Compare & Contrast
Authentic Leadership & Servant Leadership
Approaches |
Authentic Leadership |
Servant Leadership |
Definition |
The Authentic Leader emphasizes building the leader's legitimacy through honest relationships with followers, which value their input and are built on an ethical foundation.s to lead first. ~Bill George |
The Servant Leaders is servant first...it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. The conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead...the difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant - first to make sure that other's peoples highest priority needs are being served. ~Robert K. Greenleaf |
Leader's Characteristics |
• Authentic leadership is emerging in response to societal demands for genuine, trust-worthy, and good leadership (Northhouse, 2016, p. 222). • Theoretical approach to authentic leadership (drawing on fields of leadership, positive, organizational scholarships and ethics) include 4 characteristics: self-awareness, internalized moral reasoning, balanced processing, relational transparency. • Behaviour is influenced by a leader’s positive psychological capacities, moral reasoning, and critical life events. |
• Conscious effort to serve first. Build strong relationships with others, are empathetic, ethical and lead in ways that serve the greater good (Northouse, 2016, p.253). Attend fully needs of the followers (Northouse, 2016, p.253). • Actively or proactively focused on developing followers into leaders • Ten characteristics of servant leadership: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. (Spears, 2002 as in Northouse, 2016, p.253). |
Leader's Behaviours |
•Leaders are influenced and act upon based on their capacity to make ethical decisions about issues of right or wrong and good or bad ~guided by moral reasoning (Northhouse, 2016, p. 204) • Leaders act on their strong values and convictions (Shamir & Eilam, 2005). The leader’s authentic values, beliefs and behaviours serve to model the development of his or her followers through the use of confidence, hope, optimism, and resilience (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). • Confidence: having self-efficacy • Hope: positive state based on willpower and good planning • Optimism: vieiwng situations with a positive lens and having favourable expectations about future outcomes • Resilience: capacity to recover from and adjust to adverse situations (Northhouse, 2016, p. 204) |
• Coetzer et al., (2017) describe Servant leadership competencies (a combination of technical knowledge, skills, and behaviours): empowerment, stewardship, building relationships, compelling vision • Linden, Wayne, et al., 2008 as in Northhouse, 2016, p. 233 view Servant Leadersrhip as a mutlti-dimensional process with the following behaviours: conceptualizing, emotional healing, putting followers first, helping followers grow and succeed, behaving ethically, empowering followers, creating value for the community |
Outcomes on Followers |
• Positive organizational outcomes • Followers’ attitudes and behaviours are affected through psychological capital (positive psychological states that contribute to higher levels of effectiveness and successful organizations) and trust (Clapp-Smith et al., 2009) • Authentic relations with followers lead to trust and then to positive future outcomes (Clapp-Smith et al., 2009) • Direct connection between authentic leadership and follower’s well-being (physical and psychological) (Kernis & Goldman, 2005) • Impact upon follower’s satisfaction, performance, and commitment |
• Improved individual outcomes such as engagement, organizational citizenship behaviour, innovative behaviour, organizational commitment, trust, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, leader-member exchange (Coetzer, 2017). • Team outcomes result in positive citizenship behaviour, group identification\purpose, service of under privileged climate and culture, and a justice climate (Coetzer, 2017). • Stewardship, persuading, and conceptualizing characteristics have positive impact on organizational commitment, work environment satisfaction, role satisfaction and job involvement of employees therefore leading to higher performance of the organization (Nick et al., 1994) |
Limitations |
• Authentic Leadership is still in the formative stages of development - many questions yet to be addressed • Not clear how Authentic Leadership results in positive organizational outcomes - will goals be met? (Northhouse, 2016, p. 208) |
• Servant Leadership may be less appropriate as a guide for effective leadership in business corporations (Yukl 2010, p.342) - may be perceived as fanciful or whimsical • Servant Leadership implies following, and following is viewed as the opposite of leading (Northhouse, 2016, p. 241) • May not be effective in contexts were followers are not open to being guided, supported, and empowered. |
Strengths |
• Fulfills an expressed need for trust-worthy leadership in society: helps to provide an answer to people who are searching for good and sound leadership in an uncertain world • Authenticity requires leaders to do what is "right' and 'good' for their followers and society (Northhouse, 2016, p. 206) • Authentic values and behaviours can be developed in leaders over time ~ everyone has the ability to develop authenticity |
• Altruism is the main component of the leadership process: put followers first, share control with followers, and embrace their growth • Leaders should share control and influence (Northhouse, 2016, p. 240) |
Leadership Wordle [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://leadershipcouples.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Leadership-Wordle.jpg