Servant Leadership Theory [Easy & Quick Explanation]

The magnum opus of Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership, is a recent theory of leadership that argues that the most effective leaders are servants of their people. Servant leaders get results for their organization through whole-hearted attention to their followers and followers’ needs. 

The idea or term “Servant Leadership” was first used by Robert Greenleaf, a researcher known for his skepticism of traditional leadership styles. According to him, servant leaders exhibit specific characteristics in their approach to the situation or organization.

In Greenleaf’s words, a leader’s first concept was “often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always competent; sometimes corrupt.”

What is Servant Leadership?

Unlike many approaches to leadership, which offer suggestions on how top-level leaders can influence and motivate those further down the hierarchy, servant leadership puts its emphasis on collaboration, trust, empathy, and ethics. The leader should be a servant first, leading from a desire to better serve others and not to attain more power. The assumption is that if leaders focus on the needs and desires of followers, followers will reciprocate through increased teamwork, deeper engagement, and better performance.

Greenleaf first presented the theory in a 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” However, numerous others theorists have contributed to our understanding of servant leadership. One theorist, Larry Spears, outlined ten characteristics of servant leaders by analyzing the writings of Greenleaf. These ten characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.

Key Principles of Servant Leadership at the Workplace

Servant leadership theory is about empowering others and creating an empathetic, collaborative workplace that benefits everyone. Here are the key points of the leadership style:

• The main goal of the leadership style is to serve others by being mindful of their growth, well-being, and success.
• It is viewed first from the perspective of a servant. Thus, managers and leaders are more open to answering all the needs and concerns of the organization and others around them.
• The concern for others’ wants and needs is their priority. They focus on the growth and development of others. 
• Employers care and are concerned about the issues of their team members and empathize with them.
• Servant leaders are highly aware of other people’s needs and find opportunities for them to grow and develop.
• It takes the controlling aspect out of the traditional leadership approach and instead focuses on building a relationship that’s beneficial for everyone.
• According to this theory, people should be free to speak their minds, so it promotes innovation and develops leadership qualities in everyone.
• It creates an environment of learning and professional growth by finding opportunities and supporting all employees in their career paths.
• Integrity and ethics are the core values of servant leadership, and they help the team make tough decisions.
• Lastly, servant leaders use the power of persuasion rather than commanding subordinates to fulfill a work requirement.

Advantages of Servant Leadership in the Workplace

Such an approach has several benefits for the organization and employees. 

• Employee Retention. When employees are heard and cared for, they feel they belong to the workplace and are more satisfied with their jobs. Hence, they tend to stay with their employers.
• Strong Bonds. Servant leadership creates strong bonds within teams built on empathy and listening to others.
• High Engagement Levels. As a result, employees are more engaged and productive in their work.

Challenges of Servant Leadership

The benefits of Servant leadership are still quite limited due to specific challenges. For one, it is time-intensive, and it takes a lot of time to build this level of deep involvement and concern for the employees.

Some people still view it as a weak structure, and at times, the employees may feel empowered enough to try to supersede authority.

Wrap Up

Servant leadership is one of the more popular theories of leadership, especially among Christian leaders who vigorously cite Jesus as the penultimate example of servant leadership. 

However, its effectiveness in organizations is still being debated. Many researchers and theorists argue that servant leaders can become so focused on the needs of their followers that the needs of the organization suffer as a result. 

In any case, Servant leadership theory has a place within the spectrum of leadership theory, as it represents the most robust emphasis on followers of any theory.

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More Articles in This Series:

• Intro to Leadership Theory
• Why Theory
• A Word on Theory
• Trait Theory
• Skills Theory
• Style Theory
• Contingency Theory
• Situational Leadership Theory
• Path-Goal Theory
• Leader-Member Exchange Theory
• Transformational Leadership Theory
• Servant Leadership Theory
• Strengths-Based Leadership Theory