Servant Leadership Analysis: Volunteer Opportunity

Leadership Principles
Student’s Name
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Leadership Principles
Volunteer Opportunity
I enrolled to be a volunteer at a local event in our area. The idea was motivated by my love for children and a passion for improving humanity. It was the 9th annual fair for the Differently Abled hosted by the Koinonia church. It was held at the Greenville's Convention Center, and the event was free to show support to the disabled kids and their caregivers. I enrolled in part of the volunteers in a sponsored program sponsored by the church, local government, the community, and humanitarian organizations. Everything that was to be offered at the event was free; hence most of the personnel were volunteers. There were numerous activities in the event, and they included movies, snacks, face paintings, photo sessions, massages, haircuts, carnival rides, and games. All of them were to be coordinated by volunteers present. The volunteers that represented almost all age groups had to liaise among themselves and draw a schedule to ensure that all the attendees, especially the guests, were comfortable. There was no particular management system to govern the volunteers because everything was based on collaboration and partnership. This activity required impeccable communication skills because the guests had to enjoy it and feel the church's impact on children and their caregivers' unique needs.
Implemented Principles
As part of the process, I learned that empathy is a fundamental principle in leadership. The volunteering program would have been challenging; I had not incorporated it into my practice. Some of the guests were from the local area, and they had difficulty communicating in English. Serving them or giving instructions was difficult without an interpreter. The back and forth process was tiresome, and some volunteers were unable to function. Without empathy, I would have quit the volunteering program because understanding the guest's needs was difficult. Listening was also a fundamental principle in practice; a volunteer had to listen to the needs of the guests, needs of the kids, and listen to fellow volunteers. Without listening, it would be complete chaos, and the event would have failed. Among leaders, listening is important because it shows that they care about others (Jones, 2018). I also implemented stewardship, which refers to leading by example; since everyone had different views on how activities should be conducted, it became difficult to communicate the purpose. Leading by example became easier because people could emulate the actions. In some cases, the volunteers could not understand how to connect with the guests, and they became stranded. I show them how to follow the manual and the stands they would approach to seek guidance. When the volunteers were confused, the guests would become bored and resort to leaving the event.
Influence of Power
I never understood how serving others would make someone a more influential leader, but I had a firsthand experience that provided useful insights. Initially, there was chaos in the event because there was no proper way to manage the volunteers. They were free to come and leave at any time, and there w...