...Servant Leadership Rick Purvis Indiana Wesleyan University Servant Leadership Though there are many styles of leadership, servant leadership suggests that possessing certain quality’s will allow the leader to lead with authority and not just power. In this paper, we will examine servant leadership and how servant leadership is used in a business setting. We will also compare and contrast an example of servant leadership using the Maxwell leadership bible and Jim Beam Brands in Frankfort KY. Finally, we will discuss how Rick Purvis uses servant leadership in his place of employment. Now, lets get started by describing what servant leadership is. Servant leadership is described in an essay published by Robert K. Greenleaf. In his essay, Robert Greenleaf said: 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 (www.greenleaf.org, 2008). Servant Leaders are respected, listened to, and valued, even though they may not manage others (Davies, 2006). In short, servant leaders are individuals that lead by asking how they can help. They...
Words: 1883 - Pages: 8
...Servant Leadership Essay by AnQuil Davis July 2, 2010 Servant Leadership Servant Leaders are defined as people who serve those whom they lead rather than control them. The posture of a servant leader is to put the needs and interests of others above themselves. Servant leaders invest in others to help them grow and become empowered, which assist and motivate the team to reach their full potential in every area of their life. In today’s global marketplace, the concept of servant leadership seems to have been discarded and replaced with self-leadership; leadership which puts their needs and desires before those of the people. Serving others has to be a passion, not an act for recognition or accolades. Leaders possess characteristics such as stewardship, foresight, empathy and humility. These characteristics allow the leader to understand and attend to those they are serving, develop visions and plans to move forward, while not taking ownership of its success, but acknowledging it as a team effort. These qualities give a person authority over power. The concept of servant leadership in the global marketplace has an existence; however its existence seems to not be as prevalent today as past years. Most leaders in our global society today are not interested in creating an environment for growth and advancement of the individual, but for wealth and success for themselves. By not engaging others in the vision it cannot fully mature to reach every...
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...Servant Leadership Stone et al. (2003) state that “a cursory glimpse of transformational leadership and Servant leadership leaves the perception that the concepts are rather similar. In fact, some individuals question whether there is any real difference between the concepts” (p. 349). They examine the differences and similarities between these two leadership concepts and discover that while they are similar, they do have distinct differences - the primary difference centring around the focus of the leader. A Transformational leader will focus on organisational objectives and will act in such a way that follower commitment is built towards these objectives. On the other hand, the servant-leader focuses on the followers and their values and the organisational objectives are of less importance....
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...What Is Servant Leadership? Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world. While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: “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.” “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“ A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional...
Words: 2310 - Pages: 10
...Servant Leadership at Work An analysis of servant leadership and how it applies to my work environment: identify what servant leadership is, what the differences are, and how it applies to personalities in the work environment. Questions: What is servant leadership? How does servant leadership apply to personalities in management? What are the positive attributes of servant leadership in a manager? What values are important in servant leadership? How effective is servant leadership in an organization? Servant Leadership at Work Spears (1996) explains servant leadership as one which is based on teamwork and community; one which seeks to involve others in decision making; one which is strongly based in ethical and caring behavior; and one which is enhancing the growth of people, while at the same time improving the caring and quality of our many institutions. The term “servant-leadership” was first coined in the 1970 essay by Robert K. Greenleaf entitled, The Servant as Leader (Stone). According to Dennis and Bocarnea (2005), “servant leaders are those who serve with a focus on the followers, whereby the followers are the primary concern and the organizational concerns are peripheral. The servant leader constructs are virtues, which are defined as the good moral quality in a person, or the general quality of goodness, or moral excellence”. This, I believe, is a very good description of servant leadership. What this says is that we must apply good moral qualities...
Words: 2017 - Pages: 9
...What is Servant Leadership? “The servant leader is servant first, it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” - an excerpted line from the essay of Robert K. Green leaf titled The Servant as Leader. In our society, a leader is often depicted as one who has the highest authority in exercising power. The one who halts at the top of the society’s pyramid. As defined in the Webster’s Dictionary; a leader is a person who leads. Leadership, on the other hand, is defined by the same source as the power or ability to lead other people. But what does it take to be a good leader? This is where we should understand the concept of servant leadership and how different it is with the traditional leadership. As seen from the excerpted line on the first part of this paper, to lead is congruent to serve. Leadership has a deep connection with service. Servant leadership displays a leader’s service to the people while traditional leadership, the people giving their services for the welfare of the leader. To be a good leader, one must make sure that the other’s needs should be served. A leader voices his/ her people what are the things they must do but a servant leader helps his/ her people on how to do things. You may have heard the quote of Maimonides’ “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” That clearly shows the difference of a traditional leader’s actions from a servant leader. Servant Leadership...
Words: 499 - Pages: 2
...this quote from the Christian New Testament (Authorized King James): “But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” . In Islam, the Prophet Muhammed was very much in favor of servant leadership. This is reflected by his leadership saying “the leader of a people is their servant”. This has led to John Adair, the worlds leading authority on leadership and leadership development to author a book entitled " The Leadership of Muhammed" by Kogan Page Limited. As he felt that the Prophet Muhammed is one of the most important historical figures that is misunderstood among people in the West. Yet he showed the seed of knowledge based civilization that helped create the European Renaissance. Greenleaf, in his classic essay, The Servant as Leader, described the servant-leader in this manner: 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. The difference manifests itself in the...
Words: 417 - Pages: 2
...Servant Leadership Servant Leadership is not a leadership style but a state of being. The decision to embark on the mission of Servant Leadership cannot be relegated only to the office. If fully committed to being successful, a servant-leader will embrace all the components needed to be a servant and a leader in every aspect of their life. In this paper, I will explore the origins of Servant Leadership, how it can be implemented to build a successful “leader”, and how Servant Leadership effects employee satisfaction. I also found that Servant Leadership is often synonymous with some sort of religious foundation. Many of the articles I read likened Servant Leadership to religious models. I personally found it difficult to connect with this interpretation, even though I see the relationships, so I chose instead to make a broader “spiritual” connection that would appeal to the “non-believer”. By applying the principals of Servant Leadership to all aspects of one’s life, I believe, true satisfaction and success is possible. What is Servant Leadership? Robert Greenleaf coined the phrase Servant Leadership in his essay titled, The Servant as Leader, in 1970. He says that “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” (Greenleaf.). The word “servant” may conjure up visions of maids scrubbing floors or perhaps a “man of the cloth.” Webster’s dictionary...
Words: 2789 - Pages: 12
...Servant Leadership Lynda Kosh Indiana Wesleyan University BSM 580 MGT 441 – Philosophy of Corporate Culture Facilitator: Nick Ipock June 21, 2012 Leadership today takes many forms and has numerous definitions and styles. Servant Leadership, though not a new concept, is at the forefront of discussion from leaders and observers around the globe. The final paper for Philosophy of Corporate Culture focused on the steps necessary for successful change implementation. This paper will expand upon the idea of Servant Leadership and whether it will help or hurt change implementation within a given organization. Prior to any discussion about the qualities, actions, and implications of being a servant leader, we must first take a look at its modern day origin and definition. The phrase “Servant Leadership” was originally coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, he said: “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” (Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, 2012)...
Words: 1667 - Pages: 7
...very challenging and rewarding career. Young people are taught very early, the essentials of management and leadership. Many times, sailors are put in a position to lead early in their careers. The mission is the most important responsibilities of a leader in the military. Maintaining the welfare of the sailors is secondary. Seeking out responsibility and taking responsibility for your actions are the essentials of military leadership and are the factors that will drive a sailors career to new positions of authority. Serving in the military for over 20 years, I have held various positions of leadership. Throughout that time, I have had opportunity to improve my skills as a leader, as well as evaluate the type of leader that I am. Due to the ever-changing political climate, different leadership styles demand new types of leadership roles. There is not a one-size-fits-all type of leader in the military. All missions are unique, and personnel are always changing positions in the Navy overall. Therefore, leaders in the military must “adapt and overcome”. Chances are the command may not be successful at the mission at hand if they cannot adapt and overcome. While I was in the Navy, and now in civilian life, I have witnessed many different examples of leadership, good and bad. The style that I especially admire, which I also see in myself, is the servant leadership style. This style is not always applicable in the military, and often not favored, its role can be beneficial...
Words: 791 - Pages: 4
...MGT 5133: Management of Organizational Behavior The Servant Leader 2/16/2016 I. Introduction This essay will describe the true meaning of servant leadership. How the servant leader is inspired and performed his/her job within the health care organization? The paper will also inform readers of how each individual can unleash the servant within described by Larry Spears in his book “Reflections on Leadership.” Everyone has a deep need for serving, sometimes adults find it very difficult to unleash this desire to serve. Having worked in a large Hospital for over five years, it is easy to see why many people get frustrated and depart the health care industry. There are many complicated situations that happen working in healthcare. Throughout the majority of these situations between registered nurses, patient care technicians, and some doctors; there are solutions for dealing with most of those problems. Compassion, empathy, trustworthiness, faithfulness, respect, honesty, integrity, and rapport are all words that will be used frequently within the body of the paper. In my personal quest to better understand how to work well with people in a highly stressful environment as in healthcare, I begin to do my own research on process improvement and better systems that works in the hospitals. I turned my mind to various leadership books on healthcare and process improvements in the hospital setting. Some of the books I read was tremendously inspiring, interesting...
Words: 2306 - Pages: 10
... Introduction According to many theorist’s, change is needed for an organisation to thrive. Most organisations operating today are successful because of change. This essay will examine the theories and concepts needed in for successful change. Reflective learning means improving performance by using the outcome of reflection to inform the future practice. Portfolio 1 Question 1) Does leadership have a role to play in change management? 2) Discuss the concept of servant leadership for initiating and implementing change in organisations. Leadership plays an essential part in the change management process. Therefore, leaders have got to pay attention to leveraging. Getting the right people to inspire, encourage, motivate as well as having the ability to understand peoples emotional mind state. The Leaders is the key figure in the organisation for defining the need to change from internal and external drivers Carnell, (2003) says the people leading change can come from various different models. Models from top down or models starting from the middle. Quite often change is driven from the middle class. They create an atmosphere of change. Literature review Greenleaf in 1970 founded the concept of servant leadership. Greenleaf emphasizes that good leaders must first become good servants by serving both the employees and the organisation....
Words: 2372 - Pages: 10
...At some point in our lives, we have all heard about Adolf Hitler, the Austrian born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers that led the Anti-Semitic movement in Germany in the early 1900’s. Looking back through history, people would differ in opinion when deciding if Adolf Hitler should be considered a true leader. Leadership is the action of leading a group, but in today’s society the Leadership concept has also been associated with positive, beneficial, and ethical actions. True leaders are people that others want to follow. In Hitler’s case he was initially able to connect with people through his charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda and convince them to join him in his cause. It is unfortunate that his cause became an obsession and led Hitler to recur to constant threats and brutal actions to instill fear within his troops and avoid desertion. My impression of Hitler is that he was initially a true leader but his leadership was very poor as it relates to developing the people under his responsibility. Hitler did not focus his efforts into positive actions. He achieved many of his goals and made history. But what good does it make to be remembered by the atrocious actions he committed against the Jew community. Opposed to Hitlers practices, leaders must communicate faith to their people, not fear. Fear paralyzes people while faith moves people to action and infuses them with courage and hope. Let your people know that you believe...
Words: 579 - Pages: 3
...for all things food and the people that choose to come into whatever Zingerman’s business that come to eat Great Food. A charismatic and articulate speaker, he is passionate about the topics that he speaks about – usually food and customer service. A firm believer of Servant Leadership, a contemporary leadership style to Transformational Leadership that is propounded by Robert Greenleaf and practiced daily by Weinzweig and the other managing partners of ZCoB. Using a Leadership Style survey from Don Clark’s Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition website, Ari Weinzweig’s leadership style has been determined as primarily participative. This survey assesses three types of leadership – Authoritarian (autocratic), Participative (democratic), and Delegative (free reign). The premise is that the highest score is indicative of the style of leadership that is normally used. A score of 40 or more is a strong indicator of the normal style. The lowest score is indicative of the style least used. The accepted view is that the best leaders operate out of the participative (or democratic) mode and use the other modes as needed. Leaders, who want their employees to grow, use the participative style of leadership. As they grow into their jobs. They are then gradually given more delegative authority over their jobs (Clark, D. 2004) Based on the scoring, Weinzweig primarily utilizes a Participative Style with a Delegative Style as a close second. Using an Authoritarian Style...
Words: 1104 - Pages: 5
...What is the first picture that comes to mind when you hear the words “good leader?” Maybe you picture William Wallace, leading his band of Scottish rebels in a war where they are heavily outnumbered against the numbers and tyranny of England. Maybe you picture Michael Jordan, pumping his fist right after he knocks down the shot against Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs. Or you might even possibly see Adolf Hitler, although what he stood for will always be atrocious, he did do an incredible job of getting others to follow him. So the question is: What makes a good leader? Susie Shellenberger, the 2010 recipient of the Reed Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award, would say, “A good leader is one who doesn’t compromise integrity or character when no one is looking. A good leader maintains the same high standards in private as seen in public.” Let’s unpack what she meant when she said this. First, a good leader doesn’t compromise integrity or character no matter what. Webster gives such definitions for character as “moral excellence and firmness,” and integrity as “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” When you put these two together, the sum is a person who is firm in his convictions and who lives under those convictions no matter what the circumstances are. A good leader does not live a two-faced lie. As its definition states, to be a person of integrity means that you are complete or undivided. You are unwavering. You do not act differently around different...
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
