But while no person or approach is perfect, given the qualities that servant leaders exhibit, we believe it is safe to say that servant leadership is one of the most effective approaches to guiding employees towards an outcome that fosters growth, satisfaction and encouragement. Successful servant leaders have a genuine desire to serve employees in a democratic way. They are also effective, charismatic decision-makers and clear in setting expectations. Good servant leaders are those whose primary focus is on people, which makes the leader fully committed to their growth and development.
To develop people, it is important to analyse their needs and address them accordingly. It is important to understand that people are more likely to perform better if they are led by someone who nurtures and encourages them. Praise and encouragement can go a long way and are much more effective than punishment and negative feedback. A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of individuals and the communities to which they belong.
While traditional leadership often involves the accumulation and exercise of power by the one at the 'top of the pyramid', servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform at their best. Selflessness The field of servant leadership asserts that effective leaders are not ego-centred and selfish. They do not put their needs before higher goals.
But it is possible to be selfless without serving the needs of followers. In fact, it can be argued that true leadership demands the sacrifice of followers. The call of environmental leaders for people to give up their gas-guzzling cars asks followers to make sacrifices for the sake of the environment. Servant leaders strive to understand the intentions and perspectives of others.
One can be more empathetic by temporarily setting aside one's own point of view, valuing the perspectives of others and approaching situations with an open mind. The term "servant leadership" has been around for decades and refers to a "philosophy and set of practices that enrich people's lives, build better organisations, and ultimately create a more just and caring world, according to the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership". The truth is that while managers fire employees who do not perform, no servant can fire his master. Now that we have seen the characteristics that successful servant leaders possess, let's look at how best to apply servant leadership in an organisation.
This is a far cry from going into the office and behaving as a servant to your employees rather than to the customers you are all there to serve. Instead, the servant leader engages in a respectful conversation that demonstrates trust in the employee to make the necessary adjustments. Instead, the servant leader understands how much and what kind of support to give when facilitating growth. Servant leadership often leads to high employee engagement, highly motivated employees and a strong sense of ethics.
Perhaps the biggest contributor is that servant leadership is based on good listening skills which, combined with empathy, means that the leader receives a lot of input from the organisation to make informed decisions. A servant leader feels responsible for helping people to learn and grow, to feel purposeful, motivated, energised and to contribute at their highest level. Greenleaf, who died in 1990, went on to found the Atlanta-based Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Whatever the type of interaction with staff, servant leaders are consistent in showing encouragement and humility with an egalitarian attitude.
Although servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. For servant leadership to be distinctive, it is not enough to compare it to an old-fashioned, industrial-era leadership model. As I see it, the servant leadership part extends in two directions, and the first is subordinate to the second.
