Virtues of a Servant Leader

Analysis

A good leader possesses specific characteristics that can help successfully rule a group or organization. There are also distinct leadership styles that leaders exhibit. Each leadership style differs from the others, and one leadership style may be more successful than another (Gemeda & Lee, 2020). Therefore, leaders must understand the differences between leadership styles to decide which one to employ.

There are various leadership styles that leaders can use in leading their organizations and

will assist them in making decisions, teaching others, and doing the right thing. Servant leadership is one of the most ancient and well-known types of leadership. Servant leadership traits were modeled by Jesus and other historical and prominent leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018). Servant leadership focuses on putting the needs of the people ahead of the leaders. People will be motivated and engaged in improving their community after the leader has provided for their needs. Thus, servant leaders demonstrate that being a leader is more than just having power and a title; it is also about having the ability to empower others regardless of their status. This characteristic is what distinguishes servant leadership from other leadership styles.

There are other reasons why servant leadership varies from other different styles. For instance, transformational leadership is one of the most popular today. This leadership style emphasizes transformational change that benefits everyone in the organization. This style differs from servant leadership because it focuses solely on inspiring members to work for change, whereas servant leadership focuses on supporting members. Another leadership style is authoritative leadership, which focuses on the leader’s methods. The leader emphasizes that followers must follow the leader’s lead because it is beneficial and for all good. The focus of this style differs from that of servant leadership. Finally, participative leadership emphasizes inclusion. This style allows members to participate in significant decisions. This style is similar to the servant leadership style in that they both focus on the members; however, the participative leadership style develops the members while the servant leadership style only includes them (IMD, 2022). Hence, the servant leadership style differs because of its focus and purpose.

The characteristics of a servant leader are mentioned in the created infographic. The

characteristics themselves are contradictory. A leader must be a servant to their community members. Thus, a leader who people look up to must remain grounded. A typical leader expects his followers to serve him, but a servant leader is the one who serves the followers. In addition, the infographic highlights Greenleaf’s characteristics (Gandolfi & Stone, 2022). Several leadership styles may resemble servant leadership, but Greenleaf’s model makes it simple to identify and distinguish a servant leader. Thus, the infographic demonstrates one’s understanding and knowledge of servant leadership.

In conclusion, leaders may employ any leadership style they deem appropriate and best for their community and themselves. However, servant leadership is one of the styles that can produce the best results, so leaders must employ it.

References

Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2018). Leadership, leadership styles, and servant leadership. Journal of Management Research, 18(4), 261-269.

Gemeda, H. K., & Lee, J. (2020). Leadership styles, work engagement and outcomes among information and communications technology professionals: A cross-national study. Heliyon, 6(4), e03699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03699

IMD. (2022). The 5 Leadership Styles You Can Use. https://www.imd.org/imdreflections/reflection-page/leadership-styles/