"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." - Bill Gates
Servant leadership is a unique leadership theory that transitions focus from the leader to the followers. According to Larry Spears (2010), businesses and not-for-profit organizations are quickly moving away from traditional autocratic models of leadership and towards servant leadership as a way of being in relationship with others. Through my readings, I understand servant leadership as putting followers or employees at the forefront of every decision that is made. Instead of managers prioritizing themselves, servant leaders will listen, think, feel, and then decide what is best. The basis of servant leadership is giving to others and promoting the empowerment of employees or followers.
Servant Leadership Self-Assessment
Emotional healing - High
Creating value - High
Conceptual skills - High
Empowering - High
Helping subordinates grow and succeed - Moderate
Putting subordinates first - Moderate
Behaving ethically - High
My self-assessment results indicate a high chance of aligning with the servant leadership theory. Although I agree with the overall results, I do not feel that servant leadership is the leadership theory that fits me best. I think servant leaders can easily fall into patterns of burnout that will harm followers in the long run. To me, it is important for leaders to inspire followers and encourage them to work towards a common goal while respecting established boundaries. Kok-Yee and Christine state that "not all individuals with high motivation-to-serve may exhibit servant leadership" (Ng, 2010). Although I feel that most servant leadership characteristics are important and needed in the workplace, I believe that other leadership models account for these traits while addressing other leadership concerns.
References:
Spears, L. C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring
leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25-30.
Ng, K. Y., & Koh, C. S. K. (2010). Motivation to serve. In D. van Dierendonck & K. Patterson
(Eds.), Servant leadership developments in theory and research (pp. 90-101).
London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.