Servant Leadership: Theories, Styles, Relevance and Effectiveness

This essay provides an analysis of servant leadership, highlighting its unique characteristics and effectiveness in organizations. It contrasts servant leadership with other styles such as authoritarian, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership. The paper emphasizes the positive impact of servant leadership on employee morale, productivity, and loyalty, particularly in both profit and non-profit settings. The author reflects on the potential benefits of applying servant leadership principles in their own leadership role, including improved relationships with subordinates, enhanced decision-making processes, and increased acceptance of organizational decisions. The essay concludes that servant leadership is a valuable approach that prioritizes employee needs, leading to a more effective and positive organizational environment.

Running head: LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 1
LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation

LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 2
LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES
Abstract
This paper focuses on the effectiveness of servant leadership in organizations.In particular it
analyzes the unique characteristics of Servant leadership style and its usefulness in organizations.
Additionally, the paper also compares the model of leadership with other leadership
styles.Finally, the paper discusses the relevance of the leadership style to my leadership role.
Introduction

LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 3
Leadership is an essential aspect of contemporary organizations. This means that the role
played by leadership is quite significant. There is however no right way of being a leader. In this
regard, leaders differ in terms of their leadership approaches and styles. Their personality, as
well as the type of organization they lead, may determine the method adopted by a leader
(Avolio, Walumbwa & Weber,2009).The focus of this paper will be on servant leadership style.
Savant leadership is among the commonly used leadership styles in modern
organizations. Servant leadership is a leadership style centered on the service to followers.
Therefore, the philosophy of servant leaders is mainly to serve (Savage-Austin & Honeycutt,
2011). Additionally, servant leadership entails prioritization of the needs of employees as
opposed to the needs of the leader. One of its main characteristics includes the focus of servant
leaders in helping and developing their employees to perform optimally by making sure that they
have the necessary tools, relationships, and skills (Eva,Robin, Sendjaya, Van Dierendonck &
Liden,2019). Additionally, servant leaders value different opinions from their employees and
maintain humility in their leadership roles. However, servant leadership differs frm other
leadership styles in several ways. For example, unlike servant leaders,Authoritarian leaders
hardly listen to other’s opinions. According to them, their word is final and must be followed
without questioning. It also differs from Transformation leadership style which focuses on
bringing about effectiveness through change in organizational systems and processes. Finally, it
differs from Laissez-Faire leadership model in which a leader leaves employees to act on their
own without any form of guidance (Fiaz, Su & Saqib, 2017).
Servant leadership is quite useful in both profit and nonprofit organizations. To start with,
unlike autocratic leadership which has been found to have negative impact on employee’s
motivation, servant leadership style is primarily associated with an increase in employee morale

LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 4
(Fiaz, Su & Saqib, 2017). Servant leadership may, therefore, help profit and non-profit
organizations to maintain high level and productivity among their employees. Additionally the
leadership style may also help organizations to win the loyalty of their employees. Generally, the
focus of servant leaders is mainly on the needs of their employees. Strong focus on employee
needs is usually associated with flexible work arrangements and career development, which in
return improve the loyalty of employees (Hashim, Khan, Ullah & Yasir, 2016).
The use of servant leadership in my industry would be quite useful. Most importantly,
prioritization of employee’s needs would be a win for the customers. This means that if the needs
of employees are taken care of, their commitment to customer’s needs is enhanced. Secondly,
resistance to change is a common challenge faced by organizations. The involvement of
employees in decision-making would play a significant role in minimizing employee’s
resistance. The leadership style would be quite useful in the industry (Liden, Wayne,Liao &
Meuser,2014).
Servant leadership would also be quite valuable to my leadership role. To start with, it
would contribute towards improved relationships between my subordinates and me. It would also
enhance my ability to consult on various issues, which would not only enhance the quality of
decisions but also enhance the acceptance of organizational decisions. Servant leadership would,
therefore, enable me to be a more effective leader.
In conclusion, servant leadership is among the predominantly used leadership styles. The
leadership style differs from autocratic leadership in that while the focus of servant leaders is on
the needs of their employees, authoritarian leaders generally focus on themselves. Its impact on
employees’ morale, productivity and loyalty make it a useful leadership style in organizations.

LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 5
The approach would also be quite helpful in my leadership based on the positive outcome
associated with it.
References
Avolio, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research,
and future directions. Annual review of psychology, 60, 421-449.
Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., & Liden, R. C. (2019). Servant
leadership: A systematic review and a call for future research. The Leadership
Quarterly, 30(1), 111-132.

LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND STYLES 6
Fiaz, M., Su, Q., & Saqib, A. (2017). Leadership styles and employees' motivation: Perspective
from an emerging economy. The Journal of Developing Areas, 51(4), 143-156.
Hashim, M., Khan, M. A., Ullah, M., & Yasir, M. (2016). Impact of servant leadership on
employees ‘loyalty of private universities academicians in Pakistan. City University
Research Journal, 96-111.
Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Liao, C., & Meuser, J. D. (2014). Servant leadership and serving
culture: Influence on individual and unit performance. Academy of Management
Journal, 57(5), 1434-1452.
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.