Three Characteristics Of Servant Leadership In Practice

Improved Essays
Servant Leadership in Practice Servant leadership encompasses the idea that leadership is accessible to everyone. While it is attainable to all, it requires great effort in order to be successful in the eyes of all parties impacted. Leadership can be defined as an actual skill, which when mastered, inspires people to extend themselves at work in a passionate way, in order to meet goals that are known and felt to be for the wellness of all. Three servant leadership characteristics that stand out amongst many and will be illustrated below are honesty, patience and respectfulness. Without these three characteristics, we do not have authority, and without authority, we do not have longevity in our path as leaders (Hunter, 1998). These will be …show more content…
In order to be successful at such an undertaking, a leader must possess the quality of patience, which would be defined as a display of willpower and restraint to better a situation (Hunter, 1998). It is extremely important that leaders create an environment in which mistakes are not only allowed, but that are approached with kindness and a willingness to provide education (Hunter, 1998). It is true that leaders may have expectation and that there must be boundaries, however, patience means taking the emotional reaction out of context to better allow for professional development (Hunter, 1998). According to Marquis and Huston (2015), this means that even in stressful situation in which the leader may be overwhelmed and pressed for time, that the leader must make sure to select words cautiously, steering clear of harming those being …show more content…
As I have learned, we can all be servant leaders in many contexts. What has made the biggest impression on me is the idea of love. According to Hunter (1998), we cannot always control the way that we feel about certain individuals, but we can control the way that we behave towards them. This idea is crucial in that it allows one to be human, but it also creates this expectation of treating people kindly, compassionately and with respect. When people feel respected, they are innately pushed to be the best version of themselves. Additionally, the art of active listening is on the forefront of my mind. Listening is one of our best chances to show people that we appreciate them and feel that they are significant (Hunter, 1998). These ideas are not new to me, but they are clear in my mind now as ways in which I can practice and enhance the skill that can be learned as to how to become an effective

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In previous assignments, I distinguished between authentic and servant leadership approaches. Authentic leadership focuses on qualities that help leaders to be perceived as trustworthy and believable by their followers (Northouse, 2012). One of the many strengths of authentic leadership is that it fulfills a need for trustworthy leadership (Northouse, 2012). According to Northouse (2012), servant leaders put followers first, empower them, and help them develop their full personal capacity. Servant leaders build strong relationships with others by giving followers the support they need, involving them in decisions, and building a sense of…

    • 93 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Thank you for your positive feedback. Opposition to servant leadership are under the belief that servant leaders are timid and seek the approval of others for confirmation however, servant leadership according to Van Eeden (2008) et al servant leaders are “Transformational” in nature. Van Eeden et al suggest that transformational leadership promotes “intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence” which in turns help transformational leaders garner trust, respect, and admiration from their follower.…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The text, Servant Leadership, by Robert K. Greenleaf, is a fascinating book that outlines the aspects of a true leader. In relation to my summer internship at Fortress Bank, formerly known as First State Bank of Illinois, I took on the roll of a leader. More importantly, I took on the roll of a servant leader as I become a team player that was a vital cog in the running of the company. Throughout this essay, I will compare and relate the aforementioned text to my summer experience. I enjoyed the author’s dialogue regarding community as I felt that it was comparable to Fortress Bank’s recent rebranding.…

    • 2047 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In recent years, the sports world has become plagued with unethical and immoral scandals. A study conducted by Burton, Peachey, and Wells (2017) evaluates the role of servant leadership in creating and maintaining a more ethical climate within collegiate sports. With scandals such as Jerry Sandusky's sexual misconduct at Penn State, academic scandals in various schools, sexual misconduct at Baylor, Maimi and others, it leads one to realize the collegiate sports culture needs a drastic overhaul. Burton et al. (2017) propose that organizational climates that lead to unethical behavior among leaders, administrators, and coaches seem to be more the norm than the exception in Sports organizations, and therefore needs an immediate cultural reform in the ranks of leadership.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the book, The Servant, James Hunter explores the concept of Servant Leadership. Throughout the narrative, lives of people from various walks in life are analyzed with the lens of servant leadership. The reader can look into the life of a Healthcare worker, a soldier, a member of corporate America and an educator. Characteristics of Servant Leadership Active Listening…

    • 1092 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The concept of servant-leadership which mirrors Jesus’ style of governance may have developed from church settings. Nonetheless, Robert Greenleaf coined the phrase, servant leadership and to a greater degree was responsible for its notoriety. Berger (2014) study summarized servant leadership as follows: • Leaders whose primary motivation is a desire to help others grow and succeed. • Leaders promote emotional healing and creates value for the community. • Leaders holistically engaged people within the community through a positive organizational culture.…

    • 234 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I would like to express my interest in the Assistant Superintendent position with Lafayette County School District . My experience as an educator in multiple school districts across our state provides me many perspectives for navigating a district leadership position. This experience has provided me expertise in elementary education and federal programs to assist Lafayette County School District in achieving excellence. The roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and director have helped me develop skills to promote student learning and school success in a variety of settings.…

    • 235 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are countless of theories we have discussed, but only three resonated with who I am as a person and are the foundation of my leadership style; servant leadership, situational leadership, and path-goal leadership. Servant leadership according to Greenleaf (1970, 1972, 1977) focuses on the leaders being attentive to the follower’s needs/concerns, empathizing with followers, and nurturing them. In this concept, leaders put followers first and help them develop personally and professionally. Komives (2011) believes Greenleaf’s vision of a servant leader can lead to leaders’ exhibition of authenticity, integrity, and trustworthiness. This concept was evident to me due to the time spent as a Board member of Human Relations Leadership Association at Montclair State University.…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These are highly sought after traits in a servant leadership model as…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Servant Leadership: Leading the Way to a More Just and Caring World Amberlie Silva Denver School of Nursing Servant Leadership: Leading the Way to a More Just and Caring World Throughout history, leadership has been portrayed as the sole responsibility of select individuals that were chosen through circumstance or job title to do and achieve great things (Rogers, 2009). This concept of leadership implies that decisions are made to the betterment of those in powerful positions and not to serve the needs of an entire organization. Servant leadership changes this concept and places the importance of good leadership qualities on every part of an entire organization, by motivating others to “become the…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Characteristics of Servant Leadership One characteristic of servant leadership is being genuine. As nurses we have a huge responsibility to build trust with our patients. If there is not trust, then patients will have lower levels of patient satisfaction, and may not feel like they are in a safe environment.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Servant leadership has its origin from religion; servant…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Servant leadership starts with a vision and ends with a servant heart that help people live according to that vision” (Blanchard & Hodges, 2003, p.57). In this case,…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Listening- Leaders are usually distinguished by the respect they have of listening and learning from others as well as having that outspoken confidence to lead. Despite the way that these are basic aptitudes for the common leader, they ought to be strengthened by a significant obligation to listening energetically to others. He or she listens responsively to what is being said verbally and implied through what is not being said, in other words, body language. Listening likewise develops one 's own inward voice. Tuning in, combined with times of reflection, is crucial to the development and prosperity of the workforce by a well-rounded attitude.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Overview Servant leadership is ideology that a leader serves the people that they lead. They do this by ensuring the welfare of the people are taken care of. Servant leaders is describes as a leader who serves others first, who brings a sense of belonging and community, and disperses the power evenly among the people (Adhiambo, J. M. ,2012, pg.11). The culture that I chose to show example of servant leadership is one of the poorest cultures in the world and its leaders in the region are some of the most corrupted. Even with all this said the cultures of Africa have had some great examples of a servant leader and what it can do in a region.…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays