The Truly Virtuous Servant Leader Asks, "How can we best help you?”

           Servant Leaders are value-driven and character-driven.  These qualities are typically exhibited through "increased service to others; a holistic approach to work; promoting a sense of community; and the sharing of power in decision making" (Greenleaf, 1997, p. 4).  Proponents of Servant Leadership emphasize collaboration and integrity, whereby communication and persuasion skills become extremely important (Smith, Montagno, & Kuzmenko, 2004).  The servant leader aspires to seeing the follower move toward self-actualization (Maslow, 1970).  Therefore, what differentiates a servant-leader from a transformational leader is the deep desire to pursue a preferred future from “the basis of humility, empathy, compassion, and commitment to ethical behavior” (Lad & Luechauer, 1998, p. 64).  This would not be possible without the presence of high emotional intelligence and experiential components expressed within the tenets of Invitational Education (Anderson, 2016).

From the primary desire to serve, the servant-leader wants to help his or her followers "grow healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants" (Greenleaf, 1977, pp.13-14).  While the desire to serve is the primary motivation of the servant-leader, the conscious choice to meet other people's highest-priority needs ground any aspiration to lead (Greenleaf, 1977).  Thus, Servant Leadership epitomizes a desire for social justice.  Listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people, and building community are essential attributes of the servant leader (Spear, 2002).  People with high emotional intelligence are more likely to exhibit these attributes (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). 

As a comprehensive model with the promise for providing a positive and encouraging structure to guide today’s leaders through complex times, Invitational Education (IE) theory is a collection of assumptions that seek to explain phenomena and provide a means of intentionally summoning people to realize their relatively boundless potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavor” (Purkey, 2016, p.5).  The purpose is to “address the entire global nature of human existence and opportunity” (Purkey, 2016, p. 29).  An implication for IE implementation can be derived from the Servant Leader’s assumption of intentionality.  It is now recognized that intentionality, care, optimism, respect, and trust (I-CORT) should be the virtuous Invitational Education  leader’s consistent mindset (Anderson, 2019, 2021) to exhibit the personally and professionally inviting behaviors (Purkey & Novak, 2016) that promote “increased learning outcomes and personal growth” (Shaw, Siegel, & Schoenlein, 2013, p. 33).  

To Cite:

Anderson, C.J. (February 28, 2022). The truly virtuous servant leader asks, "How can we best help you?” . [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

 

 

References:

 

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Anderson, C. J. (2021). Developing your students' emotional intelligence and philosophical

 perspective begins with I-CORT. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 27, 36-50.

 

Greenleaf, R. K. 1997. The servant as leader. The Greenleaf Center.

 

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Purkey, W. W., Schmidt, J. J., & Novak, J. M. (2010). From conflict to conciliation: How

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