Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Servant leadership informative essay
Servant leadership informative essay
Servant leadership key words
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Servant leadership informative essay
When two people come together and form a relationship the question of who should wear the pants in the relationship may come to light. Should the man be the head of the relationship? But why cant the woman be the leader? My perspective on a relationship is two people going through this crazy journey we call life side by side. The servant-leadership theory supports my perspective that a leader can effectively lead by serving first his followers.
The servant-leadership theory does not place the leader above the followers. It rather puts the attention of the leader on emphasizing the concerns of the followers, empathizing with them and nurturing them (Northouse, 2013). This theory focuses on the followers first. The leader must empower those he/she is serving so that the person can reach their full potential. The leader focuses on the greater good of the group. Northouse (2013) explains that Greenleaf identified 10 characteristics that are central to the development of servant-leadership. The ten characteristic include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Following these characteristics we can begin to explain the servant leadership role in a relationship.
In order for a relationship to be successful each member will need to take on the role of servant-leader. The important aspect is that the two individuals are looking out for each other. They both are nurturing the relationship and doing what will be best for the greater good of the relationship. Listening is very important in order for this to occur. There is a difference between hearing and actively listening. When one actively listens, they can pick out the...
... middle of paper ...
...thers life together. Each person now has a new family, a new group of friends, and will even create a family of their own. As a servant-leader one should encourage their partner to continue their old friendships and make new friends together in the process. This will help the relationship feel safe and connected with others.
Meeting someone who you’d like to share every moment with is a wonderful experience. Being a leader does not mean taking charge of the other person or being bossy in order to get your way. Successful relationships are those where both individuals serve each other and know when it is appropriate to lead. Servant-leadership shows that leading side by side in order to grow together and nurture the relationship can be an effective way to lead.
Reference
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Servant leadership is a designation coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 in an essay entitled The Servant as Leader. In this essay, he describes the servant leader and a servant first contrary to one who is a leader first. The difference is the servant chooses to put others needs before his own while the leader first may later become a servant from the promptings of a sense of right and wrong or simply because they are coerced in that direction (Greenleaf, 1991).
Leaders are meant to bring up loyal followers who can assume the lead if they are called to do so. A major driving force for leadership is a mutually agreed upon goal. This allows a smoother relationship between all parties involved because they are all working towards the same outcome. Leadership is not a position; it is a way one conducts himself. With that being said, there are times when a leader needs to function as a follower. A leader must be able to adjust accordingly to different situations, and be whatever is called for in the moment. Leaders and Followers feed off of each
They acknowledge people’s perspectives, and give them the support needed to meet their goals. Servant leaders involve members when decisions are appropriate helping build a stronger commitment within the team. Strong qualities of servant leadership are trust, appreciation for others, and empowerment. Honesty and integrity form the moral foundation of effective leadership through the four values of truth telling, promise
The servant leadership model is about serving the people and the organization first, rather than yourself. This leadership method allows people in the organization to come together as a group and work to make a difference together. The relational leadership model is “attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good” (Daft). This leadership style is group oriented and allows people in the group to be individuals and for the leader to understand those individual traits, but then to use them to develop one cohesive group that is able to accomplish many goals. These two theories put together helped form my own personal leadership style and has allowed me to expand on my own definition of
Primary service is the key. Many view this as a contradiction because the leader is leading and serving. How can a person do both? Good servant leaders are good listeners. The communication between the leader and the follower being served allows the leader to listen to the follower first, in order to understand what the other person has to say and to understand their needs. These leaders practice empathy as well. Understanding what the follower is facing or feeling is comforting to the follower because it validates their importance to another person. The ability to heal a person through care and the concern for a person’s well being is another quality of a servant leader. These are only a few of the characteristics that generate a strong servant leader. Mother Teresa said, “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.” Her words describe exactly what servant leaders do. Servant leaders serve others willingly because they find joy and pleasure in doing so. The outcome of serving others in this manner is growth and social impacts for a greater good. When there is an improvement in self-actualization, followers improve in their goal reaching or task completion by understanding their full potential to do
The interactive process between leaders and followers involves utilizing listening and communication skills (Northouse,2013). Leaders in servant leadership listen first and use empathy to better understand their followers. Empathy is the ability to better understand an individual by placing yourself in their shoes. Having this ability allows the follower to feel validated and worthy (Northouse, 2013). by finding solutions to personal problems a follower may have, is offering support. Awareness, or emotional intelligence, is another trait a servant leader possesses. Leaders must be aware of how their actions affect their followers. This can be how they dress or their correspondence in an email Northouse, 2013).
Servant leadership is becoming a more “sought-after” concept in today’s society, but what exactly is servant leadership? Does it mean different things to different people? Although the three books, The Servant as Leader, The Servant, and Lead Like Jesus, all center around servant leadership, each author takes a different perspective on the meaning of being a servant leader. Robert Greenleaf addresses leadership from a straight-forward stance; saying that a good leader must be a servant-first by finding the will within themselves to put the needs of their group before their own. James Hunter discusses servant leadership through a story involving everyday people that the reader can relate to. He uses Jesus as a guide to explain how to initiate character development that will, in turn, fashion servant leadership. Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges offer a new perspective on servant leadership by bringing Jesus into the picture on an even deeper level than Hunter. They explain that by knowing Jesus Christ and developing an intimate personal
In my own experience leadership is not just about one person telling others what to do; it’s about more than just giving orders. It is about getting a group of people to work together towards a common goal with more than just the goal in mind. It is also not just about setting goals for the group but also setting personal goals for the individual, guiding and supporting them all
3). Through the service of others, servants as leaders create positive changes in the lives of others that lead those served to act more autonomously (Block, Blanchard, Wheatley & Autry, 2006). The goal of a service leader is to help others achieve their highest level of functioning. Those served are then motivated to become service leaders as well (Block, Blanchard, Wheatley & Autry, 2006). Thus, servant leadership focuses on commitment to helping the individual served grow in their abilities. In turn this gives the served individual confidence in their work and personal abilities which then transforms into a desire to help others do the
In order for a leader to be a leader he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able of affirmative influence “on others”.
Leaders and organizations can use the principles of servant leadership to frame decisions, and services that include a 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 support, shared visions and bring followers together in toward a common purpose to provide service to others. Contingency theory asserts that a leader will be effective based on the level of control that the leader has over situations as well as on obtaining a level of power.... ... middle of paper ...
The author called out for servant leadership for long-term success for all stakeholders. Similar to other professions leader needs to hone their abilities to be effective in their leadership role. To find a purpose in what you achieve besides money, power, and fame resonates with the True North. A leader should act in the best interests of the organization that would lead to a greater good. To have a balance between IQ and EQ will lead to leadership with the True North. Passion, compassion, empathy, and courage matters the heart decisions are important components of the True North. To develop as a worthy human being, a leader must become self aware, integrated human being, and comfortable being his/herself. In addition a leader with the True North moves from I to we, is humble, serve customers, empower people, and align personal values with organization’s mission. A leader with True North demonstrates a high degree of integrity and walks his/her talk. A leader with a True North is an integrated leader with fine balance between personal, family, work, and community life. On a similar note, a leader with True North aligns and nourishes their mind, body, and soul.
The more you get to know someone, the more you are able to make better decisions and judgments for not just yourself, but for your partner as well. How a couple handles issues while
(Hegarty & Cusack, 2016, p. 68). This is a leader who focuses on building relationships through honesty and input from others. After authentic leadership, there are others who prefer to use the servant leadership theory. Abraham Lincoln is an example of a servant leader. During the timeframe of his presidency, he contributed to preserving the Union and also freeing the slaves, which shows his willingness to commit for the greater good of people (The people’s forum, 2016).
When in a leadership role, it is important to consider both the task and relationship aspects of a situation. Both of these aspects are essential in order to achieve the goal successfully. Task aspects are more or less directly related to achieving the end goal. It incorporates the actions required from a leader’s followers in order to achieve the desired results. It is much more geared towards performance than the relationship aspects are. Looking at the relationship side of leadership, it focuses more so on the followers and their well-being. A leader who is more relationship oriented will spend more time talking to their followers and trying to understand how to motivate them. They try to make more of a personal connection than task-oriented leaders do.