Servant leadership can be referred to as an unconventional way of leadership that emphasizes the on welfare of the people being served and comprises of several behaviors and attitudes. An efficient management style known as authentic leadership is defined by sincere, conscious and transparent leadership and has resulted in the emergence of the favorable leadership structure known as servant leadership (McLaughlin & Kunk-Czaplicki, 2020). Truthfulness, bravery, and optimism are the foundations of both servant and authentic leadership, whether addressed explicitly or subconsciously. Servant leadership highlights established positive qualities that all individuals are expected to adhere to in order to be successful, as opposed to authentic leadership, which is persona driven and does not embrace transformational leadership or a predetermined collection of qualities that people are intended to emulate. Furthermore, it aims to alter the leadership’s temperament and conduct to correspond to these values.
Servant leadership has predominantly prioritized developing a deeper awareness of a variety of different traits to support the meaningful actions of servant-leaders. Some characteristics include ideation, community engagement, compassion, ability to heal, commitment to others’ growth, empathy, attentiveness, ethical conduct, general understanding, and persuasive (McLaughlin & Kunk-Czaplicki, 2020). Servant leadership features involve relinquishing control and devoting focus to the requirements of others, which sets them apart from conventional leadership traits. Other leadership behaviors, which often involve the acquisition and use of authority by individuals at the summit, contrast from these in that they involve encouraging individuals to grow and function to their maximum capabilities.
An outstanding illustration of how servant leadership has been depicted historically is Cheryl Bachelder, the former Head of Popeye, who transformed her floundering organization into a success by modifying her style of leadership and approach to thinking and governing through servant leadership. She developed a workplace where individuals were treated with respect and dignity and encouraged employees to achieve at the most outstanding level. When she departed the company in 2017, share prices had increased by four times from the day she took over (Hai & Van, 2021). Overall, servant leadership is a form of leadership that leads to the empowerment and uplifting of the employees by their leaders.
References
Hai, T. N., & Van, Q. N. (2021). Servant leadership styles: A theoretical approach. Emerging Science Journal, 5(2), 245–256. Web.
McLaughlin, C. P., & Kunk-Czaplicki, J. A. (2020). Leadership: Theory and practice by Peter G. Northouse. Journal of College Student Development, 61(2), 260–261. Web.