Edward D. Hess: Servant Leadership Analysis

In this article, Edward D. Hess reveals that servant leader leads a path to high performance, specifically leaders in the service sector. Servant leaders share the common characteristic of “leading by example” (Hess, 2013). “These leaders were servants in the best sense of the word. They were people-centric, valued service to others and believed they had a duty of stewardship. Nearly all were humble and passionate operators who were deeply involved in the details of the business. Most had long tenures in their organizations. They had not forgotten what it was like to be a line employee” (Hess, 2013). Additionally, “they believed that every employee should be treated with respect and have the opportunity to do meaningful work. They led by example, …show more content…
Like behaviors, a servant leader’s attitudes and beliefs underpin successful leadership. Attitudes and beliefs are fundamental because what you think and feel drives behaviors. Servant leaders do not think they are better than the people they lead. Servant leaders do not think that unless employees are watched like hawks, they won’t work hard. They believe that if you create the right values and culture normal people will do extraordinary things. The behavior of leaders, coupled with attitudes and beliefs, either enables or inhibits high performance. Good intentions and words are not enough. The best leaders understand that daily behaviors count. And leadership is hard work because it takes discipline. Servant leaders are vigilant in fighting elitism, arrogance, complacency and hubris daily” (Hess, 2013). Servant leaders encourage others to do their best, which motivates everyone. At last, this article is important because it is crucial for a company to know that in order to have a path to high performance leaders must serve their employees and treat them as