Abstract
Servant leadership is a popular leadership theory
pioneered by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s. The theory has grown in
popularity since its introduction. The theory is grounded in principles
of the Christian Gospel. However, the application and impact of this
theory has become international with practitioners coming from many different
philosophical and religious backgrounds.
However, theories of
servant leadership vary to some degree amongst the published research on the
subject. Due to this disparity, many in management and leadership may not
fully comprehend the elements that make up servant leadership. A key goal
of this paper is to provide management professionals and students with a more
uniform understanding of what servant-leadership theory entails.
Research has shown that
there are many benefits that stem from the practice of servant leadership
within organizations. Some of the benefits of servant leadership include
self-efficacy, motivation to serve, motivation to lead, empowerment, cognitive
learning ability, improved organizational citizenship behavior, enhanced job
satisfaction among workers, improved customer service, and increased employee
retention. The application of this leadership theory may well have
growing relevance. Servant-leadership theory has a high degree of
application to workers who fall under the age groupings of Millennials and
Generation Y. Additionally, some managers may not fully understand how
research has demonstrated the benefits of servant leadership for both organizations
and individual employee performance.
The mission of this paper is to serve as a resource
for both managers and students, helping them understand how scholarly
literature describes servant leadership and reports its impact, based on a
review of published scholarly literature. Additionally, this paper will
discuss organizational practices that may limit the benefits of servant
leadership. It is hoped that management practitioners will utilize this paper
to better and more accurately apply servant leadership in their organizations.
