Servant Leadership Attributes

A servant leader must listen to a person fully without interrupting or judging them. While doing my service at the animal shelter there were two other people doing service. They were prisoners wearing the orange jumpsuit. Although most people would assume they are bad and not to talk to them, me and my group had a conversation with them about the dogs. They showed a lot of compassion about what they were doing. Although it was work they were forced to do they gave it their all. I listened and communicated with them the entire time without judging whatever they might have done. This was showing servant leadership in one of the hardest

A servant leader for me is an individual who simply puts others ahead of themselves, with the main purpose of achieving results for their organization, by keeping in mind the needs of everyone else around them. A servant leader is one with personality traits like; empathy, compassion good listening skills, stewardship, and an honest commitment to the growth of others. Servant leaders are individuals who have a natural inclination to serve, and such a conscious choice makes them desire to lead. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional leaders who aim to gain power or to acquire material belongings.

“Servant leadership refers to a leadership approach by which leaders set aside their self-interest and altruistically work for the benefit of their followers, and the communities in which they operate” (Newman, 2017, p.49). To accomplish this, a leader must be thoroughly engaged in their environment and an active listener. My third strength is active listening. Active listening relates to the servant leadership theory because active listening “enables a servant leader to build trustful relationships with others and to understand the needs of followers to create an effective working climate and culture and to grow and release individual talent” (Coetzer, 2017, p. 13). Active listening requires one to listen respectfully, to engage in questions, provide time for reflection, and to be consciously seek out and interpret subtext. Open and honest communication between a leader and employee are integral to the proper function of a work environment. Employees who feel unheard may disengage and become less productive. A decline in employee morale, productivity, and engagement are failures of a leader and are generally the result of poor communication and listening skills.

The servant-leader will communicate diplomatically and carefully (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The servant-leader has moral maturity and thinks, acts, and judges ethically with a strong sense of self (Liden, et al, 2014). The list can be enhanced depending on the situation, but as a nursing student, there are characteristics I value as the most important servant-leader qualities.

Traits commonly listed as characteristics of servant leadership include a makeup of providing accountability, supporting and resourcing, engaging in honest self-evaluation, fostering collaboration, communicating with clarity, and valuing and appreciating (Irving/Longbotham pg 8).

Based on Greenleaf’s definition of servant leadership; Larry C. Spears, CEO of the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership, developed ten characteristics believed to be vital to the development of servant leaders. (Spears, 2010) Although not exhaustive, this list includes three characteristics the author believes to be fundamental to servant leadership.

Servant leadership breaks the tradition of top down leadership. According to Schwartes (2015), there are ten characteristics an effective servant leader should follow. The effective leader utilizes active listening and thoughtful responses with their followers. They use empathy; they listen without demonstrating judgement. The environment should be safe and the leader should feel that they are a whole person. The leader is aware of the surroundings; they are the expert in their environment. The leader utilizes persuasion and conceptualization; the followers are free to express their thoughts without repercussions and that problems will be solved proactively. The leader also demonstrates a commitment to their community by showing that they serve the overall need of the servants and environment.

From the group Biblical Integration Paper, it was understood that servant-leadership is not only a gift of purpose that God places in the hearts of His people, but it is also a calling in one’s life to truly touch the lives of others in need. Living a successful life, as a servant-leader is not one that focuses on self-fulfillment, rather it is in seeking a fulfillment that comes from Christ when one pours him/herself out for the sake of others. It is through servant-leadership that one is able to bring hope into hopeless situations (Group Integration Paper,

Describe “servant leadership”. What does this mean to you? I am a firm believer in the saying “He who is the greatest servant is the greatest leader,” because it defines what servant leadership is. It is not about exercising authority over another, but rather it is the act of considering one’s needs more important than oneself. A servant leader seeks to build each other up and is willing to invest himself in the lives of others in order to accomplish the goals and desires of the body.

Throughout this past week I have had several misconceptions resolve regarding servant leadership that have resolved. The main misconception or preconception that I had was that servant leaders were pushovers and that they would have difficulty in leading others to reach a common goal. Through the readings that were assigned, specificially in chapter 6, I now understand that a servant leader values relationships with their follwers and by doing so that they can use the gained trust to influence them to reach a common goal (DelHousaye & Brewer, 2004). I had never really thought about how much influence played a part in the success of a leader until this class and yet I completely agree. I think back to the mangers that I have had

Although the notion of servant leadership has been recognized in leadership literature since Burns' (1978) and Greenleaf's (1977) publications, the movement has gained momentum only recently. Bowman (1997) argues that to date there is only anecdotal evidence to support a commitment to an understanding of servant leadership.

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

These says that; servant leaders have good communication and listening, as well as self awareness skills. These enables the leader to listen and respect the views of his or her followers and deal with a problem well. The servant leaders also understand and emphasize with other people. And have the ability to heal others in addition tothemselves. They are able to persuade rather than use power to force compliance from others. In addition to this, they also committed to their responsibilities and look beyond limits of their work setting as well as foresee the outcomes that are likely to result from particular decision or activity. Lastly, servant leaders are interested in stewardess and building community. Meaning that they value helping or serving others and building relationship with the

Servant leaders are constructive, persistent, and motivating. They are also leaders who see complex, big pictures. (St. Thomas University Online, 2015). This makes them very engaging and full of energy which is a good trait as mentioned by Jack Welch in his 4 Es.

As written in the lines above, employee engagement has a significant impact on an employee and their engagement. Although there has been many articles and research written about leadership and servant leadership, in this study, it will provide and overview, key traits and influences that servant leaders use in collaboration to address significant problems with strategy and other individuals. Therefore, how do managers and leaders facilitate the engagement of their employees? Leaders do this through their leadership style. In 1970, Robert K. Greenleaf identified servant-leadership, which was different from the traditional views of leadership. According to Greenleaf, “The servant-leader is a servant first. Servant