...Servant Leadership: Developing and Empowering Gerald A. Thomas MSL6040-12C-5: Current Issues in Leadership Professor Janice Spangenburg 08 November 2013 Servant leadership is a foreign concept to most companies and organizations, however, that’s not the case in the United States Air Force. The Air Force prides itself in maintaining its core values; “Integrity First,” “Service Before Self” and “Excellence in All We Do.” Today, we will focus on “Service Before Self” and “service” is the key word in the previous sentence. If leaders truly embrace this kind of thought process, there would be fewer concerns for the organizations they lead. Subordinates would believe that they are cared for, that the leaders assign value to them, and the leaders are there to ensure they have every opportunity to succeed. Superiors would believe that they have entrusted the right person to take care of the people, the job, and the company as a whole. When we serve or become the servant like Christ is to us and like He was to the people of the time period when He walked among us, then and only then, will we understand the true meaning of servant leadership. In all actuality, a servant leader is just that; a leader who serves his subordinates, the company and the community as well. According to Larry C. Spears (n. d.), “Servant leadership involves feeling responsible to the world and actively contributing to the well-being of people and communities. Ethics are the hallmark of the servant...
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...Canyon University Organizational Behavior and Managemen June 12, 2014 Servant Leadership Paper Servant Leadership plays a significant role in today’s society. Servant leaders is someone who knows how to serve people and their community. Serving is not an easy task, this is not something that everyone can achieve, and everyone cannot humble themselves to people. Alongside with leadership, Servant Leadership is one of the most leadership used amongt organizations in today society. A servant leader is a person who is willing to serve others, before themselves, willing to give 100 percent of their time. Good servant leaders know how to serve a team, organization and a community, they tend to stay on top of everything around them.Robert Greenleaf talks about the ten principals of servant leader; listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship. Commitment to the growth of people and building communities (Greenleaf, 2004). Servant leaders must be able to humble themselves to people needs, and forget about their own needs. Being a servant leaders has many qualities as well as down falls. Some servant leaders tend to become overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of others. They tend to put others before them, leaving their own needs undone and for getting about what they have to do in their personal life. Servant leadership has been around for many years. Servant leader are born leaders, this is something that a person has to have in...
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...Case 10. 1 Everyone Loves Mrs. Noble 1. What servant leader behaviors would you say Mrs. Noble demonstrates? Mrs. Noble was the following: a good listener, community builder, empowerment, commitment to the growth of people, good stewardship, persuasive, aware and healer. 2. Who are Mrs. Noble’s followers? Mrs. Noble’s followers are her students, parents, the faculty and staff, and the community. 3. Based on the model of servant leadership (figure 10.1), what outcomes have Mrs. Noble’s servant leadership attained? Societal Impact, Followers Performance, and Growth and Organizational Performance. 4. Can you think of someone at a school or organization you were part of who acted like Mrs. Noble? Yes, Mrs. Jamie Baldwin Describe what this person did and how it affected you and the school or organization. Mrs. Baldwin was a Career Coach at Doss High School but...
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...leader is seen as servant first…” – Robert K. Greenleaf I could not say it any better than what Mr. Greenleaf said. Before even taking this class, I have been interested in the thoughts and theories of Robert Greenleaf who started the beginnings of Servant Leadership. Servant Leadership is the theory of leadership that I want to model my leadership style around. This short quotation, a fragment of a sentence from an essay written in 1970, captures the essence of servant-leadership theory. A simple, yet profound and powerful concept, it has spawned countless journal articles, books and multimedia productions in the 35 years since its introduction. So what is servant leadership? The very notion of a servant as leader, or “servant-leadership” as it has come to be known, is purposefully oxymoronic and arresting in nature. The theory’s originator, Robert K. Greenleaf, intentionally sought a descriptor that would give people pause for thought, and challenge any long-standing assumptions that might be held about the relationship between leaders and followers in an organization. Although aware of the negative historical connotations associated with the word ‘servant’, he felt it a necessary choice to turn established conceptions about the organizational pyramid on their head, and jump-start insight into a new view of leadership. Larry Spears, Executive Director of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, succinctly defines servant-leadership as: …A new kind...
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...Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View Mark J. Dixon Jr. Liberty University Abstract Servant-Leadership Theory has been a progressive theory in which much study has been done. Robert Greenleaf began using the term servant leadership to encourage leaders to first want to serve. There are two different world views discussed in this research paper that will shed light into what it takes to be a servant leader and how it can be successful if there is a full understanding of the theory present. There is the secular and the biblical world view in which differences in the two are identified. Servant-Leadership is meant to be more than just a way to see positive outcomes in a business, but it also transfers into effecting people’s lives. An attempt to enhance understanding and the question trying to be answered here is what separates the secular view of Servant-Leadership Theory from the Biblical worldview. This paper examines the characteristics and goals of servant-leadership though both worldviews to give a better understanding of servant-leadership theory. Keywords: servant-leadership, characteristics, biblical, secular Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View There has been much attention given to leadership theories since the introduction of Servant-Leadership Theory by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Greenleaf’s intent for servant-leadership is to help not only the leader...
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...head: SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP Successful Leadership: The Aspiration to Inspire Others Heather Shaw Liberty University Abstract This paper addresses many of the behaviors needed to lead others effectively. Leadership is not achieved through an appointed position, but rather, through character traits that inspire others to follow. The variations of leadership power and styles identify key leadership qualities. The fundamental traits of transformational and servant leadership, focus on the empowerment of others. Ethical integrity is the foundation of leadership character, a critical factor of successful leadership abilities. Successful Leadership: The Aspiration to Inspire Others Purpose of Leadership Often, a common misconception made between leaders and managers. There is a significant difference distinguishing management and leadership. Any person has the ability to manage; however, it takes the very nature and character of an individual to lead others. Kirsten Graham published an article Leading with a Purpose: A Case for Soul Leadership in Development and Learning in Organizations, examining the very principles of leadership (2011). Graham (2011) emphasizes a crucial element of leadership stating that leadership is not acquired through processes and abilities, “but the expression of their true nature”. Leaders have a vision to explore opportunities, empowering others to follow in the same passion for success. The role of leadership is crucial to empower...
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...Management http://jom.sagepub.com/ Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis Dirk van Dierendonck Journal of Management 2011 37: 1228 originally published online 2 September 2010 DOI: 10.1177/0149206310380462 The online version of this article can be found at: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/37/4/1228 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: Southern Management Association Additional services and information for Journal of Management can be found at: Email Alerts: http://jom.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://jom.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/37/4/1228.refs.html Downloaded from jom.sagepub.com at The Hebrew University Library Authority on June 29, 2011 Journal of Management Vol. 37 No. 4, July 2011 1228-1261 DOI: 10.1177/0149206310380462 © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permission: http://www. sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis Dirk van Dierendonck Erasmus University Servant leadership is positioned as a new field of research for leadership scholars. This review deals with the historical background of servant leadership, its key characteristics, the available measurement tools, and the results of relevant studies that have been conducted so far. An overall conceptual model of servant leadership is presented. It is argued that leaders...
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...com/ Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis Dirk van Dierendonck Journal of Management 2011 37: 1228 originally published online 2 September 2010 DOI: 10.1177/0149206310380462 The online version of this article can be found at: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/37/4/1228 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: Southern Management Association Additional services and information for Journal of Management can be found at: Email Alerts: http://jom.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://jom.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/37/4/1228.refs.html >> Version of Record - Jun 8, 2011 OnlineFirst Version of Record - Sep 2, 2010 What is This? Downloaded from jom.sagepub.com at OhioLink on February 1, 2013 Journal of Management Vol. 37 No. 4, July 2011 1228-1261 DOI: 10.1177/0149206310380462 © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permission: http://www. sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis Dirk van Dierendonck Erasmus University Servant leadership is positioned as a new field of research for leadership scholars. This review deals with the historical background of servant leadership, its key characteristics, the available measurement tools, and the results of relevant studies that have been conducted so far. An overall conceptual model of servant leadership...
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...Community-based Organizations and Servant Leadership Abstract This work will examine the framework of community-based nonprofit organizations and explore characteristics and challenges that affect their relevance and sustainability. It will also reference the key tenets of servant leadership as initially described by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 and describe how principles of servant leadership might effectively be applied to community-based nonprofit leadership, board governance and volunteerism. . Nonprofit organizations are an integral part of life; they operate to provide public benefit rather than serving their own special interest. A large percentage of nonprofits are community-based and especially vulnerable to the volatile nature of the economy and labor market, despite providing services and aid to the very segments also affected by those factors. Limited resources also restrict a small nonprofit’s ability to attract and retain talent capable of creating, sustaining and effectively achieving a viable vision for the nonprofit. By utilizing the tenets of servant leadership, community-based nonprofits may have an opportunity to tap into, and effectively develop, local talent that has an innate desire to serve the community. The principles of servant leadership are a natural fit for leadership framework in community-based organizations due to the innate nature of one serving the community in which they reside or work. This work will examine the framework of...
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...Chapter 9 Case 9.1: The Vision Failed 1. If you were consulting with the HTE board of directors soon after Harold started making changes, what would you advise them regarding Harold’s leadership from a transformational perspective? I would advise the board that Harold is slowly turning into an ineffective president. Yes, changes are being made, but the employees aren’t being treated properly. Also, although the mission statement of the company is posted throughout the building, people are becoming unsure as to where it is going. There aren’t clear expectations and when Harold tries to explain something, the employees aren’t taking it very well. The employees aren’t feeling valued like they should be and something needs to be done. There are ways to change without degrading the employees. 2. Did Harold have a clear vision for HTE? Was he able to implement it? I don’t think Harold had a clear vision. I feel he had an “idea” but was unsure of how to go about accomplishing it. Perhaps he thinks he was able to implement it, but I don’t think he did. It didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to be and it failed in the end. 3. How effective was Harold as a change agent and social architect for HTE? Harold was not effective as a change agent. I see this in the way the employees acted and felt towards him. I feel there were a lot of negative consequences after changed were made, whether intentional or not. 4. What would you advise Harold to do differently if he had the chance...
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...Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world (Greenleaf 1970). This definition allows many different groups of people to be considered servants leaders. The definition is too broad and inaccurate in today’s workplace. Throughout this paper, the term “servant leadership” will be used in a more specific manner using direct examples to back its true definition. Transactional leadership theories are characterized by a transaction made between the leaders and the followers. For transactional theories to be effective and as a result have motivational value, the leader must find means to align to adequately reward or punish his follower, for performing leader-assigned tasks (Leadership Central 2013). After reading the definition of the transactional leadership theory, the statement, “Although servant leadership is often associated with the Bible and Jesus Christ, it is totally compatible with most religions and theories of philosophy” does not match at all with the transactional leadership theory. To be more specific, using the transactional leadership theory in a religious environment would do nothing but separate the following. To reward/punish specific groups or individuals within a religious setting could have devastating results. This is where the term “cult” could potentially come in to play. A cult is a particular system of religious worship...
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...Assignment 4 Chapters 10 and 11. Case 11.1 Authentic Leadership Am I Really a Leader? 1. Learning about one’s self is an essential step in becoming an authentic leader. What role did self-awareness play in Sally Helgesen’s story of leadership? Self-awareness is an extremely important process in becoming an authentic leader wherein individuals not only understand themselves, including their strength and weaknesses but also learn the impact they have on others. Understanding herself just lead Sally into becoming an authentic leader. Through her journey and experiences, she realized her strengths and weaknesses and developed a clear sense of who she was and what she stood for; developed a strong anchor for her decisions and actions. 2. How would you describe the authenticity of Sally Helgesen’s leadership? I think Sally’s leadership is very authentic. The factors that impacted her leadership were Confidence and resilience: When she started writing the book Wildcatters she lived in adverse conditions but she showed resilience, remaining optimistic and bounced back from challenging situations and became a writer. Moral reasoning: Despite her acclaim she realized her shortcomings seeing herself as an author not an expert on women’s issues and started reasserting them in a different form. She developed the capacity to make ethical decisions. Critical Life event: The book The Female Advantage resulted in numerous speaking and consulting opportunities. I think that her travels...
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...statement is, “To challenge and inspire students to be servant leaders with the business skills and values necessary to drive organizational success and positively impact society” (“About”, n.d., para 6). To be successful in any personal venture one must be committed to their cause and posses certain qualities that help support their end goal. Entering into the GCU College of Business it is important to understand the three pillars that embody a graduate business student. The three pillars include servant leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and innovation. Servant Leadership describes a leadership style that focuses on serving the needs of the team, client or community rather than the needs of the leader. “Characteristics of servant leaders include but are not limited to listening, empathy, awareness, persuasion, foresight, stewardship, and commitment to the growth of people” (Campbell & Rudisill, p. 27). As a registered nurse and nursing supervisor it is imperative I support my patients and peers through a servant leadership style. Today's healthcare system has become very complex; and in turn can be intimidating for patients and overwhelming to healthcare workers. In my professional practice I try lead by example and promote health and wellness through my commitment to caring for others. Servant leadership, like nursing is dedicated to promoting the growth and success of those around you. Everyday is a new opportunity for a servant leader to empower those in which they lead. Through...
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...------------------------------------------------- Task 1: Organization and Leadership Analysis Table of Content Organization Overview 3 Organization Description 3 Leadership Practices 4 Relationship Between Leadership and Organizational Culture 6 SWOT Analysis 7 Organizational Strengths 7 Organizational Weaknesses 8 Organizational Opportunities 8 Organizational Threats 9 Leadership Evaluation 10 Leadership Strengths 10 Leadership Weaknesses 11 Recommendations for Leadership Development 13 References 14 Organization Overview In this section, I will give you a detailed description of my Chosen organization, leadership practices of its primary leader, and how the practice of the primary leader relates to the organization culture. My chosen organization is Weiser Park Youth Center (WPYC): an after school facility located in Fort Wayne Indiana. I will do an evaluation on Mr. Kweku Akan, who was the site director. I choose this organization because I was once an employee there for several years and will like to better understand how having Mr. Akan as a leader affected the organization culture. Organization Description Weiser Park Youth Center is a community center located in Fort Wayne Indiana. It is under the supervision of the City of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation department. This organization was established on 1998 to serve as an after school program and a safe haven for children living in the neighborhood and surrounding areas. Due to its location...
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...26/04/2015 Leadership: Understanding its Global Impact Lecture 7 1. The Integrative approach to understanding leadership: Charismatic, Transformational, Servant 2. Application of Leadership theory to case study – Kevin Rudd What to study for next TEST 2? • Lecture notes - Week 4 to Week 7 • Book Format of Test? • Multiple questions – 10 questions • Subjective question- 1 question • 40 minutes • Will start at 9.15 am / 2.15 pm 1 26/04/2015 QUIZ • How does situational leadership theory build on behavioural leadership theory? 4 Suggested answer: Example of Situational building on Behavioural is Hersey’s model Situational leadership theory builds on the behavioural theory as it introduces the idea that the most appropriate leadership style should be a combination of: • task • relations-oriented behaviour And that key factors in the work situation will determine the emphasis on task and relations behaviour in each combination We now have four possible leadership styles: (See diagram next slide) 5 Situational theory expanding on Behaviour/Style theory Leadership behaviour/style orientation Task Relations Both should be either High/Low – depending on follower maturity 6 2 26/04/2015 Example of Situational building on Behavioural is Hersey’s model Q: What is the right amount of emphasis on task & relations? Ans: It depends on the situation Q: According to Hersey...
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