Robert K. Greenleaf: Servant Leadership
Frederick Douglass said, “He who will, intelligently, lay down his life for his country, is a man whom it is not in human nature to despise”. This quote is a direct reference to what servant leaders are. They have a great desire to serve and work for the benefit of others. They share their power with their followers and ensure that their followers most important needs are met.
The term servant leader was fabricated in an essay by Robert K. Greenleaf called, “The Servant as Leader”. According to Larry C. Spears, Greenleaf spent most of his life doing management research, development and education at AT&T. He also served as a consultant for a major number of institutions. Obtaining all of this experience helped him instill these ideas into his …show more content…
Yes, it takes a while on the front end; everyone’s view is solicited, though everyone also understands that his view may not ultimately prevail. But once the consensus is forged, watch out: With everybody on board, your so called implementation proceeds wham-bam”. Interest in the philosophy of servant leadership is at a new level and hundreds of articles have appeared on websites, in journals, in newspapers, and magazines. In other words, the servant leadership style is a growing movement. For some people the words “leader” and “servant” may carry a bad name. However, thanks to Greenleaf, the paring of the words provided a different effect. It also prompted new insights on life itself. One article written by Juana Bordas stated, “Many women, minorities and people of color have long traditions of servant-leadership in their cultures. Servant-leadership has very old roots in many of the indigenous cultures. Cultures that were holistic, cooperative, communal, intuitive and spiritual. These cultures centered on being guardians of the future and respecting the ancestors who walked before.” Famous women leaders and authors are also seeing the great qualities that can be found in servant leadership. All in all, servant leadership is not a leadership style or technique but a way of behaving that you adopt over
The term servant leader was fabricated in an essay by Robert K. Greenleaf called, “The Servant as Leader”. According to Larry C. Spears, Greenleaf spent most of his life doing management research, development and education at AT&T. He also served as a consultant for a major number of institutions. Obtaining all of this experience helped him instill these ideas into his …show more content…
Yes, it takes a while on the front end; everyone’s view is solicited, though everyone also understands that his view may not ultimately prevail. But once the consensus is forged, watch out: With everybody on board, your so called implementation proceeds wham-bam”. Interest in the philosophy of servant leadership is at a new level and hundreds of articles have appeared on websites, in journals, in newspapers, and magazines. In other words, the servant leadership style is a growing movement. For some people the words “leader” and “servant” may carry a bad name. However, thanks to Greenleaf, the paring of the words provided a different effect. It also prompted new insights on life itself. One article written by Juana Bordas stated, “Many women, minorities and people of color have long traditions of servant-leadership in their cultures. Servant-leadership has very old roots in many of the indigenous cultures. Cultures that were holistic, cooperative, communal, intuitive and spiritual. These cultures centered on being guardians of the future and respecting the ancestors who walked before.” Famous women leaders and authors are also seeing the great qualities that can be found in servant leadership. All in all, servant leadership is not a leadership style or technique but a way of behaving that you adopt over