Servant Leadership
"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” Robert K. Greenleaf
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Robert K. Greenleaf
The phrase “servant leadership” was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first...The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. " static1.squarespace.com/static/51473514e4b0090a1cad74f9/t/5194e399e4b0b0879dc2e8ef/1368712089353/Greenleaf+essay+part+one.pdf |
Larry Spears identified ten characteristic of servant leaders in the writings of Greenleaf. The ten characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.
Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership
Awareness: Servant leaders can step aside and view themselves and their own perspectives in the greater context of the situation.
Conceptualization: Servant leaders have a clear understanding of the 'big picture' allowing them to respond to problems in creative ways.
Stewardship: Servant leaders take responsibility for their role as leader and for the greater good of society.
Healing: Servant leaders care about the personal well-bing of their followers and help to heal the past and make it whole again.
Listening: Servant leaders communicate by listening first. The communication between leaders and followers is an interactive process.
Commitment to Growth of Others: Servant leaders are committed to helping each person in the organization to grow personally and professionally through professional development, skills upgrading, and involving them in decision making.
Empathy: Servant leaders attempt to see the world from other people's point of view. They make the follower follower feel unique.
Building Community: Servant leaders foster the development of community within the organization in order for followers to feel safe, connected to others, and free to express their own individuality.
Persuasion: Servant leaders convince others to change through the use of gentle nonjudgmental arguments and persuasion.
Foresight: Servant leaders have the ability to know the future by predicting what is to come. This is based on what is occurring in the present and what has happened in the past.
The Servant As Leader by: Robert K. Greenleaf
www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/ocs/content/pdf/The%20Servant%20as%20Leader.pdf
12 Principles of Servant Leadership by: Larry Spears
library.nsuok.edu/admin/minutes/servantleadership.pdf
Building on Greenleaf's work, these writers have offered a variety of formulations of servant leadership.
Larry Spears identified ten characteristic of servant leaders in the writings of Greenleaf. The ten characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community. Leadership experts such as Bolman, Deal, Covey, Fullan, Sergiovanni, and Heifitz also reference these characteristics as essential components of effective leadership.
James Sipe and Don Frick, in their book The Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership, state that servant-leaders are individuals of character, put people first, are skilled communicators, are compassionate collaborators, use foresight, are systems thinkers, and exercise moral authority.
Joe Iarocci, author of Servant Leadership in the Workplace, identifies 3 key priorities (developing people, building a trusting team, achieving results), 3 key principles (serve first, persuasion, empowerment) and 3 key practices (listening, delegating, connecting followers to mission) that distinguish servant leadership in the workplace context.[5]
Kent Keith, author of The Case for Servant Leadership, states that servant leadership is ethical, practical, and meaningful. He identifies seven key practices of servant leaders: self-awareness, listening, changing the pyramid, developing your colleagues, coaching not controlling, unleashing the energy and intelligence of others, and foresight.
Larry Spears Servant Leadership [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://www.malaysia-today.net/wp-content/uploads/2012 /11/img717.imageshack.us_img717_6286_serveleadmodel2.jpg
Servant Leadership [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMBJ9kvl2g&feature=player_embedded
Themes of Servant Leadership [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://vladimerbotsvadze.files.wordpress.com/2015 /01/ce78bc472b438f85359228b7fa6fbdc9.jpg?w=756&h=1145
Servant Leadership [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMBJ9kvl2g&feature=player_embedded
Themes of Servant Leadership [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://vladimerbotsvadze.files.wordpress.com/2015 /01/ce78bc472b438f85359228b7fa6fbdc9.jpg?w=756&h=1145