Servant-Leadership Paradigm Compare to Secular View of Power to Working Relationships

Topic 14 DQ
How do you affirm people at work? When your coworkers talk about you, what do they say about you? Based on the textbook, relate your responses to the issue of preference according to the servant-leadership paradigm. Compare this form of leadership with the secular view of power as it relates to working relationships.
Below is from peers
Re:Topic 14 DQ
How do you affirm people at work? When your coworkers talk about you, what do they say about you? Based on the textbook, relate your responses to the issue of preference according to the servant-leadership paradigm. Compare this form of leadership with the secular view of power as it relates to working relationships.
“Speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
According to Pastor Warren (2013) the three ways to continually affirm others are to listen to them, use positive words, and pray for them. Very simply stated encourage others and place your mind on their wellbeing, appreciating them, which raises their value (Warren, 2013). We can affirm others by noticing and listening to them, applauding their contributions, being genuinely interested in their life, and by including them (Warren, 2013). These ideas of affirmation rebut the secular views of power by placing the interest and wellbeing of others before the self of the powerful. These ideas of affirmation allow others to feel valued, build them up, expect great things from them-allowing them to reach the expectations, and feel encouraged, prayed for and feel a bridge between you to build upon (Warren, 2013). These positive feelings of value, from the leader, allow others to allow the power to be placed in the leader. The positive feelings of affirmation allow leaders to place others before them, treating them more important than oneself-preference (DelHousaye & Brewer, 2004). The leadership goal of preference or humility is to be genuinely interested in helping others succeed, forgetting to take any of the credit (DelHousaye & Brewer, 2004). To affirm them and build them up, you are helping them to succeed on their own, with your support, with the feelings of self-accomplishment. They will perhaps not even realize that you were involved in their success until much later in life.
At work I am affirming by being positive to everyone. I always say hello, or good morning to everyone I see, thank people for help, offer to help, thank my leaders for their efforts, affirm to them that it was a good day even on the tough days, and thank them for the opportunity. Yesterday I thanked someone for something she did, and her response was “Thanking me for doing my job?” I said “yes! Thank you for doing your job with a positive attitude and help to others”. Just because it is our job and it is a simple expectation, we can still be appreciated for doing so. I try to be very encouraging into new adventures of credentialing or new services in the department. I try to complement people for what they do, both in their job and above and beyond. I hope they will say about me that I am happy and kind to everyone.
DelHousaye, D. & Brewer, B., (2004). Servant leadership: Seven distinctive characteristics. SBC Press: Scottsdale AZ
Warren, R., Pastor (2013). Three ways to continually affirm the people you lead. Pastors.com. Retrieved from http://pastors(dot)com/3-ways-to-continually-affirm-the-people-you-lead/
I'm adding one on my favorite poems that for me speaks to affirmation, especially the last line:
Smile
A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it, and none so poor but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen.
For it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
-Author Unknown
Re:Topic 14 DQ
Leadership and its great responsibility is something different and as well as important. Servant leadership enhances team performance by creating trust with followers and fostering a team environment where members feel safe to take risks. Servant leadership was found to directly affect both team potency and team performance. And goal clarity and process clarity were shown to affect team potency; however, this relationship only worked in the presence of servant leadership (Simmons, 2011).Servant leadership is the focus on the growth of the individual, that they might flourish and achieve their full potential and not primarily the growth and potential of the organization, that distinguishes servant leadership from other leadership styles. The primary concern of the servant leader is service to their followers (Grahn, 2011).Leaders should make a habit of appreciating their followers and their staff even if they do a simple help or support.
In every work environment, it consists of people from various walks of life. People have varying behavior, opinions, beliefs, and perception in life that effect on how they approach, decide, look into things around them and their working environment. People in an organization follow the same mission and vision, but at times they would need an effective leader to make and influence to lead them to achieve their common organizational goal. Being honest and transparent in any means of communication towards your coworkers within your organization would help in maintaining your integrity and professionalism. It is necessary to approach or deal with each other in a nice and professional way. This writer is not scared of voicing his opinion and suggestion just to clarify things to help prevent misunderstanding, presumptions, and judgmental to other people.
According to Murray (2013), “The most important part of being a good communicator is the secret ingredient of deep self-awareness, warts and all, and knowing and being comfortable with which you really are.” Having open communication would help promote respect and trust to other people in a certain organization.
This writer received compliments from a coworker for having positive attitude all the time, love to help and empower coworkers. Being positive with your outlook in life would help you deal with any challenges that come along your way in an easy and constructive way. According to Fritz (2008), “building a positive attitude begins with having confidence in you. Confidence reinforces ability, doubles energy, buttresses mental faculties, and increases power.” This writer acknowledges that having negativistic attitude would lead to frustrations, anger, burnout, and failure. Showing positive attitude would promote harmony, and healthy working environment. Being in nursing leadership role, I encounter challenges and pressure from our leaders and subordinates. By staying positive and dealing with the issue constructively, this would facilitate peace of mind
and success. Just like in servant leadership, wherein leaders empower and encourage followers to be more engage with their day-to-day activities; organizational goals will be achieve better if the positivity is widely spread and maintained by leaders and followers within themselves. This writer believes that, having the positive attitude, and serving others first is the most important tool that the leader should have to be more effective.
Reference
Fritz, Roger. (2008). The power of a positive attitude: discovering the key to success. [Books24x7 version] Available from http://common(dot)books24x7(dot)com/toc.aspx?bookid=23781.
Murray, Kevin. (2013). The language of leaders: how top ceos communicate to inspire, influence and achieve results, second edition. [Books24x7 version]
Available from http://common(dot)books24x7(dot)com/toc.aspx?bookid=53310