Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was quoted saying, “Everyone can be great because anyone can serve” (n.d.). Here, Dr. King emphasizes the importance and riveting effect of serving. Servant leadership, in my opinion, is the most effective way to lead because leadership goes beyond giving commands, more than supervising it is serving.
Servant leadership has been the interest of leadership scholars for over 40 years. A story about the sustenance and leadership provided by selfless care contributed to Robert K. Greenleaf’s conceptualizing of servant leadership. According to Greenleaf, “servant leadership values community because it provides a face-to-face opportunity for individuals to experience interdependence, respect, trust, and individual growth” (Northouse, 2016, p.227). Trust is a crucial aspect in the leadership dynamic because it “encourages followers to grow as servant leaders themselves all the while maximizing their potential which in turn benefits the organization” (Williams, 2018).
Servant leaders are clear and constructive in their criticism, in fact servant leaders are not afraid to be speak candidly to subordinates or followers. This is important to note because servant leadership is sometimes perceived as “fanciful or whimsical” (Northouse, 2016, p.240). People respect leaders for being trustworthy and forthcoming, making it unnecessary to be forceful. Many believe that leaders are only respected through being dictatorial or authoritarian, but honesty earns respect just as much if not more. Servant leadership is a unique style of leadership that embraces the importance of putting followers first. Servant leaders not only work to perfect their own craft and achieve success themselves but, the also work to maximize the potential of their subordinates, followers alike.
A leader’s success can be measured by the success of their subordinates. I think that an effective leader does not merely lead people to follow them for the rest of their lives, but they lead them to become leaders themselves. Serving as a leader in different capacities; as a Sergeant of Marines, construction crew leader for Habitat for Humanity, and Head Coach for Girls on the Run I’ve found servant leadership to be the most effective and most success reaping approach to leadership. I have employed different leadership styles and grown from them accordingly, but servant leadership to me is all encompassing of what leadership should be. Most rewarding for me was seeing individuals under my charge accomplish goals they never thought they would be able to. Building up the followers/subordinates is the foundation of servant leadership, a firm foundation to grow on.
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Williams, J. (2018). Leadership in Work Settings: Lesson 11 [Lesson Commentary]. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1923777/modules/items/23736287