Tae's Blog

“Servant Leader”.

When I first heard the term, “Servant Leader,”  I found it immediately interesting because it seemed like an oxymoron. How can a leader who is supposed to lead followers be a servant?

According to the Comm 292 textbook, servant leadership is “a leadership style marked by going beyond the leader’s own self-interest and instead focusing on opportunities to help followers grow and develop.”

Servant leaders appreciate the individual characteristic of a group to maximize each member’s ability by helping and taking care of them. Not only do servant leaders tend to their followers for the result of their collective works, but they are also mindful of their lives outside the workplace and are cognizant of opportunities that reflect their talents. This concept of leadership is found to be unique in our society, as positions of authority are typically characterized by narcissistic and demanding leaders who often exude an overbearing demeanor. This traditional leadership style may still generate success, but there is a high possibility that the leader is not maximizing the opportunities for both employees and the company.

I personally admire the idea of servant leadership, as I believe that I am more of a listener than talker. If the concept of service leads to success, the leader will be highly respected and tightly knit to his or her followers who feel appreciated and exude a sense of self-worth. This pleasant environment within the company will potentiate successful results and mitigate issues with human resources, a lack of trust, and health. In turn, followers’ genuine passion and motivation towards their work may develop a whole new level of outcome for a company. However, I believe this would be strongly dependent on the leader and the followers’ personality and previous experiences. For instance, a servant leader with voluntary limited authority may not be able to lead her/his followers when it is necessary.  Therefore, I believe that the balance in between servant leader and authority is a significant factor to think about as a leader.

In the 21^st century, there appears to be room for various types of leaders, but in 2017’s climate of change and uncertainty, especially related to the United States’ election of President Donald Trump, the idea of leadership is being contested on a daily basis. Perhaps what has worked for Trump in the business world in the last few decades may not spill over in the ultimate leadership role, leading me to think, was he more of a global servant leader who demonstrates care for all people, or would he have started off on a different foot?

Langton, N., Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2016). Organizational Behaviour Concepts, Controversies, Applications. Toronto: Pearson. p403

Image:

On The Beat: Servant Leadership [Digital image]. (2016, December 7). Retrieved February 5, 2017, from http://lawofficer.com/leadership/on-the-beat-servant-leadership/