Servant Leadership - Essay Example

The Concept of Servant-Leader The concept of Servant-Leadership (S-L) is quickly gaining popularity across the world. An array of outstanding s in business, industry, politics and academia are praising S-L as a superior alternative to traditional leadership approaches. In fact, Servant-Leadership has emerged as one of the dominant philosophies being discussed in the world today. The idea of Servant-Leadership is an old concept and Robert Greenleaf coined the term in 1970.The profound implications of Robert Greenleaf’s concept of Servant-Leadership for hospital service, exercise of political leadership, management of business, running of educational institutions and even organizing a household are receiving recognition and acceptance every where. Through in-depth interviews, it is possible to find out how leaders in politics, business, service and administration construct the concept of leadership. In this work, an attempt is made to bring out the implications of Servant-Leadership through the interview given below. Pseudonyms are employed in order to mask the identity of the organization and the Servant-Leader. Paul David is the Director (Operations) of Ploughshare, a Washington based organization sending disaster management specialists and workers across the globe. He has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant in disaster management. Because of his novel approach of Servant-Leadership, Mr. David has earned a well-deserved reputation for empowering his teammates for successful management of disasters in the most trying of situation in the most hostile conditions. Interview Researcher: David, your expertise in disaster management has received international recognition. Many thanks indeed for finding time from your busy schedule to speak to me. David: In the first place let me thank you for giving the honor of being interviewed by you. It is an opportunity for me put across the concept of Servant-Leadership, because I feel that it is the one approach that works hassle free in our world of relentless change. Researcher: David, did you always have this Servant-Leader approach? David: It is an interesting question. I studied in a top-notch business school and invariably all the students were placed in the most reputed companies in the country or elsewhere in Europe or Japan even before our results were known. I found my way into a cosmetics marketing company in the country (please allow me not to mention the name of the company). Apparently, every thing was fine with me. Incentives, promotions, rewards, excellence citations and whole paraphernalia of business related encouragements came in my way. In spite of all these, I was somewhat unhappy and unfulfilled and to my surprise, I was unknowingly overworking and ruining my health. Deep down within me I did not find any satisfying answer to the question, why am I here? Researcher: I see. I suppose it was a trying time in your life. David: Indeed, it was tough. Nevertheless, I did not budge from my chosen career of management, though initially I was tempted to do so. I embarked upon a search. I started to read voraciously all kinds of books, especially history. I chanced upon the life of the Indian Emperor Ashoka in H.G.Wells’ work: The Outline of History. It is there that I first chanced upon the concept of Servant-Leadership, though at that time I had not come across the term in actual parlance in management circles. However, it gave me immense pleasure when I came across the concept effectively articulated in the writings of Greenleaf by the usage Servant-Leadership, now in great vogue as a management concept. Emperor Ashoka, whom H.G.Wells ranks as one of the six great men of history, provides us with an example of a King who after pursuing a belligerent path retreats his steps and accepts a philosophy and life style of a Servant-Leader and the results had been amazing. Researcher: The term Servant-Leadership involves a paradox. Is it possible to combine these two roles? David: You are right. There is an apparent contradiction. The coinage Servant-Leader is paradoxical. The first reaction to the term could be the feeling of strangeness as the listener might wonder how is it possible to yoke together two apparently contrary concepts. However, on close examination it is not too difficult to understand that both the ideas are the same. The fusion of the ideas in the mind of a person can generate so much of creativity, that it can transform the face of most of our activities. Servant-leadership beyond doubt offers optimism and direction for a new era in human progress. When the world moves from competition to collaboration, it is not difficult to see that all of us are endowed with only roles in life and no role is subservient to the other. Researcher: Are there many examples Servant-Leadership in history and in modern times? David: In fact there are many. Servant leaders have brought about some of the most far-reaching and spectacular changes in society. The concept of Servant-Leader is cardinal to Christ and Christianity and he presents the idea when he washed the feet of his disciples as lesson to be emulated by all his followers. In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi used Servant-Leadership for a political purpose and fought against Great Britain without weapons. After him, Martin Luther King proved the efficacy of the concept in the fight against racial segregation. Mother Theresa organized her work in a spirit of Servant-Leadership. It begins with the natural feeling of dynamic other-centeredness, which spurs person to serve first. The urge to serve is translated into action by a conscious choice to lead. In this approach, the difference is seen in the highest importance given to the needs of other people, just as a faithful servant would demonstrate in his or her functioning. A new trend now is to use this concept as system for administration of institutions and management of business. It begins with the natural feeling of dynamic other-centeredness, which spurs person to serve first. The urge to serve is translated into action by a conscious choice to lead (Paul David). Paul David’s concept of Servant-Leadership is in consonance with Greenleaf’s perceptions on the subject. In the cases of the persons from history, that David mentions, and the contemporary names he lists, the idea of Servant-Leadership is primarily one of service with absolutely no craving for position, pomp or power. Emperor Ashoka after his Kalinga victory undergoes a change of heart at the sight of the carnage. The change of heart leads to a realization of the universal brotherhood of all men and women and the realization flows in choices and meaningful expressions of love. … not only did he teach abstention from bloodshed, but he forbade sacrifices, killing for food even in the palace kitchens, and all kinds of hunting and fishing. His beneficence was practical and extensive, in building hospitals and rest-houses for men and animals. (Parrinder, 1963, p. 57) The change of heart experienced by the Servant-Leader helps him to redefine his role in life and gauds him to act for the well being of others and the fulfillment derived from the completion of mission is in itself an invaluable reward. (Researcher) Researcher: If I may ask you, what is the single, most important trait of a Servant-Leader? David: The concept of Servant-Leadership is today a well-developed idea and the Servant-Leaders exhibit, invariably, certain characteristics. However, the most distinguishing or the crux of Servant-Leadership is the pursuit of a radical selflessness. Jesus has been described as the most effective managers of all time. Jesus founded the largest and most successful institutions for social change. Greenleaf asserted that Gandhi was the greatest leader of the masses that the world has ever seen. The influence of Jesus on Gandhi is evident enough even from cursory glance through his Autobiography, My Experiments with Truth. Jesus and Gandhi reached their goals mainly through the unique pursuit of selflessness, the earnest thirst to place the requirements of their followers above their own. Perhaps the ultimate expression of their selflessness was their willingness to lose themselves in their other-centeredness which blossomed in their death, in the case of Jesus on a cross and in the case of Gandhi from the bullets of a religious fanatic. The actual physical death situation may not be called for in all Servant- Leader situations in life. However, the very close approximate is found, like taking unpopular stands and falling in situations where one is at odds with those in power. Researcher: Is it not too idealistic to expect selflessness to this degree in running of institutions, where profit is the motive and competitiveness the order of the day? David: Your question takes me directly to the difficult nature of all ideals. Ideals are indeed hard to achieve, but the constant striving to achieve them helps us not slip into a state of life where no ideals are present and we all fall into a pit of selfishness. Would you call Jesus, impractical? Didn’t Gandhi achieve the freedom of largest democracy by fighting against the then super power, armed from head to foot? Do you consider the dreams of Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa less important because they were woven around the most neglected people of the world? Researcher: David, amazing assertions of the efficacy of Servant-Leadership, indeed. …the ultimate expression of their selflessness was their willingness to lose themselves in their other-centeredness…(Paul David) Selflessness is the basic attitude of Servant-Leadership. Jesus has been rated as the most effective of all managers of history (Briner, 1996). With the help of a pack of ignorant fish-folk, he launched the biggest movement in history. Greenleaf (1966) asserted that Gandhi is the most powerful leader of men that the world has seen (Researcher). Researcher: David, we hear that Servant-Leaders have a unique language of love. How do you express that in your profession as an authority in disaster management? David: I suppose you have in mind the instance of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, Gandhi going about cladding himself in a simple loin cloth and Mother Teresa wearing the plain Indian sari. Well, it is necessary to identify oneself with one’s team. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he was using a powerful language of love, by appearing in the role of a menial servant. The Servant-Leader may not follow the actual rubrics of a menial servant in expressing his or her love. However, it is imperative for the Servant-Leader to communicate his or her oneness with the project members by appropriate communication of their value through encouraging words and sometimes staying with the team and performing errands which normally persons in leadership do not do, like serving as a driver of the company if need arises, may be even to drive home one of the project team members. These gestures communicate forcefully the idea they are all partners in an enterprise. In Ploughshare, our training facilitates us to shift from one function to the other as may be necessary in a disaster zone. The organization is absolutely lacking in hierarchy, all people wear the same uniform suited to each disaster area, and all share the same wages and sometimes no wages at all. However, that has been very rare. Where it is possible, we also adopt the sartorial, social and culinary conventions of the people we serve. This helps us to identify ourselves with our clients. The organization is absolutely lacking in hierarchy, all people wear the same uniform suited to each disaster area, and all share the same wages and sometimes no wages at all (Paul David). Identification with the clients and partners is necessary in Servant-Leadership. The lack of hierarchy and command structure gives flexibility to operations and each one becomes partners in the glory or shame and while shared happiness augments the joy, the shared ignominy lightens the burden (Researcher). Researcher: In almost all discussions on Servant-Leadership, the term stewardship is invariably heard. Could you make the connotation a little clearer? David: Very true. The term stewardship is the part of parcel of Servant-Leadership parlance today. Servant-leader is not merely a plodder through difficult task for the satisfaction of his or her clients or members of the team. He or she must be accountable to ensure the satisfaction of the customers or team members by bringing in creativity in his or her work. The persons in the team should not only receive appreciation from the servant-leader, he or she should ensure that they grow in stature to deserve the praise. The role of stewardship brings along with it a thou must increase attitude. Each member of the team should grow in knowledge, work skills and techniques needed for success. The stewardship entrusts the Servant-Leader the task of personally communicating his or her acquired wisdom, skills and experience with a view to augment the personal growth of his or her team members. This is a process by which the team members are empowered to work out their way for greater efficiency. Because the team members have been empowered, the servant-leader becomes imperceptible unless some contingency arises where his intervention is called for. A successful Servant-Leader has no identity apart from his or her team members, if the team wins, it is a shared victory, and if the team fails, it is a shared failure. …he or she should ensure that they grow in stature to deserve the praise. The role of stewardship brings along with it a thou must increase attitude… Because the team members have been empowered, the servant-leader becomes imperceptible…(Paul David) Stewardship is a great trust and calls forth accountability and the steward’s skills are not the same as that of the galley slave or an errand boy. The empowering of the team and the clients calls forth the skills of a great facilitator, detached from personal glory at the same time involved in the growth of the other and always finding delight in the growth and empowerment of the other (Researcher). Researcher: Before I come to the end of this somewhat prolonged session with you, I want to thank you for sharing your valuable insights with me. As a final tip, what is your advise to researchers like me to imbibe the spirit of Servant-Leadership? David: I am happy that you have hit upon the right word, imbibe. You have to imbibe it, through a thorough soul search, willingness for adventure in the love of man, beast, bird, trees and indeed the whole universe. I must thank you for this fruitful session with you. Before I go, I want you to reflect on this: So if I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet (Jn13.14). ====================================== References Briner, B. (1996), The management methods of Jesus. Nashville, Thomas Nelson. Greenleaf, R.K. (1970). The leader as servant. The Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Hoekstra &Gilley, 2002, P.84. Parrinder E. G. (1963). What World Religions Teach. London, George G. Harrap, P.57 Revised Standard Version (1993). The Gospel according to St.John. Wells, H. G. (1922). A Short History of the World. London: Cassell. Read More