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The definition of servant leadership
The definition of servant leadership
Servant leadership chapter 1 the servant as leader summary
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Benchmark – Servant Leadership and Christianity
Servant Leadership is a leadership style that have been around since Jesus introduced it during his teaching. His style have been tried again and it has proved to work. Different organizations have gravitated to this style of leadership and they have become one of the biggest companies in the United States of America. Example of the company that practice Servant leadership is Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines management have practiced servant leadership style that it is now their motto. They believe in serving their consumers through their employees since they are the ones that deal with the consumers on a daily basis. They believe in treating their employees like family then that will empower
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He also added that the driving for is the desire to acquire material possession (Greenleaf, R.K, 2016). However, the Bible passage clearly stated that the Holy Spirit is inspiration behind a person wanting to lead others (ESV, 2016). Furthermore, it is a divine calling with love been the propelling force that drive a person to be a leader. In addition, both Greenleaf and the Bible passage agreed that a servant leader must first of utmost be a servant and they must serve. They believed that a servant leader focus should be the growth and wellbeing of people and their highest priority is to accomplish for others so that people can perform to their maximum …show more content…
A servant is a person that serve others and put the needs of others as his main focus. This was profound and indifferent. Jesus mentioned this as a leadership style that God requires in order to be a leader that rally impact the lives of many. Jesus used himself as an example in verse 28 when he says that the son of man came serve others. Jesus exemplify the role of a servant leader to give them an example to live by (ESV, 2016). Jesus acknowledged the leadership of the Gentile official in verse 25 by saying, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them” (ESV, 2016). This type of leadership was dictatorship for it was not to serve the people instead it exercises power over the people. This was contrary to Jesus’ method of leadership for one must serve others with passion and with love. This method of servant leadership really influence others greatly and it produces more effective servant leaders. Similarly with Greenleaf’s principle of servant leader, for one to be a servant leader, one must “put the needs of others as the highest priority” (Greenleaf, R.K, 2016). In other words, a servant leader must focus firstly on providing and accomplishing the needs of
There has been a bit of research done on the nature of servant leadership. The belief is that many organizations are moving from the traditional style of leadership to a more servant based style. Larry C. Spears (2010) and Kent Keith (2016) note a few characteristics of one who is a servant leader. The characteristics proposed by Spears (2010) are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to others growth, and community building. These traits will often manifest naturally becoming more enriched as time goes by through experience. Keith (2016) references only four elements of servant leadership. He begins with an element of morality, then of the servant focus, concern for others’
Servant leadership, as defined by Kretiner and Kinkicki (2015, p.486), is putting the needs of others, including employees, customers, and community ahead of one’s own needs. This management style requires selflessness and humility from management so the organization can focus on serving key stakeholders. There are ten characteristics of a servant-leader as identified in the text
The importance of servant leadership should not be underestimated and it can be simplified and embodied in one timeless phrase: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When applied to leadership the result can be phenomenal. Those who wish to serve do so with their hearts, it is not forced nor is it with resentment. The servant leader serves out of acceptance and ownership of their ability and duty.
Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that augments the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and creates a more just and caring world, they put the team first, and themselves second (MindTools, 2015). Servant leaders are able to demonstrate their traits through interaction with followers and other leaders within the organization. The characteristics of servant leaders include their commitment to the growth of people, stewardship, and building community, and provide leaders with the opportunity to experience change and to invite followers to change (Savage-Austin & Honeycutt 2011). Servant leadership encourages leaders and followers to ‘raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality’, and set their leadership focus: follower’s first, organizations second, their own needs last (Sendjaya, Sarros, & Santora, 2008). The servant leader focuses on the needs of others to include team members.
Servant leadership can be thought of as an inverted triangle where the leader is supporting the organization at the point. As a result of this leadership style, leaders are more in tune with their teams. They have more insight on their team and the inner workings of their organizations.
Servant leadership is an approach that goes against most leadership styles because it has the lead being the servant to their followers. This style of leadership wants the leader to be focused on the needs of their followers, empower their followers, and help realize their full capabilities.
The authors then go deeper than just leading; they speak of being a leader and growing other leaders. One of the greatest challenges leaders today face is training and developing new leaders. Jesus wanted those around him to succeed. He had vision, values, and purpose, he stated them clearly, and did all he could to see they were carried out. In the book Lead Like Jesus we read how Jesus empowered and gave ownership to those around him, concerned more with their success than his own. It highlights that Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time, that He mandated Hi...
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy, which addresses the concerns of ethics, customer experience, and employee engagement while creating a unique organizational culture, where both leaders and followers unite to reach organizational goals without positional or authoritative power Baghurst,T., Carter,D. (2014). Servant leadership is the number one reason for “moral and ethical” culture that must be implemented in a productive marketplace. Servant leaders must have a humble and non over-bearing persona. Employees are trained to become leaders by servant leaders. Employees must develop a productive relationship with managers.
Servant leadership was a term that was first used by Keifner Greenleaf(1970) in his first essay, The Servant as Leader (as cited by Crippen, C., 2005). Greenleaf based his essay on his belief that a servant leader is a servant first, and explained that it would begin with the natural urge to serve and then the leader would make a conscious choice to become a leader, in doing so he makes the choice to ensure that others needs are met first (2005 ). As a servant leader develops he should always keep aware of those who he serves and strive to ensure that they are becoming healthier, wiser, freer, have an increase in autonomous, and are become more like servants themselves (2005). Leaders and organizations can use the principles of servant leadership to frame decisions, and service that include focus on the community, care of others and quality services (Waterman, R., 2011). Watermen states that working to higher purpose increases standards, integrity and should lead the followers through supports, shared visions and bring followers together in toward a common purpose to provide service to others.
Chung, Y. (2011). Why servant leadership? Its uniqueness and principles in the life of Jesus. Journal Of Asia Adventist Seminary, 14(2), 159-170.
Wilkes, C. G. Jesus on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom on Servant Leadership. Carol Stream, Illnois: Tyndale House, 1998.
Robert Clinton states “The central task of leadership is influencing God’s people toward God’s purposes” (Clinton, 1988). George Barna defines a Christain Leader as “someone who is called by God to lead; leads with and through Christlike character; and demonstrates the functional competencies that permit effective leadership to take place” (Barna, 1997). It is a shame we as Christians fail to recognize that Christ would have us be leaders in more than the church.
God is the focal point for spiritual gifts, talents, and training for leadership. The disciples were trained by Jesus. He did not take disciples into a classroom but He taught by examples.9 Many times the disciples were put in situations by Jesus to help them learn on-the-job. Even in missions, leaders cannot be prepared for every circumstance that may arise; however; with his talents, spiritual gifts, and the Holy Spirit, one can have the resources necessary to be successful. With one’s failures, spiritual gifts, and talents, the Holy Spirit will use these things to train leaders as they continue to aspire in
The heart of Jesus is that of a servant; and the foundation of the Bible is the Servant of everyone which is Jesus. Jesus is the veracious exemplification of a leader because He is a Servant first. Jesus said, "...whoever wants to be great must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the willing slave of all--like the Son of Man; He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give up his life as a ransom for many.” If one were to define the word servant, the simplest interpretation would be a slave. As such, servanthood can be distinguished as voluntary servitude. To put it another way, servanthood is the condition or state of volunteering to serve others at any cost, rather than being preoccupied with self. Jesus’ purpose
A servant leader is someone who puts others before themselves. They want not only the better for others but for their community as well. My best friend, Elijah, would have to be the person closest to me who embodies a servant leader. Elijah obtains characteristics that many individuals do not have. He has always put other before himself no matter the situation. He is also very determined and can motivate everyone around him to give there 110 percent at all times.