Nobody could dispute that Gandhi was a good leader who inspired a loyal following through his own self-sacrifice and in the service of a cause. Servant Leadership, as it is known, has its roots in ancient philosophy, but it is also increasingly seen as relevant to leadership within today's modern organizations.
Whilst those roots can be traced to the writings of a philosopher and poet of ancient China, an increasing number of modern leadership and management thinkers have embraced the ideas of Servant Leadership and both its relevance and popularity are growing as a result.
Prominent amongst those writers are the late Stephen Covey, the author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, and Ken Blanchard, the management expert and author of the best-selling book, “The One Minute Manager”. Emphasizing the importance of Servant Leadership, Blanchard is quoted as saying:
I truly believe that Servant Leadership has never been more applicable to the world of leadership than it is today. Not only are people looking for a deeper purpose and meaning when they must meet the challenges of today’s changing world; they are also looking for principles and philosophies that actually work. Servant leadership works. Servant leadership is about getting people to a higher level by leading people at a higher level.
But what is Servant Leadership?
The 5th century Chinese poet and philosopher, Lao-Tzu, wrote about leadership and suggested that, “the highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware.” The modern interpretation of what Servant Leadership is, however, comes from the writings of Robert Greenleaf, who coined the phrase “Servant Leadership” in a 1970 essay entitled, “The Servant as Leader”. He sums up Servant Leadership in the following passage:
The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.
To put it simply, Servant Leadership is a philosophy and practice of leadership that inverts the traditional pyramid of the leader at the apex, who exercises and builds power. Instead the servant-leader strives to share power and help the development and performance of their team.
So how do I use Servant Leadership within the workplace?
Greenleaf outlined 10 principles of Servant Leadership:
- Listening – The servant-leader is a skilful listener, who listens to both what is being said, and what is not said, and sums up the will of the team.
- Empathy - Even if the performance is below par, you might reject the behaviour and performance of your team, without rejecting them as people.
- Healing - The servant-leader is able to bring the team together in the wake of times of conflict or change, whether that is from outside or from within.
- Awareness - Of themselves, others, and what is going on around them and the team.
- Persuasion - Seeking to persuade by convincing others of the merits of a course of action, rather than coercing through the exercise of authority.
- Foresight - Using the intuition of lessons learnt from yesterday to the problems of today and those yet to arise tomorrow.
- Conceptualization - Balancing the need to be focused on what is happening today, with the ability to provide a sense of mission and vision for tomorrow.
- Stewardship - Recognising a sense of responsibility for the team, the organization, and also to the wider society.
- Commitment to the growth of people - A focus on developing people in terms of their personal and professional development and acknowledging the potential for their future growth.
- Building Community - Bringing together and developing a sense of belonging and common purpose within organizations, both large and small.
But does Servant Leadership actually work in practice?
Edward D. Hess, a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, says that years of careful research have indicated that many of the leaders in today's most successful organizations don't conform to the stereotype of charismatic and commanding individuals. Instead they are servant-leaders, who lead by example through their daily behaviour. Servant Leadership delivers high performance in organizations as diverse as: Best Buy, UPS, Ritz Carlton, Room & Board, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Levy Restaurants, the San Antonio Spurs and TSYS. Commenting on the power of Servant Leadership, Hess says:
The behavior of leaders, coupled with attitudes and beliefs, either enables or inhibits high performance. Good intentions and words are not enough. The best leaders understand that daily behaviors count. And leadership is hard work because it takes discipline. Servant leaders are vigilant in fighting elitism, arrogance, complacency and hubris daily.
Do you already see yourself as a Servant Leader? How could you employ the principles of Servant Leadership into your organization?
Will Trevor is the Founder and Training Consultant at Windsor Training. Please click 'Follow' if you would like to hear more from Will in the future. Feel free to also connect via his Linkedin page, or via Twitter and Facebook or email: will.trevor@windsortraining.net
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