Servant Leadership – Definition and Principles with Examples

There are several types of leadership theories and SL is one of them. Servant Leadership is not a common type of leadership. However, there are many leaders who own some of the characteristics of SL. This article will focus on the definition of servant leadership, the principles of servant leadership, the examples of servant leadership, the benefits and the drawbacks of servant leadership. It will also look upon at some popular servant leaders, the roles of a servant leader, an example of a good servant leader and lastly the bottom line of servant leadership.

What is Servant Leadership?

It is a type of leadership style in which an individual communicates with each other. This style is followed in order to become an expert rather than being in control. The employees of the company are responsible for the success of a company as they form a strong team of members and assemble a productive output. The head of this style incorporates the employees that face the consumers as these employees have a close relationship with the consumers and make better decisions in order to maintain the existing consumers and obtain new consumers. The focal point of this leadership style is the contentment and the alliance of the employees who work for the company.

Principles of Servant Leadership

There are ten basic principles of servant leadership that play key roles in order to run a company successfully. The principles are mentioned with their functions in brief:-

1.Listening

This skill is a necessity in terms of building a healthy relationship among the servant leaders of a company. This can be achieved by allowing the speaker in front of us to speak and wait for our turns. There should be a sense of consciousness and active listening among the group members in order to response in the most meaningful way. This skill is often ignored and should be worked on to improve the listening capabilities and listen adequately in order to respond in a perfect manner.

2. Awareness

Being aware of oneself and their team members is essential for the benefit of an organization. It is dominant to know the strengths and the weaknesses of the leader and the team members for an effective output. Awareness should also include the culture, the work environment and the ability to adapt and work under unsuitable circumstances as well.

3. Persuasion

Another important attribute of the servant leaders is to be able to persuade or convince the team members to follow their instructions. Persuasion does not always lead to negativity, but will build a unity in order to buy from the consumers.

4. Conceptualization

The servant leaders should have the potential to understand of the aims that they are hoping to achieve for their organization. They are also capable of objectifying the future outcomes and the current affairs of the organization.

5. Foresight

This quality plays a key role in improving the condition of any organization. It authorizes the leaders to apply what they have learned from their past experiences to the present day and to the future consequences of the organization as well. It is an innate quality that most of the leader possesses but some leaders may have to brush up on their foresight skills.

6. Stewardship

The entire leader (CEOs, trustees, directors, staffs etc.) should work in coordination in order to establish a sense of trust of the organization amongst the society. Focus should not only be given to the profit/loss of the company, but also on the authenticity and moral values as well.

7. Commitment to growth of people

The successful running of an organization does not entirely depend on the leaders, but also on the staffs that are working hard. It is crucial to make sure of the well-being and the professional growth of each individual in an organization. This quality has a resemblance to characteristics like awareness and healing.

8. Empathy

It is crucial to understand and accept the inner thoughts and the feelings of the employees in order to perform well. Knowing and welcoming their point of view will help to establish coordination and cooperation in between the leader and the employees.

9. Healing

It is very important to have mental peace in order to work effectively. Negative work environments, constant arguments with the other team members or having a bad experience with their preceding leaders may have a chronic effect and hamper their ability to focus. Motivating, discussing with the leader or supporting and creating a better work environment by the servant leaders will help the employees to heal themselves within a short period of time.

10. Building community

Developing and maintaining a community is very essential in order to have a healthy relationship in an institution. The team members should be coherent for performing effectively and the prominence of the servant leaders is crucial and can be attained through immense trust and combined goals.

Servant Leadership Example

The main responsibility of a servant leader is to look out for the advantage provided by their services to the employees instead of being a dictator and telling them what to do. For instance, the servant leaders of any organization mainly look out for the progress of their services that are acquired by the stakeholders, employees and the consumers as well. The servant leader also looks at the economic bloom that the company is making before attaining to their position of leading the company. The leaders also look at their efforts of how they are raising the people who come from lower economic positions or are not represented properly in their organizations. They should also have the ability to encourage the underrepresented individuals in order to perform better and appreciate those who are doing better comparatively. Moreover, the leaders can assist the employees in decision-making and provide them with innovative ideas to upgrade the organization.

Some of the Popular Servant Leaders

• Jeff Bezos- Amazon: Jeff is the founder and the CEO of Amazon is a great example of a servant leader. He started Amazon from an online bookstore in 1995 and transformed into internet shopping. He launched Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service, to provide better service to the consumers. It was successful and brought revenue of $61 billion. He also succeeded in purchasing ‘The Washington Post’ for $250 million. However, as a business leader, Jeff Bazos owns some autocratic leadership characteristics too.
• Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln was the 16th President of United States of America. He produced a revolutionary change in the country, and became a perfect example of a working democracy. He freed slaves and expanded the opportunities to all the Americans as by empowering them and urging them to accept each other regardless of their color or race.

Servant Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• The decision-making process involves everyone, including the staffs who are working for the organization.
• It restores empathy of the leaders when they are making a decision by considering the situation of others. The leader does not accept any proposal or a request if it does not suit everyone for any reason.
• This leadership allows everyone to work together mutually. It brings out a variation within an organization that is filled with different viewpoints.

Disadvantages

• The decision-making process may take a longer period of time as it has to suit everyone in the organization.
• There might be a requirement of training in order to sustain the kind of environment needed, which is time-consuming and demands a lot of money.
• Many leaders may have to work for a longer time period and as a supporting role when the decision making is self-centered. This reduces his role as a servant leader.

Servant Leadership FAQs

What is the Role of a Servant Leader?

A servant leader shares his thoughts with others, puts the needs of others first, is eager to learn from others, helps each individual with their planning, provides motivation and shows empathy. A servant leader also focuses on the goals of an organization and does not think of any personal gains or benefits.

What is a Good Example of a Servant Leader?

Mother Teresa is a good example of a servant leader as she devoted her life by serving for others. She never thought of her personal gains for helping as her intentions were to help and cure people. She was expressive with her opinions on some notable changes and urged others to be expressive as well.

The Bottom Line

Despite having the advantages and the disadvantages, this leadership style is mostly suitable for those organizations that are less restricted, which promotes the innovativeness and the mutual understanding of each other.

                                References

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/servant-leadership
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/servant-leadership.asp
https://jonathansandling.com/ten-principles-servant-leadership/
https://www.business-management-degree.net/30-innovative-business-leaders/
http://asec-sldi.org/news/research/characteristics-servant-leaders/
https://connectusfund.org/7-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-servant-leadership
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5066916/