An Exploration into Servant Leadership

An Exploration into Servant Leadership - Nu Leadership Series

“A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Why would a leader want to be a servant? You work hard to be on the top. Why should you even care about these employees? Isn’t Servant Leadership just another management fad? Let’s explore this matter closely on servant leadership. Outstanding leaders are concerned about their followers’ needs. Many employees observe the actions of their managers. Are they selfish? Do they possess an unselfish vision? Here are things to consider if you want to gain employee loyalty:

• Place your employees’ needs before your own.
• Provide a vision that employees can embrace.
• Conduct your day-to-day operations in an ethical manner.
• Model the habits that you want your employees to follow.
• Communicate regularly to your employees.
• Walk employees’ spaces so that they know you exist.
• Reward your employees on achieving organizational goals.

Employees want to follow a leader they respect. Hackman and Johnson, leadership experts, argue that followers are more inspired to be productive when they believe that a successful task completion will generate a valuable goal. Much of the concept of Servant Leadership is derived from a religious context. Winston, a leadership guru, notes the paradox of Jesus’ teaching is that whoever is to be first, must be last. Jesus’ philosophy is contrary to the world’s conventional wisdom. I think this would explain how some individuals are living a very confused lifestyle. They become takers. True leadership is about giving, however. Do you have the courage to serve? Start today and change your organization for the better.

References:

Johnson, C. & Hackman, M. (2000). Leadership: A Communication Perspective. Waveland Press.

Winston, B. (2002). Be A Leader for God's Sake. Virginia Beach, VA: Regent University.

(c) 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Learn how to use the concepts of Servant Leadership to build a successful organization. Nu Leadership is a column that explores the changing workforce and social environment as it relates to leadership. Written in an easy and entertaining format, this column provides a sense of academic elegance that gives each reader an advantage in life

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making and leadership. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is pursuing a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information, please visit www.darylgreen.org.

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