The Servant as a Leader - Essay Example

The Servant as a Leader Leadership, as defined by Northouse , refers to a person’s trait, ability, behavior and skill to influence a group of people to accomplish a common goal. This paper addresses the lessons learnt about leadership and focuses on servant leadership. It compares and contrasts servant leadership with other leadership styles and gives its usefulness to both profit and non-profit organizations. It gives the importance of servant leadership to one’s leadership role in his/her business. The Servant as a Leader Leadership, as defined by Northouse (2015), refers to a person’s trait, ability, behavior and skill to influence a group of people to accomplish a common goal. There are various other leadership approaches ranging from situational, transformational, spiritual, command and control, Laissez Faire and innovative. However, servant leadership stands out as the best leadership style of them all because it calls for a leaders main motivation and role to be service to others. There are various leadership types apart from the servant leadership approach. Firstly, there are transformational leaders. Blanken (2013) says the famous transformational leaders are Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who made a business framework that allowed members of their client community to become stockholders. Blanken (2013) says transformative leaders want the organization to change even when its members are not comfortable with the idea. There are situational leaders. Blanken (2013) lists Pat Summitt as the famous situational leader, for maintaining a winning record with the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team. Situational leaders connect their character with their organization’s readiness. They are supportive and empower their team members. The recommended leadership style is servant leadership. Blanken (2013) names Herb Kelleher as the one person who embodied servant leadership. Kelleher instilled a culture in Southwest Airlines company that reflected the belief that the business of business is people. Servant leaders, as Blanken (2013) says, put service to others before themselves. They involve members of their organization in the decision-making process. Moreover, servant leaders have the will to let the credit for a job well-done be put to their team members. Smith (2005) notes that servant leadership starts when a leader takes the place of a servant while engaging with their organization members. Leadership that is authentic and legitimate does not come from the exercise of power or self-serving deeds. However, true leadership emanates from the desire to assist others first. Smith (2005) mentions that the basic urge and purpose of a servant leader is first to motivate the greatness in others, with team success the outcome of it. Servant leadership theory promoted by Greenleaf (qtd.in Smith, 2005), suggests that individuals have to be urged to be themselves both in their professional and personal lives. Greenleaf theorizes that this benefits the interests and performance of an organization. Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders make the best leaders, view that George Washington was the right President for America because he knew that his most important purpose and motivation was to serve the Americans; his role was not to create wealth and celebrity for himself. Washington, Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders, make the best leaders narrate, turned down an opportunity to be the first King of the independent America, choosing to be a President of a representative government instead. This showed he was not selfish and hungry for power but had the people of America first and in his heart. Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders make the best leaders say that servant leaders are always ready to listen to their workers and understand the desire of their team. They value the views of their team members. This creates a feeling of trust and transparent communication in the organization resulting in a good working environment. According to Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders make the best leaders, an authoritative leader may always command workers what to do. However, a servant leader can explain the reason for what they need be done. Servant leaders do not compel others to do things but persuade them to do what they want to be done. Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders make the best leaders observe that servant leadership involves lowering ranks in an organization with a purpose of empowering and motivating the staff. This is a brand of leaders who are focused on creating an atmosphere of teamwork at the work-place. This then brings growth of individual members of the team, in terms of personality. Servant leadership is about good business ethics and working for the followers. Schmincke and Miller in Why servant leaders make the best leaders proceed by saying that when employees feel they are an important part of the organization, they are motivated to increase creativity and their output in the company. According to Melchar and Bosco (2010), servant leadership provides workers with empowerment and job traits of participation that enable client satisfaction. Melchar and Bosco (2010) hold that development in service industries, improved client satisfaction, and good corporate financial performance is attributed to servant leadership in these industries. Melchar and Bosco (2010) opine that servant leadership by strategic level managers can develop a culture of servant leadership to even lower rank managers in the organization. This culture is important especially in the luxury automobile industry where high commitment by all workers is required for a firm to realize profits. This is because products in this industry are highly priced and have high maintenance cost; therefore people who purchase them require a good service and satisfaction. This can only be achieved if employees have the culture of service to others inculcated in them. In conclusion, the servant leadership approach presents the best alternative to other leadership models. This is because it makes leadership a concept that focuses on behaviors that have an impact on the growth and development of others. Profit and non-profit organizations should, therefore, embrace the culture of servant leadership in order to promote service to clients and success of other members of the organization. References Blanken, R. (2013, January 5). Associations Now. Retrieved March 7, 2913, from http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/ANowDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=241962 Northouse, P. G. (2015). Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and practice (3rd ed.). London: Sage. Schmincke, D., & Miller, E. (n.d.) Why servant leaders make the best leaders - SmartCEO. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.smartceo.com/servant-leaders-make-best-leaders/ Smith, C. (2005). Servant Leadership: The Leadership Theory of Robert K. Greenleaf (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved March7,2015 from http://www.carolsmith.us/downloads/640greenleaf.pdf Read More