Three Characteristics Of Servant Leadership In Practice

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