Robert Greenleaf, first wrote an essay that later became his book title Servant Leadership: a Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. He introduced the term ‘servant leadership’ into the business literature for the first time and caused some controversy in the corporate boardroom while added some value among the religious clergy.
Greenleaf, was not only a scholar, servant leadership came out of his work experiences at organizations such as MIT and the influence of Hermann Hesse’s Journey to the East. Greenleaf largely gained his insights through the central character of ‘Leo,’ who becomes a servant leader and speaks about the Law of Service: He who wishes to live long must serve, but he who wishes to rule does not live long. Greenleaf recognized the main message of this story, and concluded that
“the central meaning of it was that a great leader has experience as a servant to others, and he felt that this fact is central to his or her greatness. True leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others.”
The key for executives is that servant leaders are those who turn the organizational chart upside down, putting the customers at the top. For instance, Greenleaf argues that the great leader is seen as a servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his or her greatness. The advantages of the servant leadership model are its altruism, simplicity, and self-awareness. It emphasizes the moral sense of concern for others, reducing the complexity engendered by putting personal desires in conflict with those of followers. Servant leadership can be clearly seen as rooted in the clerical leadership perspective in that Christ’s leadership when Greenleaf says that the words “service,” “to serve” and “servant” occur over 1300 times in the revised version of the St. James bible. For example, Jesus once said:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to place his life as a ransom for many.”
The servant leadership model highlights Jesus as an ultimate example of a servant leader, and suggests applying the leadership insights that Jesus gives us within companies. According to the model, only service to others, is the pathway to real significance. Executives need to know that scholars recommend ten fundamental characteristics:
- Listening
- Empathy
- Healing
- Awareness
- Persuasion
- Conceptualization
- Foresight
- Stewardship
- Commitment to the growth of people, and;
- Building community.
The key characteristics of servant leadership model mentioned above, when carried out correctly, can present an effective leadership. These fundamental characteristics represent how an effective leader working in today’s changing situations can successfully manage and develop companies. This leadership model is about shifting away from the old paradigm of a hierarchical pyramid-shaped organization. The key for executives is that all leaders should serve their organization to provide the customer and shareholder with the best possible service.
