Servant Leadership, Essay Example

Introduction

Adefinition of a leadership is anindescribabledesideratumto set a meaningful leadership philosophy stretching ranges of organizational behavior criterions into one defined sentence, which is presumed impossible. However, it is best defined in the leadership literature, which describes a composure of ideology beingacquired through biological traits or learned through work performance formation thatdevelops an ability to lead the organization and all levels of employees.The subject of servant leadership is disporportionated into the perplexity of delegation to all channels of communications; and collaboration with senior-level managers, middle-level managers, and lower-level managers, and employees on constructive feedback effectiveness; And, servant leader’s embodiment tothe credos,  principals, and policiesare the essentialsof being a leader.The meaning of leadership is also broadened into the virtues of complacent characteristics, styles, attributes, and the like that explains the aspect known through senses rather than by thought or intuition (Savage-Austin, A. & Honeycutt, A., 2011).As a result, a preferred leadership style is hungered for a servant leadership style, which ithas emerged to the approach of equality, involving a group with resources of acknowledge without an expectation in the decision making process.  However, some organizations disagreed with the servant leadership approach, because of liaison role as a ‘arbitrator’ cause conflict of interest between the top leader to the bottom leader. That is , a emotional well-being on both sides of leader roles that is difficult for them to cope their emotions in despite the title they hold. To put front, leaders have to put their emotions into the backburner and to be able to hold their personal fulfillment until the mission is achieved.

Chaos Theory

Chaos theory concerns the qualitative study of unstable a periodic behavior in deterministic non-linear dynamical systems (citation) .Chaotic systems are consists of qualitative properties of organizations. The detailed information pertaining chaos theory is that some initial critical situations require discreteness of change, configurations in task processes, and structural invariances at variety of intervalssplitting into three categories that would establish six propositions (Thietart, R., 1995).In chaos domain, foreseecounteracting forces (economic factors) require an immediate attention. Second, the path from organizational stability to chaos intent to change the organization climate. Third, preparing three to five alternative plans for the unexpected financial or productivity problem is difficult. Because of time, and money to invest the best optimalized plan is critical. Fourth, from chaos, new programsemerge –profit building capacity–which are assimilated to organizational configurations. Fifth, similar patterns should be identified at distinctive scales. Finally, during one single organizational life span or between two different organizations similar implementation plans should never lead to the same result (Thietart, R., 1995).

Leadership Models

An Emotional Intelligence is a new business behavioral approach for managers to effectively understand, perceive, and express their emotions to others in a positive and productive manner. Moreover, Emotional intelligence is usually is, in general, focus on personal level with combination of business agendas—an ability to influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures. The criterion(s) for persons with emotional intelligence is high above 45 years of age with no formal education and have over 20 years of service in the organization. Persons with Emotional Intelligence are preferred to work closely with executives on leadership practices (problem-solving, self regarded, modeling the ways to enable others to act). However, assertiveness has a negative relationship with all the dimensions of Emotional Intelligence leadership practices such as, managers are not able to incorporate a greater range of information into his or her attempt to accurately and as objectively as possible to others and or demonstrate an understanding on another person’s perspectives (Wolff, Pescosolido, & Druskat, 2002). Situational Leadership—The working situation itself can be characterized by Success orHardship and leadership actions can occur in Group or Individual situations.In practice, situational leadership may assume that the leadership style adaptability,over and under task behaviors and leadership style profiles are dependenton the working situation and thus differ in Group or Individual situations.Another perspective, is whetherleadership style adaptability, over andunder task behaviors and leadership style outlines are relevantly close to theworking situation and buildSuccess and orHardship characteristicsas outlined (Arvidsson, M, 2007).

Spiritual Leadership

In this respect, Fry (2003) argues that spiritual leadership in nature of fundamental needs, meeting both leaders and followers spiritual survival goals in order to be more organizationally committed and productive.Unlike Situational Leadership style to Spiritual leadership style, that is once perceived by many that this role is needed in order for well-being of people at the workplace. As to bring personal and job satisfaction together to produce productivity for an organization.Fry (2003) mentionsthat, in the situation where spirituality were not givensufficient emphasis in leadership principals, thus, workers would sense that there is no meaning to be productive unless basic needs are met, and motivation is the objective of workers to develop their self-esteem with tasks and positions and to further to these, the excitement incompleting tasks (Kriger and Seng, 2005).

Empowerment

Among organizations suppressed an interest in the leadership paradigm introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1977. According to the servant leadership theory, a servant leader emphasizes the good of employees over covetousness by: (a) valuing and developing people, (b) practicing authenticity in leadership. (c) building community, (d) providing leadership for the good of employees, and (e) sharing status and power for the common good of the public and members of the organization (Laub, 1999). Along with the servant characteristics that have been reasonably acceptable in various studies, encouraging the strength of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (Contee-Borders, 2003; Taylor-Gillham, 1998).

Furthermore, by sharing leadership and displaying authenticity in leadership, servant leaders function as “trustees” who facilitate the development of community among organizationmembers (Washington, R., 2007). To the extent, a servant leader must adopt business ethics and morals with the operations of the organization, otherwise the organization would not be healthy.

Organization Culture

Because of today’s advancement in the Information Technology system grasps the attention of the leaders, and other costly economical factors that showed an significant of flaws which it needs retrenchment and diversification strategies (e.g., outsourcing, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and downsizing). However, Spears (1995) explained that traditional autocratic and hierarchical modes of leadership are unpopular for many,  a centralization organizational structure—A top-down approach — too many disadvantages of inherent qualities and effects of structure that were ineffective in operations as realized at the end of the twentieth century.At present, the attitudes of the organization transformed from centralization to  decentralization structure creating a better delegation methodology. Such notion has entered in the twenty first century, in which it attempts for servant leadership thinkers to enhance the quality of productivity and teamwork and performance with subordinates, upper level managers, and CEO (Spears, 1995).  Using the bottom-up approach is one of a reason that top leaders can take care of administrative duties more effectively.

Work Environment

In order for the organization to be effective in all of the communication channels internally and externally, the principal of servant leadership is to be able to serve both ends from top leader to the stakeholders on basic assumptions of objectives that are not being met. However, it does not always work in ways of a servant leader siding to one person than another opponent than the policy has indicated. In addition, servant leadership takes in account to practice the understanding of the organization impacts and demonstrate an ability to identify the barriers that impeded from organizational success and effectiveness (Washington, 2007). The most important part of being a servant leadership in a work environment is to establish an understanding on circumstances of employee’s intrinsic/extrinsic values  that requires some type of incentive agreement on work performance and reward benefits for excellent teamwork.

Training and Education

According to Foster (2000) explained the most common barriers to servant leadership practices are the organization’s culture, empowerment, work condition, and leadership training. The lack of knowledge regarding to the philosophy of servant leadership practice, teaching all levels of management, and employees during the training sessions would benefit everyone on how to best to communicate to a servant leader in each department and who to reach when an issue arises (e.g. what specific objective to persuade the possible outcome of a vision and mission statements?).This is one of ways to continue improve barriers and impediments in organization culture. As in for empowerment, a team-building sport will reduce the eye-opening characteristics of each member and learn how to work around it. This is a useful method to continue to improve the quality of work performance. The work condition shall meet the expectations of the fire and health department as required by law.

Conclusion

Leadership philosophy brought several perceptions on how a person should be a leader and at what criteria should be met in order for this person to be a leader, there are approximately at least five criterions in each leadership style. Thus, a servant leadership is one significant role that has at least of five criterions of organizational behaviors , including persona and humanity.  Across researches, servant leadership is designed for variety of industry sectors but not for financial sectors because they have a low rate of productivity than businesses with higher rate of productivity in the industry. Depending on what demand is necessary to establish an approach in resolving work performance issues and in what degree is necessary for servant leader to intervene and how effective servant leader can provide for the top leaders and employees.

References

Savage-Austin, A. R., & Honeycutt, A. (2011). Servant Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Practices, Experiences, Organizational Effectiveness, And Barriers. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 9(1), 49-54. Retrieved from EBSCOhost; Spears, 1995; Greenleaf, 1977; Foster , 2000 (pp.335-336).

Washington, R. (2007). Empirical Relationship between Theories of Servant, Transformational, and Transactional Leadership. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1-6. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2007.26509311; Laud, 1999; Contee-Borders, 2003; Taylor-Gillham, 1998

Bar – On. (2000). Emotional and Social Intelligence: Insights from the emotional quotient inventory. In R. Bar-On & J.D. A. Parker (Eds), The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence (pp. 363-388). San Franciso, C.A: Jossey-Bass

Wolff, S.B., Pescosolido, A.T., & Druskat, V.U. (2002). Emotional intelligence as the basis of leadership emergence inself-managing teams. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, 505-522.

Anand, R. R., & UdayaSuriyan, G. G. (2010). Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship with Leadership Practices. International Journal of Business & Management, 5(2), 65-76. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Arvidsson, M., Johansson, C. R., Ek, Å.,&Akselsson, R. (2007). Situational Leadership In Air Traffic Control. Journal of Air Transportation, 12(1), 67-86. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Jamaludin, Z., Rahman, N. b., Makhbul, Z., &Idris, F. (2011). Do Transactional, Transformational And Spiritual Leadership Styles Distinct? : A Conceptual Insight. Journal of Global Business & Economics, 2(1), 73-85. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.; Fry, 2003; Kriger and Seng, 2005.

Thietart, R. A., &Forgues, B. B. (1995). Chaos Theory and Organization. Organization Science, 6(1), 19-31. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.