Servant leadership is a paradox. The entire principle of servant leadership was developed from Greenleaf’s idea that the sole reason for the leader’s existence is to serve the followers. But how can leadership be both service and influence? Servant leadership is dependent upon the combination of being a leader and being a servant.
Servant leadership was introduced recently and is in line with the environmental changes of the organization and shows it’s relation to important organizational outcomes. Today we can see organizations even mine taking this theory more seriously. My departments focus is making sure we help our clients succeed. But how do we help our clients succeed? We do this by first starting with helping our employees be successful leaders. If the outcome of making employees succeed then we will see the hard work and dedication shine. And if the work we do is done well, then we can meet our department’s goals and enable are clients to also do well.
As stated by Greenleaf (1970), “The best test . . . is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants” (Northouse, 2016, pg. 226)? Being a part of the Subaccounting team for almost three years now, I have learned from my leader because she is an individual that puts their employee’s needs first which allowed me and my colleagues to grow. My manager is always conceptualizing which is shown in her ability to think through multifaceted problems by determining the cause and effect as well as addressing the problems in accordance with the overall goals of the organization (Northouse, 2016, p. 233). My manager’s leadership style and behaviors go side by side with the great model of servant leadership which shows your basic input-process-output model (PSU WC, 2019, L. 11). My growth has been the outcome of my manager’s attributes and servant leader behaviors who made my work noticeable while empowering the ability to “run with it”.
Being freed from egotistic concerns, such as insecurity and self-advancement, leaders are able to devote their full attention to developing workers and building the organization. (Wong, 2004) However, not all leaders put their employees first. There are some that put their employees last. They are the type of people that do their work first and at the very last minute make time for you. Is this an example of good leadership? Not necessarily, because he may be the leader that made time for their employee’s last, but made time for the clients first. Unfortunately, boards can sometimes become involved in the day-to-day operations—something that should be discouraged—and, thus, fail to provide the visionary concept for an institution (Spears, 2010). In contrast, some followers do not want to work with servant leaders. They equate servant leadership with micromanagement, and report that they do not want their leader to get to know them or try to high, develop, or guide them. (Liden, Wayne, et al., 2008). (Northouse, 2016, p. 233)
If some leaders show being a servant leader and some don’t, what makes them different? Is it the characteristics of that leader that makes them a born versus made? There are ten characteristics identified from Greenleaf’s writing; listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (Spears, 2002). (Northouse, 2016, p. 227-228) These characteristics are key to being a servant leader and comes more naturally for some than others, but everyone can learn to be a servant leader (Spears, 2010). (Northouse, 2016, p. 226) “In the end, being a servant leader is not something you do but rather something you are” (DeGraaf, et al, 2001, p. 27).
References:
Wong, P. (2004). The Paradox of Servant Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.drpaulwong.com/the-paradox-of-servant-leadership/
DeGraaf, D, Tilley, C., & Neal, L. (2001). Servant leadership characteristics in organizational life. Indianapolis, IN: The Robert K. Greenleaf Center.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2019). PSYCH 485 Lesson 11: Servant Leadership. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/canvas/su19/2195min-5376/content/11_lesson/printlesson.html
Spears, L. (2010) The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, Vol. 1. Retrieved from https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/jvl/vol1_iss1/Spears_Final.pdf
Servant Leadership may seem like a paradox at first, because “Our everyday images of leadership do not coincide with leaders being servants. Leaders influence, and servants follow. How can leadership be both service and influence?” (Northouse, 2016, P. 225). But I say that it’s just a relabeling the standard definition of a good leader. It is widely accepted that good leaders care for the well-being of their followers, work together with their teams toward a specific goal, and make sure their team given what they need to succeed. To me this sounds a lot like being attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them, which is what Northouse emphasizes that servant leader do.
A servant leader shows concern for their followers, much like a good leader give their followers what they need to succeed. So when a good leader gives people what they need to succeed, they are showing concern for their followers. they want to make sure that their followers are prepped for what they have to do. A good follower has all the tools ready to complete their tasks, and a good leader will make sure they have those tools
A good leader works as part of the team they lead. And working amongst a group of people is the easiest way to. And by working as part of a team it becomes easy to empathize with them. When you work closely with a group of people, even when you’re the leader, you become part of that group. You begin to feel things the way they do. Sure as a leader you may look at things different, but you’ll often feel things then same. So “In becoming a servant leader, a leader uses 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, trust, and individual growth” (Greenleaf, 1970 as cited in Northouse, 2016, P. 227). So when a leader shifts his monopoly on power, and opens it up to the group, he bonds with the group and feels what they feel. A great leader should both stand out from the group, but also be able to seamlessly be a part of that same group
Both a servant leader and any other good leader are trying to improve the people of their teams. The only difference is that servant leaders try to improve their followers outside of work all the time, as well, while other good leaders put more of a focus on the in work role. But what matters is that both leaders seek to improve the lives of their workers. “At its core, helping followers grow and succeed is about aiding these individuals to become self-actualized, reaching their fullest human potential.” (Northouse, 2016, P. 234). This is because leaders wish to get the most out of their followers, and the best way to do that is to make each follower the best they can be.
A good leader is a servant leader, and a servant leader is a good leader. They both try to improve the lives of their followers, and make their connections stronger. In doing so they end up serving not just themselves and the organization, but also all those who follow them. So, in essence a good leader is a leader that serves. So, in reality being a servant leader isn’t a paradox of leadership, but in actuality it is a requirement to be a good leader.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rebekah,
Servant leadership is a concept that I find very interesting, and one that encompasses several necessary aspects of leadership. Servant leaders place their followers’ interests over their own (Northouse, 2016, p. 226). They also emphasize follower development over their own (p. 226). What strikes me as so interesting how one actually accomplishes this. How does an individual emphasize the needs of others whilst tending to their own as well without neglecting them? I believe this is accomplished by utilizing several leadership approaches at once, as no single one holds all the answers.
Recall the situational approach from earlier in the semester, as it can serve to explain this otherwise confusing situation. This is when leaders match their particular style to the followers’ wants and needs (Northouse, 2016, p. 94). It is essential for leaders to adapt to their specific followers, instead of trying to apply a blanket approach for every situation. You point out this fact in your post, which was an excellent observation. Not everyone desires to be led by a leader who employs servant leadership, creating a situation where another style must be employed to lead effectively (p. 233).
As we have previously mentioned, a hallmark of the servant leadership style is the development of followers. With this, it is important to consider where your specific followers lie on the developmental spectrum. The situational approach describes four different development levels for followers, ranging from low to high competence with various levels of organizational commitment (Northouse, 2016, p. 96). Once this is established, it is up to the leader to adapt and utilize the appropriate style (p. 97). I believe that servant leadership is appropriate for use on followers with lower levels of competence. Once they become established, the need for so called “micro managing” is no longer necessary.
By utilizing multiple approaches to leadership, we become more well-rounded as leaders, enabling us to grow and serve our followers that much better.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.