Helen Hassa

 SERVANT LEADERSHIP: Helen Kassa

The modern concept of servant leadership started by Robert Green leaf in 1970.  However, the concept is thousand years older than this, and stems at least partly from Jesus Teachings on leadership.  Modern theory of management developed since 1950 that focus on organization and management.  Although management, leadership and servant leadership have slight differences, in principle there is conceptual bases and integration.  Servant leadership is a newer model that attempts simultaneously enhance the capacity of workers. 

21^st century is beginning to experience the traditional autocratic and hierarchical styles of leadership are gradually wiping out of function.  The newer approaches that give priority to other people’s needs are being served.

Servant leadership is an approach to leadership development and practical philosophy, which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead the individuals and institutions.

Servant leadership emphasizes the leaders role as steward of the resources provided by the organization.  It encourages leaders to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organization’s values.  To be a servant leader it is not necessary to hold formal leadership positions.  In Matt. 19:30 states that “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”.

In order to be true leader you must seek to serve others.  Jesus to teach they must wash each other’s feet (John 13:14) servant leadership means the practice of accessibility, friendly, affability, vulnerability, vitality, teaching, impartiality, identifiably and stick ability David Lundy (2002 p: 3).  It is emphasized that “who ever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and who ever wants to be first must be slave of all”       J. David Lundy in Mark (10:43-45).

v     It encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening,

v     Ethical use of power and empowerment 

v     Gives direction

v     Hold linkages between individual and organization

v     “… Without leadership, an organization is but a muddle of men and machines.  Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically” (Herbert G. Hicks and C. Ray Gullet (1984) P: 301)

v     Motivates workers

Ø      Listening            Foresight

Ø      Persuasion            Empathy

Ø      Conceptualization            Stewardship

Ø      Commitment            Healing

Ø      Awareness            Community

Servant leadership is a sense of involving self-denial and carries any pain and sacrifice of love and imitation.  Servant leadership is something which you can exercise and sustain personal leadership as for as you can tolerate problems and any encounters across one’s life.  Servant leadership is indifferent from that of tradition not leadership in that it can the learned by family, people around you and working organizations.  Whereas traditional leadership is by born or made or naturally gifted.  There are certain characteristics that determine the style of leadership J. David Lundy (2002 P: 5) quotes in Bruce Jones “Ministerial leadership in managerial world some class leadership style as the simple extension of personality.. even in early childhood, dominant personality characteristics can be demonstrated”.   There are different styles of leadership such as authoritarian, laisefare and democratic.  However, human man has different ways to treat and respond to his environment.  The reactions come from minds.  When we give these reactions and behaviors patterns and responses we call styles.  In leadership style to make our understanding more of human and adjust in the way that we operate through learning process so as to acquire skills in order to serve better those whom we are accountable, and inspire directions and assistance from us.  Servant leadership works in greater flex ability and freedom from the style ship concept.

According J. David Lundy (2002 p: 11) proposed “basic styles of leadership are four, although there are some refinements and qualifications made in order to do justice to different perceptions concerning these basic styles. One of the four, styles is the autocratic leadership which left-brain dominates the course of action”. 

·                    High directive

·                    High controlling

·                    Sees and think in black and white

·                    Wants the degree of structure of predictability in a work situation J. David Lundy (Ibid)

·                    Look for speed

·                    Short focused

·                    Efficiency and result

As J. David states Hershey and Blanchard the autocratic leadership is a directive boss type is a help task and low human relationships.  The task oriented leadership is the extent of leaders to organic the roles and activities of groups/individuals whereas the relationship oriented is the extent of leaders to facilitate certain behavior in the performance of the task.  The means for relationship can be through personal relation, group or through members.

·                    Clear vision

·                    Goal oriented

·                    Requires intensive involvement of the leader

·                    Mainly works at micro-management

·                    Create limitation on problem solving

·                    Ineffective if members have more information whom the leader (J. David Lundy 2002 p: 15).

·                    In this respect the people/subordinate understand what actions to be taken and what are the needs to be done, the leader dominates and uses power or control over the subordinates.

There are various behaviors of combination that give distinct ways of performing any actions.  The analytical style leadership is characterized by over analyzing the situation, challenging and critical in decision-making.  The analytical leadership style is high relationship and high task oriented type of leadership.  It is also high supportive and high directive.

·                    Takes feed back from key people

·                    Asks other peoples opinion

·                    Time consuming

·                    Fits bureaucratic mind sets

Benevolent autocratic leadership is the 3^rd style in which J. David Lundy (2002 P: 17) indicates in Jones, Rowe and Mason “the right Brain called benevolent-autocratic is conceptual and characterized by creativity and broad out look”.  The leaders who have such characters are intuition, getting along with others, like discussion and willing to compromise.

·                    Curious and open minded

·                    Wants independence

·                    Dislike following rigid rules

The behavioral democratic style leader is a friendly style that listens to people.  As Herbert G. Hick and C. Ray Gullett (1984 P: 193) states George 2500 BC an Egyptian official states ‘’… a good hearing is shooting to the heart’’.

            The behavior of leader has a shepherded heart and interested in other people and exchanges ideas, views and comments of others.  They like verbal reports and short-term plan of actions.  The type of leadership is more social relation and low task-oriented, as they tend to be liked by every body and make every body feel happy.

            The Benevolent autocratic leaders give delegation to others, providing little support and freedom to the work teams.  He/she cares for people not programming and projecting works.  This type of leadership style is low task, low human relationship, low, direction and low support.

The servant leadership transforms the potentials and capabilities of people in to reality through one’s practical guidance towards the organizational goals.  Having varieties of human nature and behaviors the servant leadership takes the first lead to serve other people, by doing so empowers others and leads to move productivity.

            According to Herbert G. Hicks and C. Ray Gullett (1984 P: 301) “the power of motivation in people and guides… it is ultimate act which brings to success all of the potential that is an organization and its people”.

            This paper concludes that the more we understand the concepts and meanings of servant leadership, the better we are positioned to see and adjust our behaviors towards the desired responses from our co-workers and to our organization is which we are involved.  So, servant leadership is not type of style but it is characters, which can he born as well as learned.

1.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 1).  In Bruce Jones.  Servant Leadership: For slow learners.  The styles of leadership and what tys them together.

2.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 11). Servant Leadership: For slow learners. Autocratic directive style.

3.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 12).  In Hershey’s and Blanchard.  Servant Leadership: For slow learners.  Autocratic directive style.

4.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 15).  Servant Leadership: For slow learners.  Autocratic Directive Style.

5.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 17).  Servant Leadership: For slow learners.  Benevolent- Autocratic Conceptual Style.

6.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 3).  In Holy Bible New Testament. Servant Leadership: For slow learners.

7.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. 5).  States Bruce Johnes. Servant Leadership: For slow learners.   Nature and Nurture in leadership styles.

8.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. ix).  In: Mark (10 : 43-45) Servant Leadership: For slow learners.  Introduction.

9.                  David Lundy, J. (2002 p. viii). Servant Leadership: For slow learners Introduction.

10.              Herbert, G. Hicks and C. Ray Gullett. (1984).  Organizational theory and behavior, p. 301.  Purpose and Need for leadership.

11.              Herbert, G. Hicks, C. Ray (1984 P 193) in George 2500 BC Organizational Theory and Behavior.  Development of Neo classical Theory.

12.              Holy Bible New testament John (13 : 14).

13.              Holy Bible New testament Matt. (19 : 30).

14.              Larry, S. (1995).  The CEO of the Green leaf center, taken from the introduction to reflections on leadership Published by John Wiley.

15.               Robert, K., Green Leaf (1904-1990).  Green leaf center for servant leadership.  Ten Principles of Servant Leadership.

16.              Robert, K., Green Leaf (1970).  Green leaf center for servant leadership.  Published by Robert Green leaf in 1970.