Servant Leadership Philosophy
Throughout over a decade in the military, I have striven to embody the idea of the servant as a leader as my core leadership philosophy. However, this unorthodox leadership style is often hard to pair with the rigidity of the modern Army. Command relies on the dissemination of tasks and their timely execution. But in order to ensure there is confidence in the orders being given, and that teams can function together to accomplish the mission, leaders must first foster trust. Trust is most easily fostered when subordinates know they are genuinely cared for, and through servitude leaders are able to see to their needs, inspire through action, and produce future leaders.
Broadly defined, the structure of the Army is …show more content…
However, Robert K. Greenleaf, a modern interpreter of this leadership style, shed new light and applicability on its use. He took inspiration from Herman Hesse's Journey to the East, in which a servant accompanies a group of men on a journey. This servant sees to all their daily needs: he completes their chores, regales them with song and story. The servant, Leo, is made out to be a character of tremendous character, compassion, intellect and presence. By virtue of him, the band is able to move towards accomplishment of its mission. However, when he inexplicably disappears the band falls into disarray, losing its compass and center (McGee-Cooper, 2013). Through this analogy, the lens of what it is to be a servant leader is focused, and it is no surprise that it bears strong resemblance to the modern …show more content…
Through this simple, yet profound, oath we enter into a complex bond of servitude which defines the entirety of our careers. As we move up from Soldiers to Non-commissioned officers, creeds and doctrine further supplement our oath and reinforce this bond. Specifically, the Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer outlines the role we fill as servant leaders. We spurn our own self-interest; we seek no individual credit, we seek no aggrandizement. The traditional marks of success: money, glory, praise; are rejected in favor of the satisfaction of mission accomplishment. The needs and welfare of our Soldiers are codified as our basic
Throughout over a decade in the military, I have striven to embody the idea of the servant as a leader as my core leadership philosophy. However, this unorthodox leadership style is often hard to pair with the rigidity of the modern Army. Command relies on the dissemination of tasks and their timely execution. But in order to ensure there is confidence in the orders being given, and that teams can function together to accomplish the mission, leaders must first foster trust. Trust is most easily fostered when subordinates know they are genuinely cared for, and through servitude leaders are able to see to their needs, inspire through action, and produce future leaders.
Broadly defined, the structure of the Army is …show more content…
However, Robert K. Greenleaf, a modern interpreter of this leadership style, shed new light and applicability on its use. He took inspiration from Herman Hesse's Journey to the East, in which a servant accompanies a group of men on a journey. This servant sees to all their daily needs: he completes their chores, regales them with song and story. The servant, Leo, is made out to be a character of tremendous character, compassion, intellect and presence. By virtue of him, the band is able to move towards accomplishment of its mission. However, when he inexplicably disappears the band falls into disarray, losing its compass and center (McGee-Cooper, 2013). Through this analogy, the lens of what it is to be a servant leader is focused, and it is no surprise that it bears strong resemblance to the modern …show more content…
Through this simple, yet profound, oath we enter into a complex bond of servitude which defines the entirety of our careers. As we move up from Soldiers to Non-commissioned officers, creeds and doctrine further supplement our oath and reinforce this bond. Specifically, the Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer outlines the role we fill as servant leaders. We spurn our own self-interest; we seek no individual credit, we seek no aggrandizement. The traditional marks of success: money, glory, praise; are rejected in favor of the satisfaction of mission accomplishment. The needs and welfare of our Soldiers are codified as our basic