Servant Leadership and Boards of Directors

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.



DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

Signed __________________ Date _______________

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Robert Greenleaf's Theory of Servant Leadership2

Relevance of the Study5

Servant Leadership and Board Management8

Stewardship10

Conceptualization10

Listening10

Foresight10

The Test of Servant-Leadership11

Servant Leadership and Non Profit Boards11

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW13

Power Over Versus Power With13

Myth of Power over: Power and Interdependence within Organizations13

Theories Congruent To Servant Leadership29

Transformational Leadership29

Background29

Concept Components30

Criticisms of Servant Leadership31

Servant Leadership as a Soft Approach32

Servant Leadership and Goal Conflict32

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY34

Research Methodology34

REFERENCES35

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Two authors in their book, Transforming Public and Non-Profit Organization, assert that non-profit agencies, including boards of directors, have historically focused on leader centered management which is based on the assumption that change emanates from the CEO, Executive Director or Chairman of the Board (Kee and Newcomer, 2008). Although, there are strengths in leader center leadership, including improved productivity and efficient decision making, the philosophy also creates greater distance between the central leader and his or her followers. Those organizations or board of directors that follow a leader centered approach also face the danger that the leader may have an unclear vision for the agency. It is not always the Executive Director or Board Chair who has the “pulse” of the organization, “it is often mid level managers and frontline employees who a full understanding of the organization, its clients, and why a change effort may be necessary”

The authors of Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services, Why the Glass is Always Full writes, “the most difficult task is reframing how we live and work in our lives and to see the glass as always full. It is to believe we are worth the struggle it will take each and every day to remain op to interpreting the world as rich in possibility and promise” (Burghart &Tolliver,2011). The authors ask leaders of human service agencies, including board members, staff, and volunteer to shift their perspective from pessimism which drains one's capacity for service to optimism which inspires followers to take action.

The following analysis is a result of my personal experiences in the non-profit sector in Colorado. I was personally witnessed remarkable change by non-profit organizations which are driven by a commitment to serving its clients and the surrounding community. I have also personally witnessed agencies several human service agencies dissolve due to mismanagement, a lack of vision, or centralized power structures. In my opinion, Servant Leadership, which Ms. Childress highlighted in her presentation, has the potential to transform how non-profit organizations deliver ...