83

Five Necessary Attitudesof a Servant LeaderLarry W. Boone, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John's University, NYboonel@stjohns.edu

Sanya Makhani, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John's University, NYsanyamakhani@gmail.com

Executive Summary

Since the "servant leadership" conceptwas introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in1970, this style has been adopted by manysuccessful leaders in a variety of contexts. Isthe servant leadership style right for you?This article helps to answer that questionfor many leaders who may be interested in"serving others first," or in "serving ratherthan being served," by exploring whether ornot a leader has the necessary attitudes toimplement this leadership style. According tothe authors, servant leadership can be a highlyeffective style for influencing a group towardthe achievement of organizational goals ifa leader possesses or can readily adopt thefollowing attitudes: 1) believing that visioningisn't everything, but it's the beginning ofeverything, 2) listening is hard work requiringa major investment of personal time andeffort - and it is worth every ounce of energyexpended, 3) my job involves being a talentscout and committing to my staff's success, 4)it is good to give away my power, and 5) I am acommunity builder.

Introduction

Leadership is the ability to influence a grouptoward the achievement of organizationalgoals. Of course, the contingency approachdominates the extensive literature onleadership. The appropriate leadership styledepends upon the situation. Some contexts callfor autocratic leadership, some for participative

or consultative approaches, and still others callfor transformational leadership-and so on. Oneof the most intriguing leadership approachesreceiving a great deal of current attentionregarding implementation effectiveness andits fit within contingency theory involves theservant leadership concept.

The term "servant leadership" was coined byRobert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay "TheServant as a Leader." Greenleaf spent his fortyyear career at AT&T working in the fields ofmanagement, research, development, andeducation. When describing servant leadershipin his essay, he states, "The servant-leaderis servant first... It begins with the naturalfeeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.Then conscious choice brings one to aspire tolead. That person is sharply different from onewho is leader first..." According to Greenleafservant leaders intend to help followers "growhealthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, andmore likely themselves to become servants"(Greenleaf, 1977:13-14).

Let's look at one example of a servantleadership approach. Suppose a CEO isfaced with the difficult situation of necessarycutbacks and/or layoffs in tough economictimes. An autocratic leader might issuea directive to all personnel explainingthat a decision has been made to reduceoperations and staffing levels by 10%, andthat implementation would be immediate.The CEO may assume that employees would

84

understand and accept this course of actionbased on his/her formal authority to implementsuch decisions and well-established corporateobjectives of maximizing shareholder return,profitability, and efficiency.

A servant leader, on the other hand, mightaddress the tough economic times andthe need for change by communicatinga compelling vision of how the firm willlook and feel after the challenge has beenaddressed, attempting to build communityby stressing that everyone is in this together,including the CEO, stating that the yet-to-be-determined courses of action will be trueto the well-established corporate values ofshareholder return, profitability, and loyaltyto employees, and might solicit suggestionsfrom departments and/or individual workers.Each approach may produce desired results,but significant differences may be realized interms of implementation time, total expense,organizational morale, employee motivation, andability to retain/attract key organizational skills.

This article will review some basic leadershipconcepts; explore the servant leadership stylethrough its treatment in the literature overthe past few decades, including discussion ofmany characteristics, attributes, and behaviorsof servant leaders; and, through review of theideas of several best-selling leadership authors,attempt to identify the most importantattitudes that fit well with the servantleadership approach in an attempt to aid thereader in concluding whether or not servantleadership may be a viable option for inclusionwithin their personal leadership style.

Leadership: Skills, Behaviors, and Attitudes

Leadership is not comprised of a singlecharacteristic or trait. It is not, as some mayincorrectly assume, the hard-to-def ine attributeof "charisma." Rather, leadership consists of alarge set of well-recognized skills, behaviors,and attitudes. Skills and behaviors can belearned, then honed through practice. A few.

among many, commonly recognized leadershipskills and behaviors include establishingcredibility or trustworthiness, managing timeproductively, being proactive, empoweringothers to act, and networking (Boone andPeborde, 2008).

Servant leaders...recognize theempowerment of their people as animportant goal.

Attitudes, on the other hand, are determinantsof behavior. They are linked commonlywith personality, perception, feelings, andmotivation. An attitude is a mental state ofreadiness learned and organized throughexperience. Exerting specific influenceon a person's response to other people,objects, and situations, attitudes providethe emotional basis of one's interpersonalrelations and identification with others.Therefore, attitudes relate directly to one'scomfort and willingness to apply specificleadership styles. As previously stated, themajor purpose of this article is to identify andexamine five important attitudes that fit wellwith the servant leadership approach. If onepossesses or can willingly adopt these attitudes,servant leadership may be an effectivestyle to influence others toward achievingorganizational goals.

Specific applications of many leadership styles,including servant leadership, can be quitechallenging to identify and differentiate.Before introducing the attitudes compatibleto servant leadership, typical characteristicsand attributes of this style will be identifiedthrough a review of their treatment inthe literature. This should aid the reader'sunderstanding of what servant leadershiplooks like, sounds like, and feels like.

Review of the Literature

Kent M. Keith, CEO of the Greenleaf Centerfor Servant Leadership, addresses the basis of

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 85

servant leadership: "It means that 'servant'is a fundamental, essential, continuingcharacteristic of a servant-lea der. If we aregoing to be servant-leaders, we need to startby being servants. That must be our truenature. That must be who we really are"(Keith, 2010). The main motivating factor forservant leaders is to serve first, and this is whatdistinguishes it from other forms of leadership.The leader's attitude is that "I am the leader,therefore I serve" rather than "I am the leader,therefore I lead" (Sendjaya and Sarros, 2002).Servant leaders operate differently than otherleaders. Their approach helps create a positiveenvironment in the organization, adding toworkers' job satisfaction and commitment tothe organization (Jaramillo et al., 2009).

As a servant leader one does not forcepeople to follow but walks among themand moves in a direction that can uniteall in a common vision.

When Greenleaf first introduced the servantleadership concept, religious groups readilyidentified with the approach, recognizingthe core principles of service and communitydevelopment as scriptural values as well asrecognizing, of course, that Jesus served asthe best example of servant leadership. Manynon-religious not-for-profit organizations alsoembraced the servant leadership style due toits emphasis on service and the developmentof purposeful, passionate communities withinorganizational ranks. Many business leaders,though, found it challenging, even puzzling,to develop the skills and, most importantly, theattitudes of servant leadership. However, asnumerous scholars began writing about servantleadership, and as leaders slowly explored theadvantages of serving their employees ratherthan directing them, this new leadership stylebegan to permeate mainstream managementtechniques even within the business arena(Kelly, 2010).

Transforming from conventional leader toservant leader is not a simple task. It requiresa conscious effort to change one's way ofthinking, acting, and reacting. According toAutry (2001), it is important to realize thatservant leadership is not a spiritual concept,but a way of "Being." The five most importantways of Being are to be authentic, vulnerable,accepting, present, and useful - making it easierfor leaders to develop an attitude of service.

A vital prerequisite to servant leadershipis credibility, which is the foundation ofleadership. People must believe in theirleaders and know that they are worthy of trust.To build credibility leaders must be honest,forward-looking, inspiring, and competent(Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Leaders whoput their organization and people beforethemselves and don't lead from the topare true servant leaders. They listen, haveempathy, help people heal, know the valueof learning, possess foresight, are persuasiveand flexible, lead with a vision, work hard togain trust, are passionate about helping theirpeople progress and reach their potential, andwork hard to build a community within theirorganization (Burrell and Grizzell, 2010). Theseskills, behaviors, and attitudes set leaders apartas servants who recognize the empowermentof their people as an important goal.

Servant leaders have a vision for the future.They communicate the desired direction ofthe organization with regard to its mission,values, and beliefs. Servant leaders breakdown this vision into small attainable goalsthat accumulate to their inspiring "big picture,"maintaining the progress of people and theorganization at its core (Vinod and Sudhakar, 2011).

The servant leadership style has beencompared to other leadership approaches suchas charismatic and transformational leadershipas well as leader-member exchange, but whatdifferentiates servant leadership is the moralobjective of serving others (Mayer et al..

86

2008; Barbuto and Wheeler, 2006; Graham,1991). Discussing the effectiveness of servantleadership. Smith et al. (2004) argue that aservant leadership style is better suited for amore static business environment that has astable external context, not for dynamic fastpaced environments. However, Searle andBarbuto (2011) propose that the adoptionof servant leadership adds to the ethical,moral behavior in any organization in anyenvironment as it supports positive behavior onboth micro-and macro-levels.

An early criticism of the servant leadershipconcept as a philosophical theory involvedsparse empirical research to advocate itseffectiveness in an organizational setting.Servant leadership "lacks sufficient scientificevidence to justify its widespread acceptanceat this point in time" (Russell and Stone, 2002).Since then a number of models have beendeveloped to test the effectiveness of servantleadership. Barbuto and Wheeler (2006)developed and validated a scale for measuringservant leadership behavior identifying fivedimensions: 1) altruistic calling; 2) emotionalhealing; 3) wisdom; 4) persuasive mapping; and5) organizational stewardship. Their resultsindicated servant leadership can produceincreases in subordinates' organizationalcommitment, community citizenship behavior,and in-role performance.

Liden et al. (2008) developed a multi-dimensional measure of servant leadership byidentifying nine dimensions:

1. Emotional healing - the act of showingsensitivity to others' personal concerns;

2. Creating value for the community - aconscious, genuine concern for helping thecommunity;

3. Conceptual skills - possessing the knowledgeof the organization and tasks at hand so asto be in a position to effectively support andassist others, especially immediate followers;

4. Empowering - encouraging and facilitatingothers, especially immediate followers, inidentifying and solving problems, as wellas determining when and how to completework tasks;

5. Helping subordinates grow and succeed -demonstrating genuine concern for others'career growth and development by providingsupport and mentoring;

6. Putting subordinates first - using actions andwords to make it clear to others (especiallyimmediate followers) that satisfying theirwork needs is a priority. (Supervisors whopractice this principle will often break fromtheir own work to assist subordinates withproblems they are facing with their assignedduties);

7. Behaving ethically - interacting openly, fairlyand honestly with others;

8. Relationships - the act of making a genuineeffort to know, understand, and supportothers in the organization, with an emphasison building long-term relationships withimmediate followers; and

9. Servanthood - a way of being marked byone's self-categorization and desire to becharacterized by others as someone whoserves others first, even when self-sacrifice isrequired.

Additional empirical work on servantleadership has been carried out (Russelland Stone, 2002; Neubert, Kacmar, Carlson,Chonko, and Roberts, 2008; Sendjaya et al.,2008). Additionally, it is interesting to notethat when describing his level-5 leadershipconcept and the qualities of a "Good to Great"leader, Collins (2001) observes, "Self-efficacy,quiet, reserved, even shy - these leaders area paradoxical blend of personal humility andprofessional will." These level-5 leader qualitiesrelate well to those of a servant leader.

It is evident that effective organizationalleadership is enhanced by developing a clearunderstanding and thorough adoption of

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 87

service qualities. When compared to otherleadership styles, servant leadership can beseen to involve similar skills and behaviors.However, servant leadership requires aparticular set of attitudes towards one'scolleagues. The leader sees him/herself not atthe top of the pyramid, but in a position withinthe pyramid. As a servant leader one does notforce people to follow but walks among themand moves in a direction that can unite all ina common vision. A servant leader listens andcomprehends, refraining from the constantissuance of orders.

Servant leadership is not just a managementstyle but also a set of attitudes that need tobe developed by leaders who choose to adoptit. There is a certain frame of mind that mustexist for a leader to act as a servant and besuccessful at managing the organization andpeople who depend upon him/her. From vastpractice and abundant research it is evidentthat effective leaders must master a verywide set of skills, behaviors, and attitudes.The encouraging news is that leadership skills,behaviors, and attitudes are learnable andadoptable (Maxwell, 2007; Drucker, 2006;Kouzes and Posner, 2002).

The purpose of this paper then is to identifyand explore five important attitudes that anindividual needs to adopt in order to becomean effective servant leader:

1) visioning isn't everything, but it's thebeginning of everything;

2) listening is hard work requiring a majorinvestment of personal time and effort - and itis worth every ounce of energy expended;

3) my job involves being a talent scout andcommitting to my staff's success;

4) it is good to give away my power; and

5) I am a community builder.

Attitude #1:"Visioning isn't everything, but it's thebeginning of everything."

David McAllister-Wilson, 2004:56

Kelly writes that both Robert Greenleaf andSteven Covey (1998) recognize that the goalof servant leadership is to institutionalizethe virtue of serving others first, not servingoneself. This can only be accomplished,Greenleaf and Covey contend, "if theleader 'leads' with a compelling vision, setsclear behavioral expectations, and servesas an authentic practitioner of the valuesproclaimed" (2010:10). First and foremost,servant leaders lead through their vision, theirmental picture and oral description of whattomorrow will be like. Their vision gives focusto human energy. It expresses high ideals andvalues. A servant leader's vision inspires boththe leader and his/her followers to act and toaccomplish (Kouzes and Posner, 2002).

Visions incorporate hopes, dreams, andaspirations. They are ambitious andoptimistic. "Vision isn't everything, but it'sthe beginning of everything" (McAllister-Wilson, 2004:56). Visions are sometimes leapsof faith. McAllister-Wilson describes visionsas "necessarily hyperbolic, unrealistic, andirresponsible. They express goals that havea rainbow quality" (2004:58). To practicevisioning effectively one must learn to aim highand allow for wind and elevation.

A vision is a good story. Among many valuablesuggestions for developing a leader's teachablepoint of view, Tichy (1997) proposes that aleader must be capable of communicatingthree kinds of stories to his/her constituents:

1) Who I Am" stories that relate one's ownpersonal values and experiences in order toreveal oneself to followers and earn theirtrust;

2) "Who We Are" stories that provide a senseof group identity, either through common

88

experiences or mission; and

3) a "Future Story" that describes where thegroup is going, why the group must(or must not) change, and how they will getthere. A "Future Story" is a vision,an organizational story that hasn't happenedyet.

Where do visions come from? Often theyemanate from followers themselves. Kouzesand Posner (2004) write that leaders knowwhat inspires their constituents because theyspend time listening to constituents' needsand desires. (See Attitude #2 - Listening.)Leaders listen deeply with their ears, eyes, andhearts, not just to followers' words but to theiremotions. They know how to enlist othersin a common vision by appealing to sharedaspirations that can be shaped into a unifiedpurpose. Effective servant leaders apply whatthey hear from constituents to formulatean appealing vision that demonstrates howindividual's personal needs can be met whileserving the common good of the organizationand/or the constituents served by theorganization.

Leaders know what inspires theirconstituents because they spend timelistening to constituents' needsand desires.

Through listening and assimilation, leadersidentify their followers' common themes (alsoconcerns, desires, and dreams), then serve asthe unifying force for their organizations byexpressing these themes as a vision for a bettertomorrow. They develop the vision, the "bigpicture," through effective listening. "Like acarpenter working with a fine piece of wood,there is a grain to every group, and an effectiveleader reads the grain" (McAllister-Wilson,2004:63). Of course, leaders also must bemotivated personally by the vision. Therefore,they may infuse the "big picture" with theirown personal desires to which they can commit

and from which they can derive personal pride.

A vision then may meld the best of whatconstituents desire and what the servant leaderwants to achieve. Consider this vivid image: Asspokespersons for their organizations, "leadershold up a mirror and reflect back to theirconstituents what they most desire" (Kouzesand Posner, 2004:18). In this way servantleaders know that the secret to winning thesupport of numerous followers is to lead them(at least in part) where they already want togo. The servant leader assimilates the collectivevision, then empowers constituents to achieve it.

Visions are often described as fulfilling the roleof the North Star. They provide a constantbearing as leader and followers are buffetedby the day-to-day challenges of achievingsomething new. Not only do visions energizebut they help leaders and followers stayfocused on their desired direction.

Visions can also serve as very useful recruitingtools. A well-communicated vision will aidin attracting those who share the values andaspirations expressed in the vision. Attractedfollowers are strong "fits" for the communitythe servant leader is seeking to build (seeAttitude #5 - Community Building). Conversely,those who do not share the vision's expressedvalues and aspirations will realize that thisis not the purpose that will help them fulfilltheir personal passion - and in the long run,decisions not to join a team can be just asimportant as decisions to join.

Without doubt, visioning requires courage. Itinvolves communicating an ennobling pictureof a better tomorrow without necessarilyknowing how the vision will be achieved.Servant leaders rely on themselves and theirteam members to supply the strategies andtalents, as well as accumulate the resourcesnecessary for achieving the vision. Leavingample opportunities for others to contributecreates an environment for empowerment, andthat is a vital element of servant leadership.

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 89

But it also creates risk. What if we cannotidentify effective strategies, raise sufficientresources, and the like? We may fail! Imagineleaping off a cliff while counting on othersto construct a safe landing pad while you arefalling. That's how many people interpretvisioning.

The possibility of failure prevents many would-be leaders from establishing an energizingvision with organizational reach. Servantleaders take the risk. However, they don'tsee themselves as falling off a cliff. Ratherthey see themselves building a team to enacta promising future that will better serve thecommon good.

Consider what many managers (not leaders)frequently do. They carefully plan a futurethat is incrementally better than today. Theydevise prudently a series of sequential stepsthat will lead to their future. Before theybegin, they know what they will do, wherethey will attain the resources, and how successwill be achieved. In other words, they play itsafe, avoiding much chance of failure. In manyinstances this may be effective management,but it is not leadership. Servant leaderspossess courage: they risk failure, they provideleadership that will take followers to placesthey have never been before (Kouzes andPosner, 2004).

That is not to say that servant leaders takewild chances when they establish visions.In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws ofLeadership (2007), Maxwell introduces hisLaw of Navigation. In Maxwell's law, goodleaders (navigators) assess potential costsbefore making commitments. Not only dothey investigate measurable costs such asfinances, talent, and resources, but theyalso examine intangibles such as timing,momentum, organizational culture, andthe like. They gather information frommany sources, listening to members of theirown management team, other people in

their organization, and leaders from otherorganizations. Maxwell goes on to say thatone who navigates for others must have apositive attitude. "You've got to have faith thatyou can take your people all the way. If youcan't confidently make the trip in your mind,you're not going to be able to take it in reallife." (2007:41)

The first step on a servant leader's successjourney involves expressing a vision that willunify, energize, attract, and guide followersto what everyone can recognize will be abetter tomorrow. The vision itself can bea single word, a slogan, a paragraph, ora page. Passion matters, not length. Aneffective servant leader realizes that "visioningisn't everything, but it's the beginning ofeverything." Servant leadership starts byexpressing how you and your followers willserve others in a meaningful way.

Attitude #2:Listening is hard work requiring a majorinvestment of personal time and effort - and itis worth every ounce of energy expended.

Maxwell offers another irrefutable law ofleadership: the Law of Addition. He observesthat we add value to others when we knowand relate to what others value. How dowe know what others value? We listen."Inexperienced leaders are quick to lead beforeknowing anything about the people theyintend to lead. But mature leaders listen, learn,and then lead" (2007:55).

By asking questions and giving others theopportunity to relate their "Who I Am" and"Who We Are" stories as well as attendingto the emotions accompanying these stories,servant leaders can identify their followers'dreams and aspirations. Listening allows theservant leader to sense the purpose in others,enhancing the leader's ability to implementAttitude #1 and incorporate their followers'hopes and desires into a compelling visionthat gives voice to followers' feelings. Kouzes

90

and Posner state, "Leaders find the commonthread that weaves the fabric of human needsinto a colorful tapestry. They develop a deepunderstanding of collective yearnings; theyseek out the brewing consensus among thosethey would lead" (2002:149-150).

Servant leaders are present - that is, availableto their constituents. They "walk the shop,"engaging in informal conversations in orderto know and be known by followers. Servantleaders ask open-ended questions aboutwork-related and personal issues to drawout constituents' opinions and attitudes. Asmentioned previously, they listen deeply withtheir ears, eyes, and hearts (Kouzes and Posner,2002) to glean the emotional content of theirfollowers' conversations so they can align theorganization's vision with the professional andpersonal goals of constituents.

Of course, when the number of followers is toolarge to permit informal conversations with all,attitude and/or opinion surveys can be utilizedas supplemental listening mechanisms. Theycan help canvass large numbers of followersefficiently and effectively - and help theservant leader perceive changes in dreams anddesires over time.

Effective servant leaders are willing to adhereto the 2:1 ratio of questions to commands oftensuggested by trainers during listening skilldevelopment sessions. That is, when auditingtheir personal behaviors, it is apparent thatservant leaders ask two questions for everydirect order or instruction they deliver to theirfollowers.

Perhaps the most significant direct effects oflistening involve: 1) building trust betweenthe servant leader and followers, and 2)increasing the self-esteem of followers. Whena leader listens intently to followers' ideas he/she demonstrates respect for their opinions,helping to develop a bond of trust. And trustis a foundation block of the leader-followerrelationship. Also, when a leader listens.

followers conclude their ideas are important,helping to raise their self-esteem and its relatedoutcomes such as higher job satisfaction,productivity, and organizational commitment.More directly, listening can inform servantleaders of their followers' experiences andlead to adapting such experiences to enhanceorganizational innovation.

Servant leaders maintain a very strongcommitment to listening. They share theunderstanding that listening is very hard workwhich demands a considerable investment oftheir personal time and cognitive effort, andthey share the attitude that the numerouspositive outcomes of listening to one'sfollowers are worth every ounce of energyexpended..

Attitude #3:My job involves being a talent scout andcommitting to my staff's success.

Often people do not see in themselveswhat someone else sees in them. Effectiveservant leaders share a common attitude that"everyone is great at something" and it istheir responsibility to help followers realizehow they can apply whatever special talent(s)they can offer toward achievement of theorganization's vision. This can be a powerfulapproach to human resource development.Followers' organizational contributions are notlimited by their formal organizational role orby their specific job description but are enabledby their special talent to take the organizationtoward its vision via a new, perhaps unplanned,direction. Servant leaders see themselves astalent scouts. They believe that everyone has aunique contribution to offer, and it is their jobto recognize it (even if the follower does not),and direct it toward vision achievement.

The support of a servant leader can make adifference in the careers and lives of theirfollowers. Servant leaders let followers knowthey will be working with them to help themgrow. "Over time, as you're overseeing (your)

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 91

task, I will watch you and call character andcompetency issues into the conversation. Atthe same time, I will encourage you, and Ipromise you I will do everything to developyou. If I sense there is something in you Ican't develop, I will find other people whocan and I will bring them into play in yourlife. I will make sure that your gift is fannedinto flame so it becomes strong and vibrantand serves others well" (Ortberg, 2004:95).Followers, in turn, come to believe in theirleaders and trust their intentions to help themdevelop skills that will lead to improvements intheir organizational positions as well as theircontributions to the organization's vision.

Strong leaders stand apart because theyassess the abilities of others and assist themin capturing the best of those abilities."Exemplary leaders can, figuratively speaking,bring others to life. These leaders significantlyimprove others' performance quite dramaticallybecause they care deeply for their constituentsand have an abiding faith in their capacities.Constituents are able to respond positivelyto these expectations not only because theyhave the abilities; they also respond becauseleaders are more nurturing, supporting,and encouraging toward people whom theybelieve" (Kouzes and Posner, 2007:282-283).

Of course, scouting and facilitating followers'talents has a payoff for the organization's longterm success as well. Maxwell offers his Law ofReproduction: "It takes a leader to raise up aleader." Focusing on the growth of others andhelping them develop their skills is what helpsdevelop the next generation of organizationalleaders. "It takes one to know one, show one,and grow one" (Maxwell, 1998:141). Accordingto Ortberg (2004), some of the most powerfulwords a leader can offer to a follower are, "Iam committed to your success."

In Gung Ho! Blanchard and Bowles (1997)point to the animal kingdom to demonstratethe power of encouragement through their

Gift of the Goose concept. As wild geesefly thousands of miles annually, they cheereach other every step of the way by honkingencouragement to one another. "A leaderwho cheers those around him, offering specificpraise for things done right, is a leader whowill win the hearts of others and see greatthings accomplished" (Blanchard, 2004:115).

"... mature leaders listen, learn, andthen lead."

Greenleaf purports that servant leaders aremotivated by the intention of serving othersand are committed to develop their followers.When leaders work toward building characterand competence among their followers, theyadd to their own credibility as well as thecredibility of their team members (Kouzesand Posner, 2007). By directing followers'special talents toward accomplishing theorganization's vision, servant leaders create acollaborative and effective team environmentby utilizing everyone's strengths.

An important prerequisite to developingfollowers' talents is trust. Liden (2008)points out that the servant leadership stylecontributes to trust building with employees,customers, and communities. Ortberg(2004:89) concludes, "We have to learn toput the same trust in other people that weput in ourselves and then release them to dothe work ... Trust is the foundational elementof any good leader, and it has to be earned.You have to lay a foundation of trust beforepeople can individually do their best." Leaderscan earn trust by working hard to recognizeeach follower's special talent, helping themsee how it can be applied toward achievingthe vision, and committing to the success ofeach follower. When this is accomplished, theleader's credibility increases, each follower'scontribution grows, and the organizationthrives.

92

Attitude #4:It is good to give away my power.

Many people are motivated to attain positionsof leadership because they seek the legitimateauthority associated with a leader's position.They conclude that formal authority withintheir organization will allow them to issuecommands, implement their ideas, allocateresources and rewards, and, generally, makethings happen. Servant leaders, however, aremotivated by their desire to serve others andview leadership as the best way to achieve thisservice objective. It is a paradox of servantleadership that those probably least motivatedby the legitimate power base frequentlyfind themselves building more referent andgoodwill power as they give away their powerto their constituents through delegation,empowerment, and the practice of subsidiarity.

"Leaders accept and act on the paradox ofpower: you become more powerful whenyou give your own power away. Long beforeempowerment was written into the popularvocabulary, exemplary leaders understood howimportant it was that their constituents feltstrong, capable, and efficacious. Constituentswho feel weak, incompetent, and insignificantconsistently underperform, they want toflee the organization, and they're ripe fordisenchantment, even revolution" (Kouzes andPosner, 2007:251).

Maxwell (1998) underscores this attitudethrough his Law of Empowerment, stating,"Only secure leaders give power to others."He explains that leaders who give power awayto others make themselves indispensable bymaking themselves dispensable. By givingtheir followers power, leaders are empoweringfollowers to reach their potential. Maxwellgoes on to state, "When a leader can't orwon't empower others, he creates barrierswithin the organization that people cannotovercome. If the barriers remain long enough,then the people give up, or they move toanother organization where they can maximize

their potential." For servant leaders, givingaway power contributes to their goal offacilitating others in growing to their maximumpotential.

some of the most powerful words aleader can offer to a follower are, "I amcommitted to your success."

Good leaders give away power by applyingthe organizing principle of subsidiarity. Theybelieve that matters ought to be decidedand dispatched by the smallest, lowest, orleast centralized competent authority andthat higher level leaders should maintain asubsidiary function, performing only thosetasks which cannot be performed effectivelyat the local level. Therefore, servant leaderstend to pass along as much decision-makingauthority and control as possible to theorganizational level closest to those whoseneeds are being served.

"Creating a climate in which people are fullyengaged and feel in control of their own livesis at the heart of strengthening others. Peoplemust have the latitude to make decisionsbased on what they believe should be done.They must work in an environment that bothdevelops their abilities to perform a task orcomplete an assignment and builds a sense ofself-confidence. They must hold themselvespersonally accountable for results as well asfeel ownership for their achievements" (Kouzesand Posner, 2007:250). Giving away power tofollowers may be challenging for many leaders,but a true servant leader doesn't lead from thetop and does not hesitate to give power awayto his or her followers.

Leaders who give their power away do notblindly agree with the decisions and opinionsof their followers. Giving power awaydoes not mean letting the inmates run theprison (Blanchard, 2004), which is an often-encountered misrepresentation of servantleadership. Rather, it is about accepting the

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 93

views of others and giving them the ability topractice power. A servant leader applies thelaw of acceptance which, as described by Autry(2001:17), "does not imply that you (the leader)accept everyone's ideas without critical analysis,discussion and judgment - only that you acceptideas as valid for discussion and review, andthat you focus on the ideas themselves, noton the person who presented them." Givingfollowers the opportunity to express theirideas makes them feel like they are in controland have a say in organizational decisions,bolstering job satisfaction as well as team andorganizational success.

Servant leaders fulfill the roles of coaches andfacilitators by moving from "in control to givingcontrol away" (Kouzes and Posner, 2007:251).A servant leader walks with his/her followersand helps them realize their true potential.Fulfilling the coach's role, the servant leaderlearns to trust each follower with the work thatthey are doing. Leaders are willing to delegatetheir authority while maintaining theirorganizational responsibility, standing on thesidelines helping followers achieve their bestresults. "A wise leader strengthens people bygiving power away. Leaders place constituents,not themselves, at the center. Leaders use theirpower in service of others, not in service ofthemselves" (Ortberg, 2004:90).

...create a collaborative and effectiveteam environment by utilizingeveryone's strengths.

Referring to servant leaders' desire to serveothers' interest and not their own, Blanchardwarns that power holders have to learn to beservant leaders and not self-serving leaders.Humility is the key to a servant leader's heartand approach. Servant leaders "don't thinkless of themselves, they just think of themselvesless" (2004:105).

Related closely to their practice of humility,servant leaders adopt the attitude that they

need not be right all the time. They knowand act on the concept that other peoplehave good ideas, too. Further, servant leadersdemonstrate their humility by admitting theirmistakes. In a work environment characterizedby trust, leaders and followers are open tofeedback, admit their mistakes, and worktogether to pursue continuous serviceimprovements (Ortberg, 2004). By includingothers in decision-making and creativeendeavors, by knowing they need not be rightall the time, and by admitting mistakes whenappropriate, servant leaders build trust withfollowers, facilitate followers' effectiveness,and enhance their own influence over the longterm. In other words, they grow stronger bygiving away their power.

Attitude #5:/ am a community builder.

Servant leaders recognize that their successderives from the attitude that they areleading an organizational effort to developa productive community. They strive to builda community centered around members'shared values and vision and through theircollaborative decision-making and action-taking. Kouzes and Posner discuss this conceptin terms of the leader-constituent relationship:"Leadership is a relationship between thosewho aspire to lead and those who chooseto follow. It's the quality of this relationshipthat matters most when we are engaged ingetting extraordinary things done. A leader-constituent relationship that's characterizedby fear and distrust will never, ever produceanything of lasting value. A relationshipcharacterized by mutual respect and confidencewill overcome the greatest adversities and leavea legacy of significance" (2007:24). Druckerpoints out that organizations are built on trust,and trust develops from effective relationshipsbetween executives and followers. "Takingresponsibility for relationships is an absolutenecessity. It is a duty" (2005:108).

94

To build community successfully, it is imperativeto select the right people. For a servant leaderit is vital to know who to retain or recruit,extricate, and develop. Collins explains that"Good to Great" leaders "... first got theright people on the bus, the wrong peopleoff the bus and the right people in the rightseats" (2001:13). Strong communities arebuilt around people who share the values ofthe organization, are passionate about andmotivated by the vision, and whose strengthsmatch the organization's execution needs(or who can be trained to develop such skillsthrough additional organizational investment).

Drucker discusses the importance of lookingfor people's strengths. Developing the attitudeto ask "What can a man do?" instead of"What can he not do?" helps a leader to seestrengths clearly and direct those strengthstoward the common vision. "In every area ofeffectiveness within an organization, one feedsthe opportunities and starves the problems.Nowhere is this more important than inrespect to people. The effective executivelooks upon people including himself as anopportunity ... The task of an executive is notto change human beings. Rather, as the Bibletells us in the parable of the Talents, the taskis to multiply performance capacity of thewhole by putting to use whatever strength,whatever health, whatever aspiration there isin individuals" (Drucker, 2006:98-99).

Servant leaders' stoke the fire of communitythrough the common appeal of vision."Leaders help people see that what they aredoing is bigger than themselves, even, than thebusiness. It's something noble. It's somethingthat lifts their morale and motivational levels.When people go to bed at night they can sleepa little easier knowing that others are able tolive a better life because of what they did thatday" (Kouzes and Posner, 2007:135-136).

Organizational effectiveness depends on thestrength of the community that the leader

Servant leaders "don't think lessof themselves, they just think ofthemselves less"

builds by choosing the right people for theright job. This relationship is addressedby Maxwell's Law of the Inner Circle: "Thepotential of the leader - along with thepotential of the whole organization - isdetermined by those closest to him" (1998:112).Building a community within an organizationcreates a cohesive network that is able toachieve success in any situation. Maxwellexplains that the leader must bring togetherpeople with five qualities when including theminto the inner circle: 1) potential value - thosewho raise up themselves; 2) positive value -those who raise morale in the organization; 3)personal value - those who raise up the leader;4) production value - those who raise others;and 5) proven value-those who raise up peoplewho raise up other people (1998:115-116).

Additionally, community building is supportedby hosting and/or addressing organizationalgatherings and taking time to celebratesuccesses. Gatherings, of course, may includea variety of functions such as formal meetings,annual events, milestone achievements, holidaycelebrations, and the like. "Community maynot be the stuff of ordinary organizations, butit is the stuff of great ones, ones with strongcultures. The best leaders know that everygathering is a chance to renew commitrnent.They never let pass an opportunity to makesure that everyone knows why they're all thereand how they're going to act in service ofthat purpose" (Kouzes and Posner, 2007:311).Through the inevitable daily encounter ofproblems and distractions servant leaderskeep members focused on shared values andvision by affirming publicly what unifies thecommunity.

As mentioned previously, servant leadersknow part of their job is to "walk the shop."They make themselves visible where work is

Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader 95

being done, where clients' needs are beingserved. They pay attention to be sure theyobserve followers doing the right things anddoing things right, and they complimentworkers on their successes, encouraging theirhearts through verbal recognition to keepworking toward the vision. Also, servantleaders take care to recognize both individualcontributions and team achievements throughrewards, awards, gifts, and "thank-you's" ofmany types. Presenting a plaque, naming anemployee-of-the-month, or honoring a retireeare opportunities to tell the stories of workers'successes and to reinforce the community's sharedvalues and vision (Kouzes and Posner, 2002).

Communities require building and tending.Servant leaders are aware of their vitalrole in bringing together the right peoplewho are energized to achieve great thingsthrough shared values and vision. They knowalso that without a leader's reinforcement,organizational values diffuse and visions blur.Therefore, servant leaders recognize the roleof gatherings and celebrations in maintainingcommunity.

Conclusion

The servant leadership style has receivedincreasing attention in recent years and can bea powerful approach for leaders. However, toimplement this style genuinely and effectively,leaders should be sure that they either possessor can readily adopt certain attitudes thatmeld with successful application of servantleadership. Chief among these attitudes arethose discussed in this paper:

1) visioning isn't everything, but it's thebeginning of everything;

2) listening is hard work requiring a majorinvestment of personal time and effort - andit is worth every ounce of energy expended;

3) my job involves being a talent scout andcommitting to my staff's success;

4) it is good to give away my power; and

5) I am a community builder.

As discussed by Autry (2001), one of thenatural extensions of servant leadership isstrong corporate social responsibility andcommunity service, modeled by the leader andpracticed by numerous organization members.Certainly, there is some truth to the opinion,espoused by many, that a business's onlyresponsibility is making a profit, and that thegeneral community is well-served by the firm'screation of jobs, payment of taxes, and soforth. However, as expressed by Marian WrightEdelman, "Service is the rent we pay for living."

Business organizations are part of complexeconomic, social, educational, healthcare,and political systems from which firms derivebenefits of great value. In this context,good corporate citizenship is practiced bythe effective servant leader who includescommunity volunteerism and involvementin his/her life as well as encourages andaccommodates employees' communityvolunteer efforts. In doing so, the servantleader's organization gains a reputation forbeing a valuable and appreciated memberof the community - and also benefits in thelong run from increased skills and networksdeveloped through such volunteer efforts.

When applying the servant leadership style,practitioners should be cognizant thatvisioning, listening, and community buildingcan be quite time-consuming activities. Whilepayoffs in effectiveness can be substantial,successful application of servant leadershipmay require a substantial amount of time. Theservant leadership approach, like many otherleadership styles, requires not only technicalcompetence and a variety of interpersonal skillsbut also a great deal of patience, perseverance,and dedication.

96

References

Autry, J.A. 2001. The Servant Leader. PrimaPublishing.

Barbuto Jr., J. E., and Wheeler, D. W. 2006. ScaleDevelopment and Construct Clarification ofServant Leadership. Group and QrganizationManagement, 31(3), 300-326.

Blanchard, K. 2004. Reflections on Encourage theHeart. In Kouzes, J.M., and Posner, B.Z. (eds.),Christian Rejections on the LeadershipChallenge, 101-118. Jossey-Bass.

Boone, L.W., and Peborde, M.S. 2008. Developingleadership skills in college and early careerpositions. Review of Business, 28(3), 3-13.

Burrell, D., and Grizzell, B. C. 2010. Do You Have theSkills of a Servant-Leader? Nonprofit Worid,28(6), 16-17.

Collins, J. C. 2001 Good to great, why somecompanies make the leap-and others don't.New York: Harper Collins.

Covey, S.R. 1998. Servant-leadership from theinside out. In Spears, L.C. (ed.). Insights onLeadership, xi-xviii, John Wiley and Sons.

Drucker, P.F. 2006. The Effective Executive: TheDefinitive Guide to Getting the Right ThingsDone. New York: HarperCollins.

Drucker, P. F. 2005. Managing Oneself. HarvardBusiness Review, 83(1), 100-109.

Graham, J. W. 1991. Servant-leadership inorganizations: Inspirational and moral.The Leadership Quarteriy, 2(2), 105-119.

Jaramillo, F., Grisaffe, D. B., Chonko, L. B., andRoberts, J. A. 2009. Examining the impact ofservant leadership on salesperson's turnoverintention. Journal of Personal Selling andSales Management, 29(4), 351-365.

Keith, K.M.2010. The Meaning of the CompoundWord "Servant-Leader". Greenleaf Center forServant Leadership.

Kelly, M.J. 2010. Leadership. In The VincentianCenter for Church and Society (ed.), A ConciseGuide to Catholic Church Management, 5-22.Ave Maria Press.

Kouzes, J.M., and Posner, B.Z. 2007. The LeadershipChaiienge, 4th edition. Jossey-Bass.

Kouzes, J.M., and Posner, B.Z. 2002. The LeadershipChaiienge, 3rd edition. Jossey-Bass.

Liden, R. C, Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., and Henderson,D. 2008. Servant leadership: Development ofa multidimensional measure and multi-levelassessment. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2),161-177.

Maxwell, J.C. 2007. The 21 Irrefutable Laws ofLeadership, 10th Anniversary Edition.Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Maxwell, J.C. 1998. The 21 irrefutable Laws ofLeadership. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Mayer, D. M., Bardes, M., and Piccolo, R. F.2008. Do servant-leaders help satisfyfollower needs? An organizational justiceperspective. European Journal of Work andQrganizationai Psychology, 17(2), 180-197.

McAllister-Wilson, D. 2004. Reflections on Inspire aShared Vision. In Kouzes, J.M., and Posner,B.Z. (eds.), Christian Refiections on theLeadership Challenge, 55-88. Jossey-Bass.

Neubert, M., Kacmar, K., Carlson, D., Chonko, L.,and Roberts, J. 2008. Regulatory focus asa mediator of the influence of initiatingstructure and servant leadership on employeebehavior. The Journal of Applied Psychology,93(6), 1220-1233.

Ortberg, N. 2004. Reflections on Enable Others toAct. In Kouzes, J.M., and Posner, B.Z. (eds.),Christian Refiections on the LeadershipChallenge, 85-98. Jossey-Bass.

Russell, R. F., and Stone, A. 2002. A review ofservant leadership attributes: Developing apractical model. Leadership and QrganizationDeveiopment Journai, 23(3), 145-157.

Searle, T. P., and Barbuto, J. r. 2011. Servantleadership, hope, and organizationalvirtuousness: A framework exploringpositive micro and macro behaviors andperformance impact. Journal of Leadershipand Qrganizationai Studies, 18(1), 107-117.

Sendjaya, S., and Sarros, J. C. 2002. Servantleadership: Its origin, development, andapplication in organizations. Journal ofLeadership and Qrganizationai Studies, 9(2),57-64.

Smith, B. N., Montagno, R. V., and Kuzmenko,T. N. 2004. Transformational and servantleadership: content and contextualcomparisons. Journal of Leadership andQrganizationai Studies, 10(4), 80-91.

Tichy, N.M. 1997. The Leadership Engine: HowWinning Companies Build Leaders at EveryLevel. Harper Business.

Vinod S, Sudhakar B. Servant leadership: A uniqueart of leadership!. Interdisciplinary Journalof Contemporary Research in Business [serialonline]. March 2011; 2(11):456-467.

Copyright of Review of Business is the property of St. John's University and its content may not be copied or

emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission.

However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.