The concept of servant leadership is often associated with the Christian religion. However, in modern society, the principles of this style can be found across various cultural and religious values. This approach is largely associated with Indian culture and Hindu religion. Many tenets of servant leadership can be found in Hindu philosophy and applied by famous Indian leaders. Overall, the modern corporate culture of India relies heavily on the principles of servant leadership described in ancient scriptures and Vedic texts.
The main difference of servant leadership from other styles is the focus on followers, their well-being and development. Eva et al. (2019) suggest that this approach can be defined as other-oriented and “manifested through one-on-one prioritizing of follower individual needs and interests” (p. 114). The goal of servant leaders is to give up the self in favor of supporting others within the organization and the wider community (Eva et al., 2019). The basis of this approach is the reorientation of the values of the leader, who considers the empowerment of followers as a means and goal of his activity. In contrast to other styles, the servant leader does not have the task of achieving organizational performance indicators or pursuing personal interests. The motivation of such a leader comes from outside, focusing on the followers, their needs and values, without the self component (Eva et al., 2019). Servant leader seeks to understand and appreciate the interests and abilities of each follower in order to help them develop their best qualities.
Servant leader is first and foremost a servant to the followers, and only then a leader. Such leaders have an innate desire to take care of the psychological and emotional state of their followers, along with the professional (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018). They can also effectively build trust in the community, thus bringing meaningfulness to the workplace (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018). The characteristics of servant leadership include the combination of qualities needed to serve others as well as to inspire and lead others. In particular, this approach requires the leader to be empathetic, listening and supportive in order to identify the needs of followers and develop their best qualities. At the same time, the servant leader needs persuasion to lead followers, and foresight to assess conditions and actively move forward using available resources.
Indian culture, in particular, within the framework of economics and business, largely borrows the features of servant leadership. Mishra and Mahapatra (2018) explored the roots of servant leadership in Indian culture and analyzed the use of this approach among corporate leaders in India. The authors of the article give several examples of how Indian business leaders actively use the principles of servant leadership for the successful management of large organizations. N.R. Narayana Murthy was the CEO of Infosys in India from 1981 to 2002 (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018, p. 83). Murthy actively used principles of servant leadership in his managerial activities. It is noted that “he displays qualities like trust, simplicity, honesty and integrity” (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018, p. 83). Over the years, Murthy has nurtured many leaders within his company, underscoring his focus on empowerment and development of others. Capacity Mutuality Model certificate. Murthy did not hide the secrets of obtaining this certificate from competitors and actively helped them to achieve the same level. He cared about the well-being of the community and the industry as a whole, prioritizing the needs and interests of others over his own.
The principles of servant leadership are actively used in the modern Indian context, not only in business but also in the public sector. Singh and Ryhal (2021) investigated the correlation between the servant leadership of school principals and the level of job satisfaction among teachers in India. As a result, it was found that relatively little attention is paid to the principles of servant leadership in relation to policy making and administration of educational institutions. However, the authors also note that the use of this approach is quite common among school principals, especially in an academic setting (Singh & Ryhal, 2021). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the use of servant leadership principles and job satisfaction among the teaching staff. The authors provide recommendations on the need to transform policymaking and administration activities in accordance with this approach (Singh & Ryhal, 2021). The study shows that in Indian culture, servant leadership is actively used in the management of organizations, including those in the public sector. However, this practice is widespread at the local level, while it is underdeveloped at the state level.
The principles of servant leadership are evident when considering the Hindu religion, which is the most widespread in India. In particular, the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Hinduism scriptures, contains many features of servant leadership in this religion. Most significantly, it is stated that “the effective leader renounces selfish desire, arrogance, and inequality” (Ong, 2019, p. 94). Spiritual motivation and lack of selfish interests instead of control, according to the Bhagavad Gita, will allow the leader to successfully lead his followers. Ganguly and Majumder (2022) argue that the Vedic texts focus on the principle of lay leadership, which implies that the right person must be assigned to the right position at the right time. In this context, this is an example of servant leadership, as it postulates the need to prioritize the individual qualities. Additionally, the prehistoric books and ancient scriptures of Hindu emphasize aspects necessary for the successful functioning of a leader for the good of society, which is the characteristics of servant leadership (Ganguly & Majumder, 2022). Thus, this religion describes the principles of servant leadership both in earlier times and in a modern corporate context.
The main difference that exists between Indian culture, Hindu religion, and the principles of servant leadership is the concept of karma. Karma describes the Hindu belief that a person’s services in the present life depend on his previous lives (Singh, 2018). This concept also follows the features of the traditional structure of the Indian society divided into castes. Castes are closely associated with a person’s position in society and prescribe certain types of activities and jobs to particular groups. The transition from one caste to another in traditional Indian society is often impossible or extremely difficult (Singh, 2018). Although the concept of religion is of less importance in India today, it is the basis of traditional Hindu ideas about how the world works. The concept of karma is in many ways contrary to the principles of servant leadership, which postulates the possibility of developing the individual skills of followers for their advancement (Singh, 2018). Whereas the servant leader associates the merit of an employee solely with values and diligence, Hinduism implies that a person is not able to change the current position due to previous life actions.
One of the most prominent examples of a servant leadership that combines both cultural and religious backgrounds is Swami Vivekananda. He was a Hindu philosopher and monk who created the foundations of servant leadership management practices before they were formally established in Western and world literature (Ganguly & Majumder, 2022). The philosopher argued that the growth of a leader and the achievement of goals is impossible without the development of his subordinates. Vivekananda believed in equality and brotherhood among people, arguing the necessity and effectiveness of hierarchy. According to the philosopher, the servant leader should lead followers along the path of their development and empowerment. Vivekananda drew his principles from the Vedic texts, which are the basis for the Hindu religion.
Modern Indian businessmen are also actively using the basics of servant leadership to build their companies. Dhirubhai Ambani the founder of Reliance Industries in India is one example of following the basics of servant leadership and the postulates of the philosopher (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018). He went from the bottom of society to a successful corporation mainly through building trust and empowering his own colleagues. He also worried about society by donating huge sums to charity. This leader was sure that only following others could bring success and satisfaction to a person.
Thus, servant leadership has many connections to Indian culture and Hindu religion. From this point of view, the leader must focus on spirituality in order to exist in harmony with the outside world. According to the philosophy articulated by Vivekananda, only service to others can lead a leader to success and efficiency. The managerial experience of the most prominent Indian leaders also indicates that servant leadership is an integral part of Indian culture and derives its origins from the Vedic texts and scriptures of the Hindu religion.
References
Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., & Liden, R. C. (2019). Servant Leadership: A systematic review and call for future research.The Leadership Quarterly, 30, 111-132. Web.
Ganguly, S., & Majumder, A. (2022). A pursuit on the servant leadership theory by Swami Vivekananda: A conceptual study. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 7(5), 7-12.
Mishra, A., & Mahapatra, M. (2018). Servant leadership in India: A journey from past to present. Review of Professional Management, 16(2), 79-87.
Ong, Y. S. (2019). A grace-based leadership approach to managing gen A in the digital age.Business Ethics and Leadership, 3(3), 88-98. Web.
Singh, S., & Ryhal, P. C. (2021). How does servant leadership behaviour affect job satisfaction? A study on Indian academia.FIIB Business Review, 10(1), 52-61. Web.
Singh, V. (2018). Myths of meritocracy: Caste, karma and the new racism, a comparative study. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 41(15), 2693-2710.