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International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Abstract

As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB), educational accountability standards have increased (Stecher & Kirby, 2004). Educational leaders are now responsible for meeting expectations unparalleled by those of previous decades (Aldridge, 2003). Halpern (2003) affirmed, "Rapid changes ... require new kinds of leadership - leaders who have the necessary knowledge to achieve a goal and leaders who can manage amid the uncertainty of nonstop change" (p. 126). The necessity for a change in leadership is based on the need for an "ethic of caring" (Grogan, 2003, p. 25). Current literature also supports a need for a leadership model that is caring and ethical in nature (Halpin, 2003). Grogan (2003) describes the leader's role as being "predicated on caring about those he or she serves" (p. 24). The emerging leadership model of servant-leadership may have the unique behaviors and characteristics necessary to implement the changes required of such mandates, as the servant-leader is one who consciously chooses to lead through service to others (Autry, 2001; Hunter, 2004). Servant-leadership is both a philosophy and a working model (Spears, 2001). As described by Greenleaf (1977), "The servant-leader is servant first. . .It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead" (p. 13). While addressing rigors of federal and state directives, the greater value may be in the impact the servant-leader has upon the school's culture: the guiding beliefs, assumptions, and expectations evident in the way a school operates (Pullan & Hargreaves, 1996). While there are numerous studies investigating effective leadership, few have been noted that investigate the impact that servant-leadership theory has on a K-12 school's culture. In order to fully investigate that impact, a mixed-design approach was selected. Using the superintendent as the unit of analysis, the following research questions guided the inquiry: 1. How is servant-leadership defined and what does it look like in a public education setting? 2. Does the utilization of servant-leadership by a public school leader have an impact upon others working within the school organization? And if so, how? Conceptual Underpinings In order to discern how a servant-leader impacts the culture of a public education (K-12) setting, three constructs were applied to this investigation: effective and transformational leadership, servant-leadership, and organizational health.

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