International Journal of Servant-Leadership
Abstract
The concept of a servant-leader can be challenging because, on its face, it sounds paradoxical. How can one lead by being a servant? The very idea of this concept in organizational life seems incongruent, due in large part to the long history of top-down, coercive power-based management practices. As the father of servant-leadership, Robert Greenleaf, writes in 1998, “Coercive power exists because certain people are granted (or assume) sanctions to impose their will on others. These sanctions may be overt, as when one may be penalized or punished if one does not comply; or the sanctions may be covert and subtle if one’s weaknesses and sentiments are exploited and thus pressure is applied.” Northouse, writing in 2019, adds that “Leaders who use coercion are interested in their own goals and seldom interested in the wants and needs of followers. Using coercion runs counter to working with followers to achieve a common goal.” If this is true, what then, is a servant-leader and how can a servant-leader exert influence on modern organizational maladies? According to Greenleaf (1977/2002), the test of whether someone is acting as a servant-leader is through the answer to the following questions: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? (p. 27) What are the core characteristics of a servant-leader that enables her or him to effectively lead from a position of servanthood? What tools are necessary to be successful in a contemporary organization? Greenleaf would say listening is the number one characteristic. However, there are other characteristics that a servant-leader must have in order to lead authentically. If a servant-leader wants to serve first, empower others, help them grow and help others to become servant-leaders themselves the servant-leader must possess, practice and display humility and vulnerability. These qualities are paramount to creating an environment where followers can feel safe to bring their whole selves to work. When followers feel they can be vulnerable, they will offer ideas and solutions more freely. They will be able to bring what is uniquely “them” to the team. They will be more open to collaboration and feedback without feeling attacked, belittled, or marginalized. Humility is also key to collaboration. A servant-leader who exhibits humility and vulnerability is one who is authentic.
Recommended Citation
Fuller, Douglas J.
(2022)
"Servant-Leadership, Diversity, and Forgiveness,"
International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 16, Article 19.
DOI: 10.33972/ijsl.355
Available at:
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol16/iss1/19
Copyright Information
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