LEADERSHIP ARTICLE

Servant Leadership: Its Origin, Development, and Application in Organizations



Servant Leadership: Its Origin, Development, and Application in Organizations

Authors' Name

Sen Sendjaya

James C. Sarros

Joseph C. Santora

Summary of the Article

Leadership and management are two notions that are often used interchangeably. Whether it is school leader, or a leader in any corporate organization, leadership is, in fact, a facet of administration is just one of the numerous assets a thriving supervisor must own and care should be taken in differentiating between the two concepts. Servant leadership evolves over time and as skills develops. The major aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the association through administrative implementation.

To achieve the virtuous quality of serving being a “leader”, managers and school leaders must undertake the following purposes: Organization, Planning, Staffing, administering, and Controlling. A manager will not just be a foremost; he also desires formal authority to be effective, for any value initiative to take contain, older administration should be involved and proceed as a function model. The fact that a servant leader is not habitually required proves that leadership is just an asset and is not essential (Sendjaya, Sarros & Santora, 2006).

Servant Leadership is characterized by the following attributes:

1.It is a characteristic of servant leadership to utilize their won skills and expertise to serve others. Servant leaders rarely give commands and orders. They do not believe in enjoying power and influence; rather they utilize their skills in building a positive relationship with their followers.

2.The service that servant leaders perform should not be confused with paternalism. Paternalism limits the boundary and restricts the leader to exercise what he should do himself. Instead, a servant leader helps in building new abilities in the followers so that they go beyond the horizons and develop new opportunities.

3.Servant leadership does not involve seeking recognition. The leader is self-motivated and does not require any appreciations for his work. He does not believe in drawing attention to himself. The leader can be compared to a sailboat that remains calm and guides the sea route without demanding anything in return (Keith, 2008).

4. Servant leadership is motivated by selflessness. It is usually the support and affection of the family that motivates the servant leader and inspires them to work for the welfare of people.

5.Servant leaders are equipped with self-realization. They evaluate their actions by seeking the growth of their followers. When they see the development in others, they feel satisfied and derive pleasure out of the progress of others. It is this feeling that motivates them to define new goals and serve others.

The applications of servant leadership reinforce the theoretical concepts and go beyond its claims. Some historic scholars and religious mentors recognized the difference between the two kinds of leaders. It was contended that it is seen primarily in the effect of their leadership on those who are led. The concept of servant leadership is as old as Jesus and his servant hood (Sendjaya, Sarros & Santora, ...