Servant Leadership: Greenleaf, Bible, and Personal Approach

This assignment analyzes servant leadership from both Greenleaf's perspective and biblical passages, focusing on similarities, differences, and impact on personal leadership approaches. The student provides a graphic representation comparing Greenleaf's principles with biblical references, discussing how serving others can lead to leadership, drawing on Matthew 20:20-28. The response includes a discussion of the 10 traits of a servant leader according to Greenleaf, and how adopting a servant leadership style can be applied in the workplace. The assignment emphasizes the idea that power comes from giving and serving, and the importance of setting an example for others. Supporting citations from the readings are used to strengthen the arguments.

Running head: SERVANT LEADERSHIP
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Table of Contents
Response to question 1: Similarities and differences between Greenleaf’s servant leadership and
the Bible passages............................................................................................................................3
Response to question 2: Impact on my personal leadership approach............................................3
Response to question 3: The idea that power comes from giving it away and putting oneself in
the position to serve others and the explanation of how taking the role of servant can make a
person leader...................................................................................................................................4

2SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Graphical representation
Servant
Leadership
Bible
passage
leaders
hip
Greenle
af
Becoming
leaderby
serving
others
Empath
y
Listenin
g
Healing
Persua
sion
Awaren
ess
Building
commitmen
t
People
growth
Foresig
ht
Concep
tualizati
on
Stewar
dship
Giving
Slave
Interest
of others
Servan
t
Loving
others

3SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Response to question 1: Similarities and differences between Greenleaf’s
servant leadership and the Bible passages
The main similarities between the servant leadership as defined by Greenleaf’s servant
leadership and the bible passages is that both tries to explain how the role of a servant can make
a person a leader as according to the Greenleaf servant leadership their a person who wants to be
served first has to serve others (Coetzer, Bussin & Geldenhuys, 2017). On the other hand
according to the bible passages, a person who wants to become great needs to be a servant first.
Therefore both the bible passage and the Greenleaf servant leadership is based on the same
concept. However there are also some differences between them as far as the concept of servant
leadership is concerned. This is so because according to the Greenleaf’s servant leadership
concept, there can be two types of servant leaders- one who chooses to be a servant first and then
a leader and another is the one who decides to become a leader first and then a servant. And
further according to the Greenleaf servant leadership, a servant leader is the one who thinks
about the well-being and growth of the community which they are a part of (Greenleaf Center for
Servant Leadership., 2019). On the other hand according to the bible passages, there is only one
form of leadership that is a servant leader and there cannot be a leader servant.
Response to question 2: Impact on my personal leadership approach
By understanding the concept of servant leadership according to the Greenleaf servant
leadership and the bible passage, I have understood that a servant leader is the one who puts the
needs and welfare of other people before him and therefore by serving others a person can
become a leader (Gibson et al., 2016). The same concept can be applied by me in my workplace
as I can become a better leader by taking care of the interest and welfare of other people of the

4SERVANT LEADERSHIP
organization. Further the concept of servant leadership as per the bible passage requires a person
to be a servant such that they can be served and moreover to set an example for all such that the
same practice can be spread among all. Therefore I will try to be a role model for others in the
organization because when the employees will see me practice servant leadership and serving
other even they will try to follow the same ad it will become culture within the organization.
Moreover such a servant leader knows that serving others is more important than receiving.
Therefore I will try to give more to others through my activities as that way I will be more
blessed than a leader servant.
Response to question 3: The idea that power comes from giving it away and
putting oneself in the position to serve others and the explanation of how
taking the role of servant can make a person leader.
A person can become a leader by serving others because as per Act 20:35 a person
becomes blessed by giving more than receiving. Further according to Matthew 20: 20-28, Jesus
told Zebedees and her sons that the position that she was asking for her sons that was next to
him will be occupied by people for whom it has been prepared by Jesus’s father. Further Jesus
said that for becoming great among servants the leader needs to be servant first and those who
wish to become first need to become a slave first. And Jesus had occupied the position because
he served others and he gave his life as a ransom for others (Nawaz & Khan, 2016). On the other
hand, according to Greenleaf servant leadership, a servant leader must have 10 traits present in
him comprising of- empathy, healing, listening, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization,
foresight, stewardship, commitment towards people growth and building commitment.

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References
Coetzer, M. F., Bussin, M., & Geldenhuys, M. (2017). The functions of a servant
leader. Administrative Sciences, 7(1), 5.
Gibson, J. W., Deem, J., Baldomir, J., Hood, J. P., Toulassi, B., West, G. B., ... &
Elobeid, D. E. (2016). International Leadership Journal.
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. (2019). What is Servant Leadership? -
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Retrieved 16 December 2019, from
https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
Nawaz, Z. A. K. D. A., & Khan_ PhD, I. (2016). Leadership theories and styles: A
literature review. Leadership, 16, 1-7.