...What Is Servant Leadership? 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. While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.” “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“ A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional...
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...Leader: 5 Powerful Actions That Will Transform Your Team, Your Business and Your Community. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. MAJOR THESIS The book The Serving Leader, presents an alternative approach to leadership based on actions rather than theory. The dynamics of Serving Leadership are introduced using a narrative centered on an estranged son and his dying father. It is through the personal journey of the characters, documented in the journal of the son, that concepts of servant leadership are outlined. Serving Leadership is made up of five key principles that can be effectively applied in individuals, teams, businesses, or communities. The following text examines each of those principles as well as identifies how this approach relates to issues affecting human resource management. The book begins by introducing the fictional son and father characters and their tumultuous relationship. Mike Wilson is a partner in a prestigious consultant firm who is amidst launching his firms’ leadership practice when he is suddenly called home to assist his estranged father, Robert Wilson a well know business leader, with his own leadership project due to his failing health. The text begins to actually touch on Serving Leadership by giving a brief overview. The approach is actually based on existing servant leadership ideas, the difference comes from the focus of the actual activities of the Serving Leader. According to Jennings & Stahl-Wert (2004), “The Serving...
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...At some point in our lives, we have all heard about Adolf Hitler, the Austrian born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers that led the Anti-Semitic movement in Germany in the early 1900’s. Looking back through history, people would differ in opinion when deciding if Adolf Hitler should be considered a true leader. Leadership is the action of leading a group, but in today’s society the Leadership concept has also been associated with positive, beneficial, and ethical actions. True leaders are people that others want to follow. In Hitler’s case he was initially able to connect with people through his charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda and convince them to join him in his cause. It is unfortunate that his cause became an obsession and led Hitler to recur to constant threats and brutal actions to instill fear within his troops and avoid desertion. My impression of Hitler is that he was initially a true leader but his leadership was very poor as it relates to developing the people under his responsibility. Hitler did not focus his efforts into positive actions. He achieved many of his goals and made history. But what good does it make to be remembered by the atrocious actions he committed against the Jew community. Opposed to Hitlers practices, leaders must communicate faith to their people, not fear. Fear paralyzes people while faith moves people to action and infuses them with courage and hope. Let your people know that you believe...
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...for all things food and the people that choose to come into whatever Zingerman’s business that come to eat Great Food. A charismatic and articulate speaker, he is passionate about the topics that he speaks about – usually food and customer service. A firm believer of Servant Leadership, a contemporary leadership style to Transformational Leadership that is propounded by Robert Greenleaf and practiced daily by Weinzweig and the other managing partners of ZCoB. Using a Leadership Style survey from Don Clark’s Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition website, Ari Weinzweig’s leadership style has been determined as primarily participative. This survey assesses three types of leadership – Authoritarian (autocratic), Participative (democratic), and Delegative (free reign). The premise is that the highest score is indicative of the style of leadership that is normally used. A score of 40 or more is a strong indicator of the normal style. The lowest score is indicative of the style least used. The accepted view is that the best leaders operate out of the participative (or democratic) mode and use the other modes as needed. Leaders, who want their employees to grow, use the participative style of leadership. As they grow into their jobs. They are then gradually given more delegative authority over their jobs (Clark, D. 2004) Based on the scoring, Weinzweig primarily utilizes a Participative Style with a Delegative Style as a close second. Using an Authoritarian Style...
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...What is the first picture that comes to mind when you hear the words “good leader?” Maybe you picture William Wallace, leading his band of Scottish rebels in a war where they are heavily outnumbered against the numbers and tyranny of England. Maybe you picture Michael Jordan, pumping his fist right after he knocks down the shot against Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs. Or you might even possibly see Adolf Hitler, although what he stood for will always be atrocious, he did do an incredible job of getting others to follow him. So the question is: What makes a good leader? Susie Shellenberger, the 2010 recipient of the Reed Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award, would say, “A good leader is one who doesn’t compromise integrity or character when no one is looking. A good leader maintains the same high standards in private as seen in public.” Let’s unpack what she meant when she said this. First, a good leader doesn’t compromise integrity or character no matter what. Webster gives such definitions for character as “moral excellence and firmness,” and integrity as “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” When you put these two together, the sum is a person who is firm in his convictions and who lives under those convictions no matter what the circumstances are. A good leader does not live a two-faced lie. As its definition states, to be a person of integrity means that you are complete or undivided. You are unwavering. You do not act differently around different...
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...Leadership Challenges and Opportunities Rita Ludeman Grand Canyon University PSC-410 February 23, 2014 Companies today face a number of issues or challenges that can have drastic effects on the company if not handled correctly. Two of the issues are; finding the right staff and keeping up with the changing regulatory environment. According to Conner (2013) one of the biggest challenges faced by organizations today is, “finding the right staff, retaining them, and ensuring they buy into the vision of the organization” (Finding the right staff). The key is to figure out how to deal with individual personalities, what motivates each employee, and develop the management accordingly. The other problem is the changing regulations regarding environment. According to Conner (2013), “the problems to be solved are to understand the meaning of regulation in your industry, its implications for your business, and to develop the skills necessary to deal with it. Two key areas are taxes and health care” (Regulation). The hiring process within an organization is one of the most important tasks to be fulfilled. The difference between good employees and great employees can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of the company. Great employees possess a habit of success and find ways of completing their jobs where good employees see an obstacle as a dead end. Competency is a must for a great employee. They must have knowledge and understanding of the position they are being hired for...
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...your professor: a. Greenleaf's servant leadership is humanistic, relative, and without foundation b. biblically based servant leadership rooted in the life of christ. c. you have been offered a clear contrast between Greenleaf and a biblical view of servant leadership d. all of the above e. none of the above 2. Spiritual reasons for leading like Jesus include all except the following: a. servant leaders seek first the kingdom b. servant leaders are better than non servant leader c. servant leadership honors god and his commandments d. servant leadership puts the love of Jesus into action e. servant leadership models Jesus to others 3. All of the following are spiritual reasons for leading like Jesus: a. servant leaders are better than non servant leader b. servant leaders are more in touch with their spiritual selves c. servant leaders put the love of Jesus into action d. servant leaders become achievers e. all of the above. 4. All of the following are practical reasons for leading like Jesus except: a. servant leadership provides better service b. servant leadership is more spiritual c. servant leadership provides better leadership d. servant leadership closes the gap between success and significance e. all of the above 5. All of the following are practical reasons for leading like Jesus: a. servant leadership provides better service b. servant leadership provides better leadership c. servant leadership closes the gap between success...
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...Servant Leadership: A Philosophy and Set of Practices Lori Kleeberg BSN, RN CMSRN Pfeiffer University Abstract Servant leadership is a distinct leadership concept and needs further studying. It is a unique leadership philosophy that places the followers as the top priority. The attitudes, dimensions, characteristics, and virtues of a servant leader in the discussed publications all have shared themes. Self-interest of the servant leader is not important and does not motivate this type of leader. The motivation of the servant leader focuses on the needs of others. Honesty and integrity are held in high regard with this leadership style. Communication and listening are key components in engaging those they serve. Teaching, delegation, and guiding are the method in which the servant leader develops and empowers their followers. Servant leadership is a concept that must be adopted by the organization as a whole to have the intended impact. Servant Leadership: A Philosophy and Set of Leadership Practices Servant leadership is both a modern leadership philosophy and a set of leadership practices. The term servant leadership was created by Greenleaf in "The Servant as Leader” in 1970. In Greenleaf’s publication, he defined servant leadership as “The servant-leader is servant first” (Greenleaf, 2002, p. 29). This type of leader has a natural desire to serve and aspire their followers to lead. (Greenleaf, 2002). This philosophy has gained much attention over...
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...individual leader, using the leadership concepts we have studied in class. * The project is meant to be more than a research paper, as students should be able to synthesize and interpret the words and actions of the subject to form a point of view about this person as a leader. * The report paper should demonstrate the synthesis of the research in which the students forms a critical assessment of this leader, including their strengths and weaknesses. Expectations * Broad and meaningful research on the leader’s style, practice and evolution, using a range of sources (including videos, blogs, biographies, articles and more). * Go beyond the easy/obvious sources for information. * Complete coverage of the topics, with insights that go beyond simply reporting facts. * Well-crafted document, with logical flow and clarity of view * Excellent grammar, punctuation, composition and professional style. * Including correct use of citations. Overview of contents * Executive Summary: Overview: Summary of key findings and analyses * Section 1: Describe the leader's childhood narrative. What early experiences contributed to their becoming a leader? Why were these experiences important and/or impactful in either positive or negative ways? * Section 2: How would you describe this person's leadership style (or styles)? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the styles they use? How has their leadership style made an impact on the...
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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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...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 Essay by AnQuil Davis July 2, 2010 Servant Leadership Servant Leaders are defined as people who serve those whom they lead rather than control them. The posture of a servant leader is to put the needs and interests of others above themselves. Servant leaders invest in others to help them grow and become empowered, which assist and motivate the team to reach their full potential in every area of their life. In today’s global marketplace, the concept of servant leadership seems to have been discarded and replaced with self-leadership; leadership which puts their needs and desires before those of the people. Serving others has to be a passion, not an act for recognition or accolades. Leaders possess characteristics such as stewardship, foresight, empathy and humility. These characteristics allow the leader to understand and attend to those they are serving, develop visions and plans to move forward, while not taking ownership of its success, but acknowledging it as a team effort. These qualities give a person authority over power. The concept of servant leadership in the global marketplace has an existence; however its existence seems to not be as prevalent today as past years. Most leaders in our global society today are not interested in creating an environment for growth and advancement of the individual, but for wealth and success for themselves. By not engaging others in the vision it cannot fully mature to reach every...
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...Servant Leadership Melanie Halpin Grand Canyon University Servant Leadership LDR-630 Prof. Carolyn Broner July 11, 2012 Servant Leadership Northhouse wrote Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. My favorite is a statement from Peter Drucker, “the only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.” That is a simple statement, and that puts it in a simple form. Leadership is not a simple form, and Warren Bennis and I agree that Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having vision that is well communicated, building among colleagues and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. The 2012 Summer Project and the Servant Leadership Work Issue are going to be combined in this paper to produce a result using at least three different models of leadership. PROJECT The project is to implement 660 new HP 6000 Series laptop/desktops computers into the 7 elementary school classrooms, carts and get ready for teachers by the 2nd week of August. This gives the Department of Technology six weeks to complete the job. There are two Schools that have summer schools going on until August 28th. All old equipment has to be removed and brought to the warehouse for central storage then final pickup. The schools are listed DJM, JBBES SES, MWES, and JRES. The last two are going to be held because of summer school that is MES, and CBB, they will start on August 28th. STAFF The Department...
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...trustworthiness, leadership and ethical stewardship influences organizational members to trust their leaders, thus operating a successful organization. In order to understand how these three elements merge in order to create a culture of trust within the organization, we must investigate each of the three elements and understand what an organization is. Organization People working together in a structured environment who strive to achieve a common goal or objective is an organization. Some organizations are businesses which exist to market goods and/or services in order to generate profits. Others are non-profit in nature, such as community youth sports leagues, community service groups like shelters and food banks and churches which exist to serve the spiritual needs of society. Regardless of their purpose, all organizations share one attribute; they must be run by effective people who can instill the organization’s core values/cultures and motivate others to passionately work to achieve the organizations goals, effectively and efficiently. In other words, they require leadership. Leadership Leadership is defined by individuals differently. Regardless of the definition, leadership has the same final outcome. This writer’s definition of leadership is: the art of influencing others to accomplish the task, job or goal at hand with available resources, employees, time and money. Basic leadership traits within resource utilization focus on job-centered leadership necessary...
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...Servant Leadership Rick Purvis Indiana Wesleyan University Servant Leadership Though there are many styles of leadership, servant leadership suggests that possessing certain quality’s will allow the leader to lead with authority and not just power. In this paper, we will examine servant leadership and how servant leadership is used in a business setting. We will also compare and contrast an example of servant leadership using the Maxwell leadership bible and Jim Beam Brands in Frankfort KY. Finally, we will discuss how Rick Purvis uses servant leadership in his place of employment. Now, lets get started by describing what servant leadership is. Servant leadership is described in an essay published by Robert K. Greenleaf. In his essay, Robert Greenleaf said: The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature (www.greenleaf.org, 2008). Servant Leaders are respected, listened to, and valued, even though they may not manage others (Davies, 2006). In short, servant leaders are individuals that lead by asking how they can help. They...
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