Northouse initially describes servant leadership as a paradox – how can a person be a leader and a servant at the same time? I couldn’t pinpoint a particular leader in my life who exemplifies this approach to leadership. Serving in the Marine Corps generally calls for military leaders that don’t necessarily embody the characteristics of a servant leader. After all, the primary objective of Marine Corps leadership is “mission accomplishment” whereas the secondary objective is “troop welfare,” meaning that the entire organization places a greater emphasis on accomplishing the mission than on the welfare of its troops. Servant leaders simply don’t exist in my line of work.
However, I began to think outside of my professional life and then recalled how certain leaders in my church seem to always be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them (Northouse, 2016, p. 225). I would argue that servant leaders can be found in a variety of religions across the entire globe. “Servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interests and emphasize follower development” (Hale & Fields, 2007). Mother Teresa may be a servant leader that has a fair amount of name recognition; therefore, I decided to focus my research on her life. Mother Teresa was widely recognized for her humility, charity, courage, and compassion for the poor and powerless. As a respected leader in the organization for more than 40 years, Mother Theresa led thousands of fellow ministry staff while also giving guidance to innumerable numbers of faithful around the world (Clucas, 1988).
The ten characteristics that are central to the development of servant leadership are 1) listening, 2) empathy 3) healing, 4) awareness, 5) persuasion, 6) conceptualization, 7) foresight, 8) stewardship, 9) commitment to the growth of people, and 10) building community. This conceptualization of the servant leadership approach focuses on a leader using less institutional power and control while shifting authority to those who are being led. Servant leadership values community because it provides a face-to-face opportunity for individuals to experience interdependence, respect, growth, and individual growth (Northouse, 2016, p. 227).
Putting others first is the hallmark of servant leadership – the defining characteristic. This means that servant leaders use actions and words that clearly demonstrate that their concerns are a priority, including placing followers’ interests and success ahead of those of the leader. While serving as a role model to her fellow missionaries, the examples of self-sacrifice demonstrated by Mother Teresa were numerous and well documented. She gave her own sandals to a homeless woman, fasted for several days to raise awareness of the living conditions in Indian slums, etc (Clucas, 1988). Mother Teresa led an organization that had 610 missions in 123 countries which served people with HIV, leprosy, and tuberculosis. She would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and India’s highest civilian honor in 1980 for her humanitarian work. Her servant leadership inspired thousands of people to follow her and dedicate their lives to the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa insisted that her followers live in the same poverty as the people they served.
In conclusion, Mother Teresa was altruistic and had a strong motivation and deep-seated interest in helping others. Instead of accepting credit for the accomplishments of her mission, it seems that her primary objective as a leader was to serve those in need, regardless of her position. She committed herself to putting her followers first, being honest with them, and treating them fairly. Mother Teresa made it a priority to listen to her followers and develop strong long-term relationships with them. This allowed her to effectively understand the abilities, needs, and goals of her followers, which, in turn, allowed her followers to achieve their full potential (Northouse, 2016, p. 239). Mother Teresa was able to effectively function as both a servant and as a leader, a skill which likely resulted from her infectious optimism and ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
REFERENCES
Clucas, J., World Leaders Past and Present. (1988, May). Soulful Tributes Retrieved Online: http://www.soulfultributes.org/spiritual_figures/mother_teresa/biography
Hale, J.R., & Fields, D.L. (2007). Exploring servant leadership across cultures: A study of followers in Ghana and the USA. Leadership, 3, 397-417.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Okas, CA: Sage.