Servant Leadership
Terry Gamble, Heather Price, Lance Torbett, Robert Williams
and Stephan Whaley
What is Servant Leadership?
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Concept was developed in 1970 by AT&T executive
Robert Greenleaf in a short essay.
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Leader who serves the people he/she leads which
implies that they are an end in themselves rather than a
means to an organizational purpose or bottom line.
What do Servant Leaders do?
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Devote themselves to serving the needs of organization
members.
Focus on meeting the needs of those they lead.
Develop employees to bring out the best in them
Coach others and encourage them
Facilitate personal growth in all they lead
Listen and build a sense of community
10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader
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Listening
Empathy
Healing
Awareness
Persuasion
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Greenleaf, R.K. (2003)
Conceptualization
Foresight
Stewardship
Commitment to the
growth of people
Building Community
Strengths of a Servant Leader:
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Long-term, transformational approach to life and work
Is always focused on collaboration with followers
Limitations of a Servant Leader:
 Not a quick-fix approach or instilled within an
organization quickly.
 Can be perceived as being “soft”. Listening and
empathizing too much may lead to indecisiveness.
Greenleaf, R.K. (1970)
Recognition of a Servant Leader
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Do those served, grow as persons?
While being served, do they become healthier,
wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely to
become servants?
What is the effect on the least privileged and will
they benefit or at least not be further deprived?
Greenleaf, R.K., (1970)
Level 5 Leadership
“You can accomplish anything in life, provided
that you do not mind who gets the credit.”
– Harry S. Truman
Level 5 Leadership
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“Discovered” and Developed by Jim Collins
and research team in book Good to Great
 All
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Eleven Great Co’s had Level 5 CEO’s
Hierarchy of Level 5 Leadership
 Highest
Level of Leadership
 Don’t move in sequence from Level 1 to Level 5
 Other Levels Have Importance
 Level 5 Possess All of the Traits of Lower Levels
Collins (2001)
Level 5 Hierarchy
Level 5
Executive
Builds enduring greatness through paradoxical blend
of personal humility and professional will
Level 4
Effective
Leader
Catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a
clear and compelling vision; stimulates high
performance
Level 3
Competent
Manger
Organizes people and resources towards the
effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined
objectives
Level 2
Contributing
Team
Manger
Contributes individually to group objectives and
works effectively with others in group settings
Level 1
Highly
Capable
Individual
Makes productive contributions through talent,
knowledge, skills and good work habits
Collins (2001)
Study in Duality – Great Paradox
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Extreme Personal Humility, Intense Professional Resolve
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Windows and Mirrors
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Ambitious for Company, Not Self
Modest and Willful
Look Out Window to Give Credit : Others, External Factors, Luck
Look in Mirror to Take Responsibility : Only Self
Other Traits
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Strong, Powerful Commitment to Achieve Results
Uses Inspired Standards, not Inspiring Charisma
Bring out Best in Others
Selfless, Egoless Leadership
Collins (2001)
Setting up Successors
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Greater concern for company’s success rather
than personal renown
Selected superb successors
Comfortable idea that wouldn’t receive credit
for company’s root of success
In contrast, ‘I-centric’ setup successors to fail
‘I-centric’, more concerned with personal
greatness
Collins (2001)
Abraham Lincoln – Level 5 Leader
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Ego aside, primary ambition for enduring nation
Master of Paradox
Humble, yet Resolved & Committed
 Firm, yet Flexible
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Windows & Mirrors
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“the honor will be his if he succeeds, and the blame
will be mine if he fails.” – Lincoln
Lead by Being Led (360 Degree Leadership)
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Encourage Ideas, Monitor Their Progress
Collins (2001), Phillips (1999), Maxwell (2005)
Applications
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Counter Cultural
 Charismatic = Success vs. Humility + Will = Success
 Level 4 ‘I-Centric’ Style vs. Level 5 Modest Style
Strengths & Benefits of Level 5 Leadership
 Long, sustainable success
 Development of Others
Limitations of Level 5 Leadership
 Long-term Approach, Large Personal Investment
 Leader Does Not Receive Personal Credit
Servant Leaders
 Organization & Others Before Self
 Encourage and Develop Others, Give Credit to Others
 Setup Their Successors
360 Degree Leaders – Passing the Ego Challenge
Collins (2001), Maxwell (2005)
Love
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What does Love have to do with Servant
Leadership?
What is Love?
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A feeling or action
Does this look familiar?
Love is patient and kind. Love is not
jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It
does not demand its own way. It is not
irritable, and it keeps no record of being
wronged. It does not rejoice about
injustice but rejoices whenever the truth
wins out. Love never gives up, never
loses faith, is always hopeful, and
endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ,Holy Bible, New Living Translation
Servant Leadership
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Love is patient.
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Love is kind.
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Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.
(Humble)
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Love is not rude. (Respectful)
The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle, James C Hunter
Servant Leadership
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It does not demand its own way. (Selfless)
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of
being wronged. (Forgiving)
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices
whenever the truth wins out. (Honest)
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is
always hopeful, and endures through every
circumstance. (Committed)
The World’s most powerful Leadership Principle, James C Hunter
Servant Leadership
Staff, Peers, & Superiors
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Patient
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Selfless
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Kind
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Forgiving
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Humble
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Honest
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Respectful
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Commitment
How do you put servant leadership
into play at your business?
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Five Ways of Being
 BE Authentic
 BE Vulnerable
 BE Accepting
 BE Present
 BE Useful
Autry (2001)
Nuts and Bolts
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Find the right people
“Servant Leadership is more
about character than style.”
– Ken Blanchard (1999).
Mentor
Deal with the tough issues
Autry (2001)
Find the Right People
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Servant Leader Managers trust that their
employees want to do a good job.
Servant Leader Managers must understand
“the need to be among the people, providing
resources and serving, while at the same time
never losing sight of the fact he or she is
responsible for their well-being and their
performance.”
Autry (2001)
Mentor
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“What do you think we should do?”
Ask when tempted to tell.
Autry (2001)
Deal with the tough issues…
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Don’t treat people fair…treat each person fairly.
Respond to special needs and circumstances.
Accommodate needs, don’t lower standards.
“Employees who are accommodated become
some of the most dedicated, committed,
hardest working, and productive people you
can imagine.”
Autry (2001)
Deal with tough issues…
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During tough economic times, be honest.
Remain calm as the leader during tough
times.
Redefine success.
Autry (2001)
Servant Leadership Companies
Companies that practice
Servant Leadership
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Southwest Airlines
Starbucks
Marriott
Men's Warehouse
FedEx
Does Servant leadership
benefit companies?
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Commitment to the organization
Creates a growth path for development
Builds strong relationships
Builds sustainable results
Brown (2007)
Servant Leadership Model
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Current leadership models based on “I” or “me”
Servant Leadership believes in the “you”
Servant Leadership communicates trust in “you”
A leader’s success is based on your success
Phil Jackson said “Good Teams become great
ones when the members trust each other
enough to surrender the “me” for the “we”.”
Brown (2007)
A Servant Leader is…
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360 Degree Leader- Supports everyone
Relational Leader- Friendship and Nurturing
Transformational Leader- Vision and Passion
QUESTIONS?