Servant leadership

Origins

The term servant leadership was introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990), for many years director of management research at AT&T, in the essay The Servant as Leader (1970). His inspiration was Hermann Hesse's novel Journey to the East: a band of travellers is supported by the servant Leo, and when he disappears the journey falls apart. Years later it turns out that Leo was the head of the order that sponsored the journey. Greenleaf concluded that the great leader is seen as servant first.

Servant first

Greenleaf wrote that the servant-leader is servant first - it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, and then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He contrasted this with the “leader first” stance, driven by a need for power or acquisition.

The most quoted passage of the essay is the best test: do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And what is the effect on the least privileged in society?

Spears' ten characteristics

Larry Spears, long-time head of the Greenleaf Center, drew ten characteristics of the servant-leader from Greenleaf's writings:

1. listening,
2. empathy,
3. healing (care for wounds in people and relationships),
4. awareness, including self-awareness,
5. persuasion rather than coercion,
6. conceptualisation - the ability to think in terms of vision,
7. foresight,
8. stewardship,
9. commitment to the growth of people,
10. building community.

Research

For years the concept was more a philosophy than an empirical theory. Since the 2000s measurement tools have been developed (e.g. Liden et al., 2008; van Dierendonck, 2011). Meta-analyses indicate that servant leadership is associated with engagement, trust, prosocial behaviour and team performance, and partly explains them beyond transformational leadership (Hoch et al., 2018).

Criticism and misunderstandings

• Servanthood is sometimes confused with submissiveness or avoiding hard decisions. In Greenleaf the leader still leads, sets direction and takes responsibility - what changes is motivation and purpose.
• “Whose servant?” - the leader serves people and the mission, not whims.

Gospel roots

Greenleaf was a Quaker, and his concept clearly resonates with the Gospel: “whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43) and with the washing of feet (John 13). See Christian leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf, The Servant as Leader.