When thinking about a leader, one would typically think of a strong individual that acts as an authority figure. He or she would make important decisions, administer discipline when necessary, and basically be somewhat superior to a group of people all together. In many situations, this may work and be a relatively staple dynamic to a position, like maybe a CEO or some type of executive. Although this works for some positions, there are other types of leadership that may be more fitting for different conditions. When thinking about our President, we think of a strong leader as well, however; it is greatly important to remember that a president should stand for the people and not dictate to them. The purpose of a presidential position is to be more inclusive and representative of the people, otherwise you have found yourself in a dictatorship.
Servant leadership is a type of leadership that is contradictory to all of the things we know about what defines a leader. This is defined by the idea that before one actually becomes a leader, they have a desire to first serve or be a servant (Northouse, 2022). The servant leader is one that typically seeks to center around the well-being of the followers and therefore “serving the followers” by putting their interests first and focusing on the development of the followers towards a common goal (Northouse, 2022). When one thinks of a leader, they do not typically think of a leader being a caretaker or prioritizing the followers in such a way that a servant leader would. These types of leaders have experience being a follower and have a sense of understanding that they incorporate into their leadership skills. They often seek ways to better reach the goal by tuning into the followers and working to build a strong relationship with them that will foster productivity and success for the group as a whole.
I believe that a President should display servant leadership in order to be most effective at accomplishing their goals. Presidents are supposed to represent the people, and utilizing servant leadership would provide the perfect opportunity to foster a more connected relationship with the people of the country. Standing together on matters and listening to the followers, making them feel heard and understood is important. A President would be more likely to be voted in again if they helped bring the people together rather than divide them, as well as make them feel like they are being represented and served by the leader of their country. Servant leadership is viewed as more of the implementation of behaviors that center around the interests of the followers, and a presidency role would perfectly benefit from utilizing such tactics.
Resources
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE.