Servant Leadership and Public Service

Class Post on Servant Leadership and Public Servants

Good Morning R:

I believe servant leadership is a style that persons who serve the public in any manner should know and embody. Several researchers agree that if people were more self-transcendent (a sense of spirituality) then their servant leadership behavior is better. Servant leadership, as discussed by Greenleaf (1977), is exemplified leaders who embody servant leadership values and the desire to serve others, in his or her own workplace and in the greater world (Sendjaya, 2005).

Spears (1996), Sendjaya and Perkerti (2010), and Joseph and Winston (2005) highlighted servant leadership is assisting others to become spiritually conscious of and to place trust in others. Sendjaya and Perkerti (2010) along with other scholars (Beazley, 2002; Beazley & Gemmill, 2005; Liden et al, 2008; Reave, 2005; Sendjaya, Sarros, & Santora, 2008; Stupak & Stupack, 2006) found evidence supporting the relationship between spirituality (self-transcendence) of leaders and his or her servant-leader behaviors. So, does this mean that politicians are not spiritually enlightened? Well, some scholars believe there is a definite connection, and that this connection can be seen directly through the leader’s work and interaction with their followers.

Reference

Beazley, D. A. (2002). Spiritual orientation of a leader and perceived leader behavior: A

correlational study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 63(04), 1436A.

Beazley, D. A., & Gemmill, G. (2005, January). Spirituality and servant leader behavior:

A correlational study. Paper presented at the International Conference on Applied

Management and Decision Sciences, Athens, Georgia

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate

power and greatness. New York, NY: Paulist Press.

Joseph, E. E., & Winston, B. E. (2005). A correlation of servant leadership, leader

trust, and organizational trust. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26(1), 6-22. doi:

10.1108/01437730510575552

Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership:

Development of a multi-dimensional measure and multi-level assessment. Leadership Quarterly,

19(2), 161-177. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984308000040

Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. The

Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 655-687. Retrieved from

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.07.003

Sendjaya, S. (2005). Servant leadership: A quiet revolution in the workplace. Newsletter

of the MLQ Network, 7(3), 1-2.

Sendjaya, S., & Pekerti, A. (2010). Servant leadership as antecedent of trust in

organizations. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(7), 643-663.

doi:10.1108/01437731011079673

Sendjaya, S., Sarros, J. C., & Santora, J. (2008). Defining and measuring servant

leadership behavior in organizations. Journal of Management Studies, 45(2), 402-424. doi:

10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00761.x

Stupak, R., & Stupak, K. (2005). Finding organizational reality in paradise: A team of

two. Public Administration Quarterly, 29(3), 481-492. Retrieved from

http://www.questia.com/library/1P3-1017699211/finding-organizational-reality-in-paradise-a-

team

Shared Leadership and Empathy

Class Post on Shared Leadership and Empathy

Good Morning R:

I agree with your discussion of the King Arthur’s round table. It reminds me of the concept of shared leadership. In the shared leadership approach, a quality of servant leaders is the ability of listening to and understanding the other person (Greenleaf, 1970). Greenleaf (1970) affirmed to be a servant leader, one must become disciplined in listening and realizing that listening comes first in helping anyone with anything (Greenleaf, 1970). Listening aligns behavior and cognition with everyday activities (Van Engen, 2012) and is most effective when it makes connects with others, and involves a give-and-take relationship (Sipe & Frick, 2009). Through the act of listening, feedback is offered, relationships develop and mature, and leaders are created. The servant leader who is a skilled communicator displays a core competency of servant leadership (Sipe & Frick, 2009).

Empathy is also linked to servant leadership. Kouzes and Posner (2007) found empathy is critical to effective leadership; along with listening, empathy, and trust, servant leaders make organizations functional and influence others within the organization (Russell & Stone, 2002). Greenleaf (1970) claimed servant leaders have an unqualified acceptance and a tolerance of imperfection. Empathy allows the followers to grow taller when they know they are accepted for who they are. Taken together, listening, empathy, and trust allow servant leaders to facilitate relationships and demonstrate attributes such as trust, integrity, accountability, and authentic concern for people (Kouzes & Pozner, 2010).

References

Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Indianapolis, IN: The Robert K.

Greenleaf Center.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco,

CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2010). The truth about leadership. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Russell, R. F., & Stone, A. G. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes:

Developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal,

23(3), 145-157. doi:10.1108/01437730210424

Sipe, J. W., & Frick, D. M. (2009). Seven pillars of servant leadership. Mahwah, NJ:

Paulist Press.

Van Engen, E. K. (2012). The role of communication and listening in leadership

(Master’s Thesis). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database.

(UMI No. 1511677)

Servant Leadership and Political Leaders

This is a post in class concerning Servant Leadership and Political Leaders

Good Morning R:

Thank you for your post. I agree with you on this question. Greenleaf (1977) explored the leader as a servant and postulated that the servant leader is searching and listening, always hopeful for something better. Possessing an attitude of service is critical to leadership in Greenleaf’s view. To practice silence and have openness to uncertainty is necessary for the servant leader. A deep sense of empathy and a tolerance for imperfection in people is important to the servant leader (Greenleaf, 1977). 

One characteristic of a servant leader is to bridge the gap with his or her own sense of intuition and develop a high level of trust for the people he or she serves. This is what I expect from our political leaders as well as any local, state, or government-elected persons. A leader who exemplifies servant leadership can see the growth of servant leadership in the people served (Greenleaf, 1977). If those being served are wiser, freer, and healthier, the leader is practicing servant leadership (Greenleaf, 1977).

Reference

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York, NY: Paulist Press.