Servant Leadership

Introduction3

Servant Leadership3

Attributes of servant-leader4

Benefits and lacking of Servant leadership5

Servant leadership versus transformational leadership5

Servant versus Self-Sacrificial Leadership6

Description of the organization7

Application of servant leadership8

Servant leadership and organization's vision and goals9

Implementing servant leadership10

Servant leadership and 3M's stakeholders12

Potential challenges for servant leadership12

Conclusion13

References14

Servant Leadership

Introduction

Leadership is a comparatively inexplicable notion regardless of having been researched and investigated for many decades (Melchar & Bosco, 2010). It is implicit that, at solo level, leadership is an association linking someone who persuades and manipulates the conduct or actions of others and those who are so persuaded and manipulated (Melchar & Bosco, 2010).

Majority of the theories and models of leadership emphasize the position of the leader as directing and making cohorts and subordinates to serve and maintain the functions of the organization enthusiastically and contribute in achieving the objectives (Austin, 2009). However, not any of the models enlightens the requirement for leaders to serve the cohorts and subordinates. None of the theories and models attends to the notion of leadership putting combined efforts with the subordinates to accomplish the organizational goals. It is the servant leadership model that emphasizes the mutual roles of leaders and subordinates (Austin, 2009).

Servant Leadership

“….The great leader is seen as servant first….” This short excerpt, which is a part of a sentence, extracted from an essay inscribed by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 shows the core of servant-leadership theory (Smith, 2005). It is a leadership model which prioritizes serving others, above all. Servant-leadership highlights more service to others; a comprehensive concept of work; endorsing an idea of community; and the delegation of decision-making authority (Smith, 2005).

Attributes of servant-leader

Servant-leadership accentuates core individual attributes and convictions more than any other leadership practices (Smith, 2005). The following attributes are vital for servant-leaders (Spears, 2005):

Listening

Empathy

Healing

Awareness

Persuasion

Conceptualization

Foresight

Stewardship

Commitment to the growth of people

Building community

Benefits and lacking of Servant leadership

Numerous beneficial results can be experienced at organizations incorporating servant leadership. These positive results comprise the following (Melchar & Bosco, 2010):

Emphasis on mission, vision and values

More ingenuity and novelty in the organization

Sensitivity and flexibility throughout the organization

Dedication to both inner and outward service

Admiration for workforce; personnel devotion; and

Commemoration of variety and diversity (Melchar & Bosco, 2010)

On the realistic face, various researchers subject the realism and practicality of the servant leadership theory to real-world situations. They question whether the collective objectives of servant leadership are well-suited with modern time's importance on individual endeavor and act. Others consider the theory as impractical in that it disregards answerability and essential aggression of employees in the place of work. It falls short to think about differing ranks of capability amongst people (Smith, 2005).

Servant leadership versus transformational leadership

Servant leadership and transformational leadership share some similar attributes. Foremost, from the personal persuasion point of view, both leaders serve up subordinates' requirements, represent appropriate behavior, build effective interpersonal associations, are truthful and answerable to subordinates, and keep individual honesty and conviction (Lowder, 2009). Next, from the motivating impetus point of view, both leaders hold confidence in subordinates, visualize the future, elucidate ambitions, and facilitate a collective visualization (Lowder, ...