Servant Leadership

 Theory: Servant Leadership 

 

Description: 

 

The briefing should be comprised of a presentation that is about 1 minute per person and has one slide per person outlining your take on the theory of leadership (with the additional cover slide and reference slides.  

 

The slides should:  

1) summarize the theory  

2) explain how it adds to leadership studies  

3) discuss criticisms of the theory 

4) present some new material on the theory (last five years {the more recent the better}) 

5) provide your group’s assessment of the approach with respect to today's workforce and current global environment (e.g. is it useful, practical, easy, dated). 

 

 

Contact: 

Slide: Theory Summary 

Slide Information: 

 

What is Servant Leadership Theory?  

 

Servant leadership is often described as an approach to leadership that does not follow common sense. Why do you think that is? Well, when we think about leaders we don’t necessarily think about leaders being a servant. Leaders lead and servants follow.  

 

In our textbook Northouse (2019) shares that much of what we know about Servant Leadership originated in the writings of author Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970,1972 and 1977.  

 

According to Dirk Dierendonck, most of the academic and nonacademic writing has been prescriptive and not focused on what servant leadership actually is in practice.  

 

Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders need to be attentive to the concerns of their followers, they need to have the ability to emphasize with them and nurture them.  

 

Servant leaders are willing to put their followers first and see ways for each of them to reach their full personal capacity. According to Mário Franco and Augusto Antunes (2020), servant leaders are ethical and are always looking to serve the greater good of an organization.  

 

 

 

Contact: 

Slide: How It Adds to Leadership Studies 

Slide Information: 

 

 

 

Contact: 

Slide: Discuss Criticisms of the Theory 

Slide Information: 

 

 

Contact: 

Slide: New Material on the Theory 

Slide Information: 

 

Contact:

Slide: Group’s Assessment of the Approach with Respect to Today’s Workforce and Current Global Environment 

Slide Information: 

 

 

 

Resources: 

 

Franco, M., & Antunes, A. (2020). Understanding servant leadership dimensions. Nankai Business Review International, 11(3), 345-369. doi:10.1108/nbri-08-2019-0038 

Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. 

Greenleaf, R. K. (1972). The institution as servant. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. 

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York, NY: Paulist Press. 

Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: theory and practice (8th ed.) Los Angeles: Sage Publications.