According to the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Servant Leadership is “a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, build better organizations, and ultimately creates a more just and caring world” (https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/). This theory argues that the most effective leaders are the ones who serve their followers, not the other way around. Essentially, Service Leadership is a form of leadership that emphasizes the leader’s ability and desire to serve, rather than attain more power or recognition for themselves.
The phrase, “Servant Leadership” was coined in 1970 by Robert Greenleaf in his famous essay “The Servant Leader”. In his essay, the concept of servant leadership is simple – a form of leadership that focuses on the followers rather than the leader. According to Greenleaf, a servant leader must have, “the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first” and a, “conscious choice… to aspire to lead.” He goes on to identify ten characteristics of a servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualism, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of the people, and building community.
As I was researching Servant Leadership this week, I noticed a connection from this theory to Level 5 Leadership in Jim Collin’s book “Good to Great”. One defining characteristic of a Level 5 Leader is his/her ambition for their organization and their followers – not for themselves. Level 5 Leaders are not focused on reaching their personal goals or increasing their own success, but rather focused on the collective goals and success of their organization. In some ways, Level 5 Leaders can be categorized as Servant Leaders.
Jamie's Leadership Journey 