Compare And Contrast Servant And Servant Leadership

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent” (Douglas MacArthur). Being a leader is something a lot of people strive to be, and leadership is a quality that comes in many different shapes and sizes, but it is a quality that anyone can possess. As there are many different types of leaders, there are also various distinctive models of leadership for leaders to follow. Both the Relational Leadership Model and Servant Leadership are unique, widely used leadership models in today’s society. Their philosophies of leadership juxtapose with

one another.
Primarily, the relational leadership model defines leadership as, “a relational and ethical process of people together attempting to accomplish positive change” (Komives). The relational leadership model values ethics and inclusivity. This model focuses on recognizing the diverse experiences of group members to bring about socially responsible changes. Relational leadership focuses on five principle factors: inclusive, empowering, purposeful, ethical, and process-oriented. Inclusivity is used to bring together the different views and opinions of every participant. Relational leaders desire to combine a diverse collection of viewpoints on a project. Relation leaders also hold high ethical standards and generally stick with accepted ethical principles. Relational leadership is used because it values individuality and diversity, which gives group members the ability to look at a situation from multiple perspectives and helps give a different approach to respecting others.
Subsequently, servant leadership is different from relational leadership.

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types” (Greenleaf). Servant leadership is all about the “servant’s heart”; it is about recognizing and meeting the needs of others. Servant leadership focuses on the desire to serve. Like relational leadership, servant leadership focuses on certain principle factors. These factors are understanding, acceptance, empathy, perception, persuasion, self-healing, and rebuilding community. Groups use servant leadership because, for example, employees that practice servant leadership tend to go above and beyond their formal job descriptions for they have a desire to serve and always strive to do their best making a harmonious working environment for themselves and those around them. If all the employees only did what was expected of them all the time, the company these employees worked for would be uninspiring at best and would never achieve their

goals.
Upon comparison, both servant and relational leadership want to encourage their followers to do their best and to do what is best for other people. Yet there are differences on how they go about achieving these goals. Relational leadership discusses a lot about inclusivity; relational leaders generally want their participants to consider all possible viewpoints before making a decision. For instance, relational leaders, when making a business decision, would have group of people form all different backgrounds that have different experiences working together to make a decision. Servant leaders are not as concerned about getting as diverse on a project; they tend to care more about the individual as opposed to the whole group. For example, when making a business decision a servant leader would consider the needs of his employees over potential profit. Relational leaders are concerned more with the ethical norms of society than long-term ethical principles. Servant leaders, however, consider the long-term effects of ethical decisions rather than what is right, right now.
Overall, both models of leadership are effective tools for teaching a foundation of leadership. While relational leaders tend to focus on the well being of the group, servant leaders focus on the needs of the individual. Both models have something for all inspiring leaders. One model of leadership is not enough to an effective leader. Relational leaders would agree that a leader should look at all viewpoints before making a decision. Both models concur that leadership is made, not born; anyone can be a leader.