Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership Characteristics and Raising Children
Northouse (2013) describes servant leadership as “a paradox – an approach to leadership that runs counter to common sense” (p 219). When thinking about servant leadership the first and most glaring thing that comes to mind is raising children. We have two small children at home and almost everything that Northouse (2013) discusses relates directly to parenting. He states that servant leadership concentrates on behavior and that the leader “be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them” (p. 219). If that isn’t parenting 101 I don’t know what is.
Northouse (2013) talks about Greenleaf’s ten characteristics of servant leadership and I can honestly say that you need every single one of them to be a good parent. As with the other theories of leadership you are most likely employing these behaviors without even knowing it. Those characteristics of servant leadership are; listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community (pp. 221-223).
By talking and listening to our children we help them become better communicators. We have taught our oldest that it is important to listen to what we have to say and that it is in her best interest to do so. You also have to have lots and lots of empathy being a parent. Getting into the minds of children is not easy. You have to try to understand where they are coming from because the world of a three year old and a one year old is a lot different than that of an adult. Healing cannot be overemphasized in regards to parenting. As a parent there is nothing worse than a child who is hurt. The parent wants nothing more than to fix them problem as soon as humanely possible. For toddlers this usually involves a band aid, ice pack or just kissing the boo boo. Persuasion, in my opinion comes in a close second to healing. A parent needs to persuade kids every day to help them help themselves. As Northouse (2013) points out persuasion is better than coercion as “persuasion creates change through gentle nonjudgmental argument” (p. 222).
The first 5 characteristics discussed above, in my opinion, relate to the immediate needs of child rearing. The last 5 of Greenleaf’s characteristics that Northouse (2013) discusses relate to the overall process and goal of raising children. Both conceptualization and foresight relate the parents’ ability and need to look to the future and plan for the long term goals of the children. This includes where they go to school, extracurricular activities and other skills needed to be successful in life. Stewardship and commitment to the growth of people are also related with parenting and have to do with the leaders’ responsibility for raising the children and treating each child uniquely and showing that they provide value to the family (p. 222). Lastly building community is about the family overall. Northouse (2013) points out that this “community is a collection of individuals who have shared interests and pursuits and feel a sense of unity and relatedness” (p. 223). That is literally what two people set out to do when they have kids and start a family.
As parents we hope to raise children that are successful and productive members of society. Northouse (2013) explains that one of the main points of Greenleaf’s work was stating that “the central goal of servant leadership is to create healthy organizations that nurture individual growth, strengthen organizational performance, and, in the end, produce a positive impact on society” (p. 230). With a strong family life utilizing the 10 characteristics of servant leadership parents can achieve just that.
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.