leadership style, the leaders would be more supportive than they are now. They would be more persuasive, show foresight and conceptualize (Casterlow, n.d.). This could help reduce the burn-out feeling of staff when there is staff shortage. The awareness that the

I just got the news today about your upcoming retirement. I just want to say that you have been a true example of a servant leader. You have been extremely supportive to me in my role and I felt you really want me to succeed in everything I do. I can remember in 2013 when I was working on the pathway document you were always available to offer me support. I will definitely miss your leadership. As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” I wish you the best in whatever you choose to do. God bless you and your family.

According to Greenleaf (2002), a servant leader is “one who serves first”, In addition, Greenleaf has argued that there are several characteristic that a servant leader should display. These included listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building a community. Of all the ten characteristics that were identified, listening was the epitome of them all. Listening can be proven to be a very vital part of the success of an organization. Increased trust and communication skills can be produced when the characteristic of listening is present.

Last time I indicated I would look at servant leadership. I came across a very powerful little set of points that are certainly worth reflecting on as you evaluate your own leadership style, from Trinity Western University.

Instead of asking an individual to do something for him, he or she instead does it himself. Sometimes going hardly noticeable by others because to them it becomes expected of them. Servant Leadership is associated with theological and orgazational values ( Paul and Blanchard, 1988). It is in regards to caring, elegance, importance and management being highly regarded with servants feeling better about their employees and themselves. Servant Leaders benefit from insights, information, contacts which makes it productive and effective in what they do. Recommending and suggesting new ways of doing things gives leaders an effective way to self-replenish