Several aspects of the servant leadership approach resonated for me as a long-time community organizer and nonprofit sector worker. The servant leadership approach focuses on empathizing and nurturing their followers (Northouse, 2013. 219),which aligns with many values of cause-oriented organizations focused on empowering all levels of participation. There is a stress on ethical leadership to promote morale of employees and for the cause to remain dignified. In my experience, many of my former employers and volunteer organizations meet the antecedent conditions that allowed servant leader behaviors to exist.
I used to work in a community organization that provided programs for low-income families. As I was volunteering the culture of care (226) was prevalent. Due to this, many like-minded leaders were drawn to the organization. The leaders attributed their commitment of service to the “higher calling” (226) of addressing the root issues of poverty. Since the community organization not only addressed the immediate needs of the community, and also the larger legislation and policies that affect poor people, the roles required much “moral development, emotional intelligence, self-determinedness” (226.) In turn, follower receptiveness by the staff, to be influenced by these leaders and to set precedents for their followers, came very easily.
Many of the servant leaders thoroughly understood the mission, values, and long-term vision of of the organization. One particular leader who served the organization for more than two decades was particularly good at conceptualizing since she understood the interoffice dynamics and the relationships with partner organizations, as well. This organization was good at focusing on emotional healing and the voice of all team members. Sessions were scheduled frequently to assess organizational tasking, and listen to employee’s suggestion and needs. Volunteers were made to feel like they were the driving force of the organization, and were always put first. Because this organization was a non-profit, much of the day-to-day operations were handled by the volunteers. All staff and volunteers were trained and given numerous opportunities to move into long-term positions. Unfortunately, the low budget of this non-profit creates frequent turnover in staff. As a result there are many opportunities for career development. The program was a service organization and empowered many volunteers to be more active for their community. Not only did the strong ethics of the organization bind many of the staff and volunteers to address the issues faced by this low-income neighborhood, community value was built within the organization and in the surrounding neighborhood.
References:
Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice. S.l.: Sage Publications, 2013. Print.
Penn State World Campus (2014). PSYCH 485: Lesson 11, Servant Leadership
From what you are describing, it also appears that many of the leaders that might be drawn to work in community outreach programs such as yours may instead fall under the transformational leadership theory. According to Northouse (2012) transformational leaders are agents for change and are able to inspire their followers into doing great things. They will also adapt to the needs and motives of their followers. I believe in this case not only are the volunteers followers, but also community members that use the services of your organization.
Like servant leadership, transformational leadership also stresses the importance of the follower and broadens leadership to include followers’ growth. There is also an emphasis on ethical values and morals. Transformational leadership doesn’t have the “fanciful” stigma that is perceived in servant leadership research and is more widely applied.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.