International Journal of Servant-Leadership
Abstract
The leadership literature often enumerates different leadership types and qualities (Northouse, 2002). This article aims to examine servant-leadership using an empirical example with a coherent theoretical basis. It centres on Fethullah Giilen, the initiator of a worldwide Islamic social movement. Giilen is of Turkish origin but has lived in the United States since 1999 because of the repressive political atmosphere of Turkey and due to some personal health problems. He has been defined as a harmonizing leader and an intellectual-scholar (ulama) focussing on social reforms and mentality change (Bulac, 2005). The movement inspired by Giilen emerged in the late 1960s as a local group around Izmir, an Aegean city in Turkey. In the mid1980s, it led to the establishment of educational institutions and spread to other parts of Turkey. As it spread geographically, it transformed from a local group into a nationwide social movement. In the 1990s, the Gi.ilen movement experienced its second transformation. It changed from a national social movement into a transnational one by opening institutions internationally and gathering followers from various nationalities (Kuru, 2005). It is interesting to analyse the role of Giilen's leadership in the transformation process and the extension of his community. This article attempts to give an answer to the following question: Which characteristics and dynamics behind Fethullah Giilen's leadership style play a part in the spread and success of his movement?
Recommended Citation
Celik, Gurkan and Alan, Yusuf
(2007)
"Fethullah Gulen as a Servant-Leader,"
International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 3, Article 16.
DOI: 10.33972/ijsl.268
Available at:
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol3/iss1/16
Copyright Information
Copyright 2007 The author(s). All Rights reserved