Leads for Moral Authority

The Seventh Pillar of Servant Leadership: Moral Authority
Servant leadership implies “informal authority,” not authority based on entitlement, pedigree, or use of force (Serrat, 2014). Instead, the servant leader leads with moral convictions, embodying ethical tenets with grace, composure, good character, and vision. A servant leader also values the moral authority of others, recognizing that a person can be in a lowly position and possess strong morality that can contribute to the organization. Likewise, the servant leader has the courage to stand up for change or speak out against injustice when someone in a position of formal authority abuses that power or exhibits poor moral judgment. Like a transformational leader, a servant leader also empowers other members of the team, being firm, decisive, and strong but also adaptable and collaborative (Davis, 2015). Authority entails confidence and conviction; morality means leading with principles. Leading with moral authority requires the special set of skills and attitudes that comprise the true servant leader.
Moral authority entails leading with a moral compass that is both firm and flexible. Creating a “culture of accountability,” a servant leader acts with honesty and integrity, admitting errors and never deferring blame (Laub, 2018, p. 126). A servant leader with moral authority also shares power, as there is no such thing as absolute authority in the organization. All servant leaders deliberately create collaborative teams, so that the organization can function well and achieve its goals even when the individual leaders may no longer be with the company. As Davis (2015) points out, moral authority means sacrificing personal gain in order to promote the greater good.
Servant leaders help create organizations with goals and values that go beyond profitability and extend into areas like social justice and community service. Embedding the principle of moral authority into the organization, a servant leader makes sure that human resources decisions are made deliberately, recruiting and retaining individuals who understand the vision and are willing to collaborate towards the fulfillment of collective, mutually beneficial outcomes (Serrat, 2014). Servant leaders set an example, too, carving pathways for effective succession planning.
Personal Reflections
Standing with the other six pillars, leading with moral authority encapsulates what it means to be a servant leader. To lead with moral authority, I need to cultivate characteristics like compassion, humility, and integrity (Davis, 2015). Even when endowed with tremendous responsibility, I do not take my role as a license to act as I please or to arbitrarily exert power by overriding others’ decisions or silencing input. As a servant leader determined to make a difference in the world, I collaborate with others, listening to what others have to say, honoring diversity and dissent, and working hard to come up with creative solutions to our collective problems.
The times I have led with moral authority are also times that I have been willing to listen to others, including subordinates. Earning rather than demanding trust and respect, I let my actions be examples to others. I also welcome feedback and criticism, and am willing to change. Leading with moral authority also means introducing all of the other six pillars of servant leadership such as systems thinking, compassionate collaboration, foresight, communication, putting people first, and being a person of character. For example, I create diverse teams that work together well to solve problems. If I have an idea that is unpopular or outlandish, I share that idea courageously, seeking input while also sharing with the team why I feel or believe this is the best approach and avoiding forcing my views on others. Leading with moral authority may be one of the most challenging pillars of servant leadership to uphold over time because of the ways money and power have the potential to corrupt. However, a principled leader is always surrounded by those who can provide reality checks that ensure that moral convictions and ethical action prevails.



References
Davis, C.J. (2015). Servant leadership and moral authority. https://drcrystaldavis.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/servant-leadership-and-moral-authority/
Laub, J. (2018). Leveraging the Power of Servant Leadership. West Palm Beach: Palgrave.
Serrat, O. (2014). Informal authority and the enduring appeal of servant leaders. Public Sector Digest, Summer 2014. https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1410&context=intl