Servant Leadership Behaviors and Education

It is undeniable that a student’s performance could increase or decrease depending on the resources and support available. One of the most important resources would be the professor or teacher. Having a teacher who values feedback, encourages growth, and fostering an inclusive environment allows students to succeed in their classroom. This blog will be focusing on the Servant Leadership Behaviors and how they could shape high performing groups of students. More specifically, I will focus on the three behaviors I believe are the most important in this context. These three behaviors are putting followers first, helping followers grow and succeed, and behaving ethically.  

The first behavior, putting followers first, relates to a teacher understanding the needs of their students and striving to go out of their way to support these needs. According to Northouse (2021) this may mean, “leaders break from their own tasks to assist followers with theirs” (p. 285). Although teachers have many responsibilities, putting in the time and effort to show their support to students results in student engagement. For example, if a student expresses concerns about their grade and would like to discuss ways to improve it, a teacher who takes time out of their day to find a solution shows this behavior. From my experience as a student, I have found myself to be stressed with obligations both in and outside of my education. Teachers that have made accommodations for me and showed that they are there to help have aided me in performing much higher than I would without support.  

The second behavior is helping followers grow and succeed. A teacher who creates an environment where students feel that they are advancing as a student makes them feel empowered. As discussed by Northouse (2021), at its core, helping followers grow and succeed is about aiding these individuals to become self-actualized, reaching their fullest human potential” (p. 285). In this context, a teacher shows this Servant Leadership Behavior to help students develop knowledge and succeed in their educational and future career. A professor who brings information to the class that will prepare students for their future gives them opportunities for growth. For example, my professor encouraged my class to attend a meeting about the master’s program for my degree where we could receive extra credit for attendance. I found this to be very valuable because they showed that they wanted us to take advantage of this opportunity to continue our education. Furthermore, this information and meeting pushed me to apply to the master’s program. This is a direct example that this behavior resulted in the growth of my educational development.  

The last behavior, behaving ethically, is extremely important for a teacher to show fairness and honesty. Northouse (2021) believes that “it is holding to strong ethical standards, including being open, honest, and fair with followers” (p. 285). Giving open feedback is important in helping a student perform well and understand the content. A student who does not receive feedback could be left confused on how to improve. Furthermore, fairness for all students gives everyone an opportunity to receive the grade that they deserve. An example from my experience is when a teacher extends the deadline of an assignment for missed class time. Rather than making the students learn the content on their own, a teacher who shows servant leadership is understanding and believes that it is right to give time to teach the material in a lecture. This behavior demonstrates that a teacher wants their students to succeed from an ethical standpoint.  

In conclusion, a teacher who supports student needs, encourages growth, and reflects ethics, is one who receives better performance from students. A teacher who embodies the behaviors from Servant Leadership is successful in developing a class academically and in their personal goals. Understanding a prioritizing student needs leaves room for constructive feedback and prioritizes their learning. Providing students with resources in and outside of class encourages growth and student initiatives to better themselves. Fostering ethics as a teacher eliminates bias that gives fairness to students and allows them to perform well in the classroom. Furthermore, I believe that a teacher who demonstrates these behaviors would be successful in developing student knowledge and advancement for their futures.  

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