In societies that function based on their members productivity, how do we end mass incarceration, mass probation, and justice system failures? The answer might be present in the roots and foundation of servant leadership. Servant leadership is one that focuses on the followers’ needs, interests, and well-being, while encouraging followers to reach their full potential (Northouse, 2021). One alternative to the United States’ current justice system is restorative justice, where the offender, the victim, and members of society heal as a collective group, and they work to ensure that the offender is able to reintegrate into society (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). The principles of restorative justice are similar to those of servant leadership, and according to Northouse (2021), servant leaders have the capability to create other servant leaders out of their followers. This analysis explores the idea of restorative justice producing servant leaders out of offenders, victims, and communities, based on the similarities between servant leadership principles and the restorative justice process. Restorative justice can be understand through the principles found in the servant leadership model, which includes antecedent conditions, servant leader behaviors, and outcomes (Liden, Wayne, et al., 2008; Liden, Panaccio, et al., 2014, as cited in Northouse, 2021).
The antecedent conditions presented in the servant leadership model can provide a basic understanding of how restorative justice imposes servant leadership principles. Restorative justice is an alternative to incarceration, therefore the conditions in which it operates makes the context an important factor to consider. For instance, restorative justice strives to provide healing effects for all parties involved in particular criminal situations, therefore setting a more caring tone than incarceration (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). The servant leadership model highlights the importance of what servant leadership looks like in different contexts (Northouse, 2021). In the instance of restorative justice, it is a more caring environment than incarceration, therefore servant leadership is more apparent and recognizable than in less caring environments. Similar to this idea, the characteristics of a leader impacts the process at which servant leadership functions (Northouse, 2021). Restorative justice illustrates a more holistic approach to rehabilitation, therefore making the attributes of the system itself more focused on the needs of the victims, communities, and offenders (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). This is similar to the focus on followers within the servant leadership model (Northouse, 2021).
The servant leader behaviors presented in the servant leadership model can provide additional instances of how restorative justice imposes servant leadership principles. Restorative justice conceptualizes rehabilitation, an important behavior of servant leadership (Northouse, 2021). Restorative justice accomplishes conceptualization of rehabilitation, because it devalues the current justice system that places offenders into incarceration, which decreases any chance of integrating them back into society and the respectful community. Instead, restorative justice works with offenders to reintegrate them back into society, displaying a creative and balanced solution that addresses criminal acts and accountability (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). Due to the accountability that restorative justice places on offenders, emotional healing presents itself as an embedded principle of the restorative justice process. For instance, restorative justice requires an offender to take responsibility for their actions in front of the community and the victim(s), therefore establishing concern for others, an important component of emotional healing (Northouse, 2021). Another important characteristic of servant leadership is placing others first (Northouse, 2021), which is present in restorative justice, as victims are the main priority during this process (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). Similarly, helping followers grow and succeed is an important behavior within servant leadership, where individuals are pushed to their fullest capacity (Northouse, 2021). Restorative justice provides this for offenders, victims, and community members, because it encourages all three of these groups to move past the criminal act in order to grow and succeed (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). Ethics, another component of servant leadership behavior, calls for honesty and rightful actions (Northouse, 2021). Restorative justice is ethical, because it still emphasizes the severity and implications of the offender’s actions, suggesting that there are clear actions and behaviors that are deemed wrong and inappropriate (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). According to Northouse (2021), empowering others is an additional key factor of servant leadership behavior. Restorative justice empowers communities, offenders, and victims by encouraging effective communication, ultimately aiming for healing among all parties. This places power into the hands of those that are directly impacted by crime, where a mutually agreed upon understanding can be reached without the input of outside sources (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). Finally, creating value for the community is another key characteristic of servant leadership (Northouse, 2021). Restorative justice aims to achieve community value by reintegrating offenders back into society in order to positively benefit the community as a whole (Siegel & Worrall, 2018).
Restorative justice produces effects that can be related to servant leadership outcomes. For instance, follower performance and growth (Northouse, 2021) is achieved through restorative justice by giving the victim, community, and offender a chance to grow from the experiences that they have been exposed to (Siegel & Worrall, 2018). Arguably, this process can also lead to organizational performance, as Northouse (2021) identified that such performance increases with servant leadership applications. Restorative justice is an alternative to an arguably failing justice system (Siegel & Worrall, 2018), therefore, it has the potential to provide increased organizational performance among combatting crime. Finally, while restorative justice is not the primary justice technique used today (Siegel & Worrall, 2018), it is a promising approach that could create societal change. Societal change, as outlined by Northouse (2021), encompasses a positive shift in a society as a whole. Restorative justice is a potential alternative to mass incarceration, mass probation, and justice system failures.
In relation to the servant leadership model, restorative justice encompasses antecedent conditions, servant leader behaviors, and effective outcomes. Notably, Northouse (2021) illustrated that servant leaders are likely to produce additional servant leaders out of their followers. Due to the servant leadership approach used in restorative justice, it is interesting to consider that this process can potentially produce other servant leaders out of criminal offenders, community members, and victims.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 9th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
Siegel, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2018). Essentials of Criminal Justice (11th Edition). Cengage Learning US. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781337670821
It is quite interesting that you matched the one leadership theory which is paradoxical – running counter to common sense, with a crime and justice approach that is paradoxical in our standard criminal justice system. The interrelatedness between restorative justice and servant leadership is a thought-provoking concept and one I enjoyed reading about. The Restorative Justice Network (2022) notes that there are three core elements to restorative justice, the interconnected concepts of encounter, repair and transform – encounter leads to repair, and repair leads to transform. Similarly, the servant leadership model presented in Northouse (2022) has three main components, antecedent conditions, servant leader behaviors, and outcomes.
Antecedent conditions include context and culture, leader attributes and follower receptivity (Northouse, 2022). With respect to restorative justice, a crime has been committed (context) and retribution and healing are needed (culture). Leader attributes, those guiding the restorative justice process and facilitating movement from beginning to end, are instrumental in the success of the process. Given the emotional volatility and complex nature of the criminal-victim interactions, emotional intelligence would be a critical attribute for leaders working in restorative justice programs. Northouse (2022) notes that “Emotional intelligence, or the leader’s ability to monitor the feelings, beliefs, and internal states of the self and followers, has been identified as an important attribute for a leader implementing a servant leader ideology,” (p. 260). Equally important, to both servant leadership and restorative justice, is follower receptivity. According to the Restorative Justice Network (2022), for an offender to participate in restorative justice they must take responsibility for their actions and possess a true desire to make amends. Everyone, offender, victim and community, have a voice in the process, suggesting a high level of follower receptivity. Offenders operate out of self-interest, and Northouse (2022) notes recent evidence which suggests “servant leadership benefits followers who have higher levels of self-interest,” (p. 261).
It is easy to align servant leader behaviors with the behaviors needing growth and development within criminal offenders. Servant leaders lead by example, thus creating a supportive and encouraging environment for criminal offenders, victims, and community members (stakeholders). The servant leader behaviors identified by Northouse (2022) include conceptualizing [understanding the goal of restorative justice], emotional healing [sensitivity, nurturing, problem identification and resolution], putting followers first [using the restorative justice program to highlight the importance of stakeholder well-being needs], helping followers grow and succeed [leading stakeholders through the restorative justice process and graduating a contributing, whole member to society], behaving ethically [showing offenders right from wrong and amending those wrongs-forgiveness], empowering [allowing stakeholders the freedom to participate and continue with the restorative justice program], and creating value for the community [reducing incarceration, increasing community involvement and benefit, and healing for all stakeholders].
Northouse (2022) refers to outcomes as follower performance and growth, organizational performance, and society impact. Again, it becomes easy to see the relationship between restorative justice and servant leadership. Both concepts have a focus on leaders and followers giving back or positively and actively contributing to their community and the larger society. Feeling a sense of belonging would potentially create a personal level of accountability for a rehabilitated offender, further promoting a life free of crime. The importance of community in the restorative justice process cannot be understated and Northouse (2022) explicates that pertaining to servant leadership, “Servant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe and connected with others, but are still allowed to express their own individuality,” (p. 256). It provides them with sense that they are an important part of something bigger than themselves (Northouse, 2022).
For an individual participating in a restorative justice program in a leadership role, being aware of their own biases and being able to put those aside in order to focus on the goal of the program is something one can directly look to servant leadership for as a guide. This was a very interesting blog post, and it begs for one to explore the application of the ten characteristics of servant leaders to the individuals facilitating restorative justice programs. Northouse (2022) identifies the ten characteristics of a servant leaders as listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Specifically, how does each of these characteristics benefit or contribute to the healing and growth of the offender, the victims, and the community? Which of the characteristics is it most critical for the leader to possess and demonstrate – and does this differ from offender to victim to society members? However, this would be a whole other paper or post, in and of itself.
Makayla,
Your blog post was very interesting to read and I think your brought up some great points! I liked how you used servant leadership to also explain restorative justice. Great comparison! The term servant leadership is an oxymoron and restorative justice also seems like one as well. So often we associate justice with locking someone up and putting them away from good. It is less common to consider teaching, developing and restoring those incarcerated. I do think it is important to consider the victim’s needs, just as a leader would consider the follower’s needs (PSU, WC, 2022, L. 11). One thing I was curious about is, who is your leader in this case? You could propose that the leader is actually the offender and that they are there to serve the victims needs. You could also consider the leader being the justice system, being there to serve the victims, offenders and community’s needs. I think this example is what you were getting at, but I wanted to clarify who you “leader” was in this case.
If you consider the justice system to be the leader, then it requires them to have the characteristics of a servant leader. The justice system would need to reflect empathy, healing, awareness, and commitment to the growth of people, (Northouse, 2022, p. 221). Spears (2002) proposed that commitment is seen through career development, developing new work skills, and taking personal interest in their ideas and decision making. I think this is actually a very positive way to implement restorative justice.
One weakness of servant leadership is the moralistic tones, (PSU, WC, 2022, L.11). I foresee this also being a weakness of implementing servant leadership into restorative justice. I think this could be a problem because the law often needs clear cut decisions that are fair for everyone. If people start to have different sentences and some get more opportunities to grow than others, this may create issues with the system.
Overall, I really liked this idea and thought it was a great way to expand on servant leadership theory!
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Lesson 11: Servant Leadership Theory. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2177519/modules