The Servant Leader - Essay Example

Running Head The Servant Leader The Servant Leader Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Customer Inserts Tutor's Name 27 May 2009 Abstract At the 21st century, servant leaders tap motives that serve the purposes of collective action in the pursuit of shared goals. In this way, they align individual and group goals. Servant leadership should confront circumstances that lead staff members to withhold their best efforts. Effective servant leaders direct the effort, restraint, drive, and discipline that result in optimal staff performance. New leaders create a climate in which members take pride in making significant contributions to shared goals. Criminal justice system represents a unique environment influenced by social, political and economic changes. Law enforcement agencies require effective and efficient leadership policies in order to manage and direct organizations and deliver quality services to community. Applied to law enforcement environment, leadership concept has a great impact on organizational strategy, goals and effective strategic solutions applied to everyday business situations. The task of effective servant leaders and managers is to follow objectives held by the top management. Thus, the main focus of servant leadership is on human communication. Effective servant leaders have the talent for inspiring and motivating employees; they have strategic aims and lift the spirit of employees to accomplish great ends. The release of employees' possibilities is a crucial leadership goal. Thus, servant leadership duty is to make certain that there is a goal (Charan et al 2001). The second task is to ensure that the strategic policies are clear. At he beginning of the 21stc century, servant leadership has to confirm that the employees understand the goal. Different theories of servant leadership propose different interpretations of leadership styles and leaders' relations with subordinates. The law enforcement environment requires innovative and creative approaches to leadership and management demanded by new social and political landscape. Deciding who has the information may be obvious, or the top manager may need to discuss the subject. Following Greenleaf (1982): "the leader servant is servant first" (p. 27). Servant leadership moves to the subordinates who have the most relevant information or the particular skill and professional competence. In other words, the servant leader is not necessarily in charge all the time or on every task. Law enforcement organizations need problem solving processes which focuses independently on substantive factors, identifies them, defines them, deals with them and solves them; critical thinking is not a process of smoothing over or avoiding conflict but rather involves looking for practical solutions. It is a time for positive forward-looking decisions, not backward-looking fault finding (Charan et al 2001). The servant leadership task combines employee's contributions into a composite that becomes a whole staff effort. On an effective staff, the leadership function progresses according to the logic of the strategic policies and the work to be done (Hoyle and Wilmore 2002). In order to describe the model of servant leadership appropriate for the law enforcement organizations, it is important to define and explain the definitions of servant leadership and the nature of leadership itself. Effective leaders put the goal first, subordinating themselves to it. If not leaders act for individual aggrandizement, in the belief that this furthers the cause, and risk becoming self-centered and ineffective (Charan et al 2001). Servant leadership states that the goal must come first. It is the ability to meld the strengths of each employee so that he or she can contribute to the organization's goal. That means building on what employees are--not changing them, but starting with their strong points. Using an individual's strengths translates energy into job performance. The task of the leaders is to inspire each talent and directs the energy to the task to be done. "The servant leader might also acknowledge that his or her own healing is motivation" (Greenleaf 1982, p. 50). The main advantage of servant leadership is that it starts with a vision and objectives development. So, it will help the company to establish clear goals and transform them into a budget. Thus, the focus of servant leadership is on human interaction. Great transformational leaders have the gift for inspiring and motivating people; they have vision and lift the spirit of people to accomplish great ends. The release of human possibilities is a basic leadership goal. However, there is also a dark side of leadership. Today, it is difficult to develop an ideal budget so it will be important for the Romanization to ensure effective change process and stable performance (Charan et al 2001). The servant leadership task is to make certain that there is a goal. The second task is to ensure that the goal is clear. Servant leadership must confirm that the team members understand the goal. Different theories of leadership propose different interpretations of leadership styles and leaders' relations with subordinates. Thus, the task of leadership is not one of motivating people, for they are already motivated (Hoyle and Wilmore 2002). Within law enforcement environment, servant leadership will have a positive impact on conflict resolution and EOO problems. Servant leadership is influenced by motivational factors and intellectual capital. Shifting leadership function can often lead to confusion, which should be avoided with the effective management of team communications. Effective communication ensures that the team will know who is in charge and glues the team together. It is the lifeblood for goal achievement. One would think that with all the interaction necessary for effective teamwork interpersonal skills would be at a premium, but such is not the case. Exceptional interpersonal skills are not a key requirement for effective teamwork. That is, team members do not have to like each other socially. The disadvantage of this leadership style is inability of transformational leaders to see minor details. Most of them pay attention to the big picture of business but neglect small details. Also, servant leadership is based on change while most of the employees resist and fear of constant change (Charan et al 2001). In sum, law enforcement environment and its unique nature is the primary concern of servant leaders. If law enforcement policemen respect each other's competence, most personality problems will work themselves out. Furthermore, the more time a team spends on interpersonal relationships, the less effective it becomes. There is an inverse correlation between the time spent on "people problems" and team effectiveness. Effective and successful focus on issues pertaining to the team goal reflects servant leadership principles. Both relate to how the leader manages the team and both bring focus on the task to be done; however, they are different in very specific ways. References Charan, R., Drotter, S., Noel, J., (2001) The Leadership Pipeline How to Build The Leadership-Powered Company, Jossey Bass: San Francisco. Greenleaf, R. K. (1982). The Servant Leader. Robert K. Greenleaf Center. Hoyle, J.R., Wilmore, E.L. (2002). Principal Leadership: Applying the New Educational Leadership Constituent Council (Elcc) Standards. Corwin Press. Read More