Servant leadership is a complex and multi-faceted theory that can be looked at from many different perspectives. “Servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interests and emphasize follower development” (Northouse, 2016, pg., 226). When thinking about servant leadership, I had to take the time to evaluate how it applies to my situation. I am a registered nurse, however I have taken the time off to work as a “stay-at-home mom”, a stressful but rewarding job without a doubt. As I began thinking about it and trying to apply different principles of servant leadership, it is amazing how well this “job” fits within this theory.
Northouse (2016) discusses the basic idea of servant leadership – “ Servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interests and emphasize follower development” (pg. 226). How often do parents do this? I’d have to say a large majority of parents do this a lot of the time. I can’t even begin to count how many times I have stopped what I was doing to run to the aid of one of my kids. But it’s my job.
There are ten characteristics that associated with servant leadership, but the one that best applies to parenting is the commitment to the growth of people. A parent’s responsibility is to raise children who will grow into adults who are responsible, compassionate and just all-around good people. Each child is unique and it is important for parents to understand “what makes them tick” and build upon those traits. As a parents, my husband and I make sure to foster growth in each of our children and provide them with what they need to grow – academically, athletically, whatever it takes. Our son is a rising senior whose passion is baseball. Of course, his ultimate goal is to play in the majors, but he will settle on playing baseball in college. Applying to colleges will start in just a few months, but we have been prepping for years. We have provided him with resources to improve him both athletically and academically – things from speed and agility and hitting coaches to ACT prep classes and tutors. By doing this, we are helping him develop…..we are committed to providing him with resources that will help him achieve his goals. As Northouse (2016) states, “Servant leaders are committed to helping each person in the organization grow personally and professionally (pg. 228). My daughter dances and she, too is provided with the resources that she needs to be successful at dance as well as at school.
Helping my kids succeed in life and achieve their goals is of utmost importance to me, and as a parent, IT IS MY JOB. I know what their goals are and I strive to help them achieve them. “Helping followers grow and succeed is about aiding these individuals to become self-actualized, reaching their fullest human potential” (Northouse, 2016, pg. 234). I also provide them with the resources they need to make decisions independently, thus empowering them and allowing them to learn how to handle different situations that may arise. This helps them gain the confidence to handle difficult situations on their own and in a way that they see fit (Northouse, 2016, pg. 235).
The most significant thing that my husband and I can do as parents is to instill a sense of ethical behavior in our children. In our household, we are a pretty “open book”. We adhere to very strong ethical standards and are very open and honest with our children, as well as with each other. As Northouse (2016) explains, ethical principles should not be compromised in order to achieve success (pg. 235). That is one of the most important things that we are trying to instill in our son and daughter. Success comes to those who work hard and are honest. All we ask of both of them is that they work their hardest and do their best. By doing those things, goals will be achieved. They just have to go get them.
References
Northouse, Peter G. (2016) Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.