International Journal of Servant-Leadership
Abstract
According to Robert K. Greenleaf, Love is an indefinable term, and its manifestations are both subtle and infinite. But it begins, I believe, with one absolute condition: unlimited liability! As soon as one's liability for another is qualified to any degree, love is diminished by that much. Institutions, as we know them, are designed to limit liability for those who serve through them. (2002, p. 52) This is consistent with Winston (2002) and with a research model I proposed in 2003, both attempts to begin to name the connection between love and servant-leadership. Winston admonishes leaders to begin to see followers as hired hearts instead of hired hands, stating this unique call to servants-as-leaders begins with agapao love. Agapao love is moral love, love that directs the servant-leader toward the right or the ultimate good, at the right time and for the right reasons. The servant-leadership model I proposed identified love as the cornerstone of the servant/follower connection. To fully understand the important crucible where love meets servant-leadership, a more thorough understanding of love is needed.
Recommended Citation
McClellan, Jeffrey
(2009)
"Research-Based Models of Servant-Leadership: A Review of the Literature,"
International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 5, Article 12.
DOI: 10.33972/ijsl.217
Available at:
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol5/iss1/12
Copyright Information
Copyright 2009 The Author(s). All rights reserved