Servant Leadership : Nursing Practice

Servant leadership can be defined as a, “philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world” (What is Servant Leadership). Robert Greenleaf first introduced the idea of servant leadership in 1977 as a way to transform leadership to focus on serving others including employees, customers and the community (Marquis and Huston, 2015). Due to the primary focus of serving others, it comes to no surprise that servant leadership and its supporting characteristics are gaining popularity in the nursing field. Although most sources identify ten characteristics of servant leadership, this paper will focus on listening, empathy and building community (Kumar, 2010).

The Servant was written by James C. Hunter. The focus of this book is servant leadership. Hunter uses a retreat set up at a monastery called John of the Cross to explain the importance of servant leadership and how one can apply it to one’s life. Hunter uses a businessman, principal, college basketball coach, pastor, drill sergeant, and a head nurse to bring different personalities and views on leadership. The group meets together with a monk at the monastery twice a day to discuss different areas that lead to a servant leader. The three most thought-provoking topics for me discussed in The Servant were the definitions, the old paradigm, and the word love.

Over the course of my career, I have tried to model various leadership behaviors based upon successful leaders that I have worked with or for. This has led me to incorporate different styles into my own. Considering my current leadership strengths and how I view successful leaders I will use a servant leadership theory to analyze my own competencies. Servant leaders have 9 different aspects comprised of: emotional healing, creating value for the community, conceptual skills, empowering, helping subordinates grow and succeed, putting subordinates first, behaving ethically, relationships, and servanthood (Boone & Makhani, 2005, pg. 86). The aspects of a servant leader are those that I personally value and identify with. In addition to this, it is my belief that servant leaders, because they are people oriented, are more effective in a variety of environments and situations.

The field of nursing is one of the quintessential servant roles in our society today. We serve by taking care of our patient’s physical and mental (and sometimes spiritual) health. As a nursing student, there are three main characteristics that I have seen modeled in leaders that I think are most important to a servant-leader’s success. In my own practice, I hope to focus on all servant-leader characteristics, but these in particular as I strive for a lengthy and fulfilling career.

Many have developed elements that they believe are the foundation of servant leadership. In summary, included in the fundamentals are healing, creating value for community, empowering, empathy, listening, awareness, behaving ethically, and helping others grow and succeed. Healing refers to leaders trying to help solve problems and relationships. Creating value for community refers to leaders serving as an example and encouraging others to also serve the community. Empowering refers to leaders providing followers with autonomy. Empathy refers to leaders understanding others. Listening is a trait all leaders should possess. In order to understand, one should first listen. Awareness refers to leaders attentive to the things happening around them. Behaving ethically refers to the demonstrating of integrity to gain the trust of followers. Helping others grow and succeed refers to leaders providing support to followers to help them develop and accomplish professional and personal goals.

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).

In the process of interviewing a servant leader, this paper investigates the defining behavior of servant leadership from a practical and philosophical standpoint. There are practical behavioral characteristics that can be uniformly integrated into the business infrastructure that is founded upon Biblical principles yet not used as a pool to proselytize. Through research and group discussion boards, this paper analyzes the institutional applications and the interpersonal relationships

Servant leadership is a theory based on Robert K Greenleaf’s belief that all men have a primary motivation to serve others and through this service they aspire to lead (Parris & Peachey, 2012). Although this leadership model has very little in common with charismatic and situational does however compare to transformational leadership in several areas. The main area of commonality between the two can be found as transformational leaders serve as stewards to change enable the followers to accept the change and move forward with the organization (Tichy & Devanna, 1990, p. 75). In essence, servant leadership becomes the long-term transformational approach to life and work.

This week I found it very interesting and enlightening to learn how servant leadership principles have been around since biblical times and how they remain timeless even today. I learned more about the leadership traits of those from biblical times during my research for this week's discussion post. While the majority of the concepts of servant leadership made perfect sense to me before in regards to how they were present in that era, this week it has become even more evident that mankind were really meant to serve each other. Through completing this weeks assignment, I have taken a look back at the various leaders that I have had the pleasure of working with, they all held servant leadership qualities.

Leadership occurs when an individual is able to affect the behaviour or actions of others without having to make threats or use violence to implement changes (Ellis & Abbott, 2013). Nursing leadership involves all roles and aspects of nursing practice. It revolves around the ability to use critical thinking related to patient care, act upon those decisions and recommend for change whenever necessary. Nursing leadership has an important role in the lives of nurses’, influences the health care systems and the delivery of care (Canadian Nurses Association, 2009). Values and beliefs are what form and guide an individual’s thought processes and actions in everyday life. Being open, honest and sensitive are my values that guide my behaviour in my

In both passages Greenleaf and in Biblical verses it is congruently agreed upon that servant leadership, is a naturally calling that transcends both education and standard conformity. “The only authority deserving one’s allegiance is that which is freely and knowingly granted to the led by the leader in response to, and in proportion to the clearly evident servant nature of the leader” (Greenleaf, 2002). In anticipation of becoming a leader within a healthcare field this writer plans to utilize the teachings of Matthew 20: 20-28 for guidance in becoming one with whom you serve. As mentioned in passage 26 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be

Servant Leadership is a specific leadership style that focuses on the servant, rather than the leader. In this paper, I will discuss how Servant Leadership can be applied to the nursing practice. This will be explored through definitions, history, and major concepts. I will also integrate Servant Leadership’s function into the nursing practice. Lastly, I will examine my own personal growth on the application of leadership in nursing.

“Nursing is often considered the “caring” profession; nurses truly serve their patients as well as their employers in some capacity. One of the best ways to improve the delivery of nursing practice and health care is for a nursing leader or manager to demonstrate the servant leadership model of nursing to his or her staff. Robert K. Greenleaf introduced the servant leadership as “those who achieve results for their organizations by attending to the needs of those they serve” (N.D, 2014). Similarly this writer found an opportunity to serve as a mentor and liaison to a student nurse who has undergone obstacles in obtaining her associate nursing degree. Within the following paragraphs this write will illustrate the impact of her volunteer opportunity and the influence that the experience will have on her future role of a servant leader as well as the relevance to of Greenleaf’s principles during the volunteering opportunity.

Greenleaf (2002 as cited in Spears 2010) observed the qualities of servant leadership for the successful run of the organisation, the servant leader should have the characteristics such as listening, awareness, empathy, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people. Firstly, listening as a quality of a good servant leader means that they should have good communication skills and decision making skills only than they are able to have a successful organisation. If a servant leader doesn’t have good listening skills or he may not listen to his workers than it will adversely impact the organisation. The workers will feel demotivated which will result into bad work behaviour in an organisation. The servant leader recognises the determination of the clusters and illuminates that determination (Spears,2010).

Several reviews have been conducted to provide insight into servant leadership as a theory. Parris and Peachey (2013) state that Russell and Stone reviewed the theoretical framework of servant leadership and listed nine distinct character traits of servant leaders, namely; integrity, honesty, vision, service, trust, modeling, pioneering, appreciation of others and empowerment. Parris and Peachey (2013) appreciate the conceptual framework in the work of Russell and Stone yet they note that it lacks a methodology.