Theory/Construct Servant Leadership: A Journey

¶ … Theory/Construct

Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness

When it comes to leading others, there is more than one way to do it. It is important, though, that the right way is sought out and consistently utilized. When people are led grudgingly and they are unhappy, they often find that they do not do the quality and quantity of work they would otherwise be doing. They suffer, and the company they work for suffers. The leader remains ineffective, but sometimes the followers are the ones who get the blame (Greenleaf, 1997). To have legitimate leadership and hold onto power in the right way, says Greenleaf (1997), the leader needs to be a fair and honest person who the followers can see is actually working toward the betterment of the company. He needs to be a servant, and give of himself.

When leaders and followers work as a team, more gets done. That is not just because of the team effort, but because of everything it produces - like higher morale and happier workers. When workers are happy they give more to their companies. That allows them to gain more in the way of raises, bonuses, and promotions. In turn, these benefits keep them interested in working harder. Leaders are charged with the duty of keeping their followers working and keeping their morale high (Greenleaf, 1997). There are only so many ways for this to take place, however, and what a leader does can shape the destiny of his followers for a long time to come. Many leaders do not take this seriously, and they fail to realize just how important it is for them to be a part of what their followers are doing.

According to Greenleaf (1997), servant leaders are transformational leaders. That is opposed to transactional leaders, who focus largely on a situation and what to do about it as it appears. Transformational leaders are forward-thinkers, and they do not wait for something to happen and then react to it (Bass & Avolio, 1994). Instead, they look ahead to the things that may take place within an organization, and they plan and prepare for them (Greenleaf, 1997; Bass & Avolio, 1994). By doing this, they are ready for the future and so are their followers. The company can move forward, and it can grow and change quickly, simply because the leader is paying attention.

The basic idea that Greenleaf (1997) offers in this work is an extension of what was offered by Bass & Avolio (1994) when they discussed transformational leadership. People respond to leaders who appear to care about them and the company as a whole. They respond to leaders who are interested in a group effort and who are willing to work alongside their followers, instead of just telling other people what to do. The main theory that Greenleaf (1997) presents goes right along with that context: leadership is not about ordering people around, but about guiding them toward something that improves a situation for everyone involved in it. That cannot be done through transactional leadership, but it can be done through transformational and servant leadership.

The work that Greenleaf (1997) has done with this particular book has helped to advance and also to reinforce the idea that leadership can be more compassionate. It is not weak to help one's followers out and do things along with them. It is not wrong to show vulnerability and allow followers to see that a leader is human (Greenleaf, 1997). When a leader makes mistakes, it is very important that he admits it and works to correct it. Seeing that someone is a human being who is fallible but trying to improve can be a great way for a follower to realize he has more in common with a leader than he may have thought (Greenleaf, 1997). Doing this also helps to show that leaders are not 'better than' and followers are not 'less than.' These are simply different positions. Someone has to lead or there will be chaos, and there can be no leader without followers.

By bringing the concept of servant leadership to the table in such a strong way, Greenleaf (1997) helps to advance the field of leadership. It is not a secret that leadership, overall, is changing. There are people who want to do more at their companies but they do not always have the opportunity to do so. Sometimes the opportunity may be there, but the people are too frightened to speak out. They fear that they will get in trouble because they suggest doing things differently, so they remain silent even if they have good ideas (Greenleaf, 1997). Greenleaf (1997), like Bass and Avolio (1994) before him, works to show that people should speak up, and should be encouraged to do so, so that change can continue.

Leaders who encourage their followers to speak up and share ideas are generally more appreciated. They make their followers feel important, and show them they have value. That value is important, and it encourages a follower to do more, say more, and work harder. It allows for a strong team feeling that is not offered with transactional leadership. In comparing the work of Greenleaf (1997) with the work of Bass and Avolio (1994), it is easy to see that there are few differences. Bass and Avolio (1994) use the term 'transformational leadership, while Greenleaf (1997) uses the term 'servant leadership.' This is mostly an issue of semantics, because these two kinds of leadership are virtually the same - and they are both far different from the way transactional leadership is conducted.

There are, of course, leaders who resist the idea of servant leadership. They often think they will be giving away their power if they are more willing to be part of a team. In reality, though, they will be gaining much more power than they would have otherwise had. This is due to the fact that their followers will respond better to the compassion of their leaders than they will be simply being told to do something. Few people enjoy being ordered around, but many of them do enjoy working with others and seeing that they can accomplish goals and dreams - especially if those make life better for a lot of people, not just themselves. A leader who is also a servant shows his dedication, and that is something that is very difficult to put a price on (Greenleaf, 1997).