Date of Publication :31st July 2023

Abstract: Servant Leadership is a buzzword these days. A lot is being said and written about it, but the very concept is struggling to find its relevance and its rightful place in today’s leadership realm. If we are seeking to help it find its rightful place and thereby striving for the betterment of society as a whole, here are some pointers. (i) ‘Servant Leadership’ - An effect, not a cause We need to understand that ‘Servant Leadership’ is an effect, not a cause. Or to put it differently, it is just a unique manifestation of our inherent core values. If ‘Empathy’, ‘Humility’, ‘Integrity’, ‘People Orientation’, ‘Service’ etc are not a part of our personal value system, there is no way we can make a ‘Servant Leader’. If we cursorily try to behave like one, our pretense will eventually get exposed and we will lose our credibility as a leader. It is like taking a tablet to treat fever, rather than treating the underlying disease. (ii) ‘Servant Leadership’ must become a culture, not just an individual leadership trait ‘Servant Leadership’ at an individual level, just at the top is hardly of any worth. Only when it is embedded as a culture throughout the organization, at all levels of operations; that the organization will see its benefits in a long run. And only such healthy organizations (be it a small family, a business house, a government, or a public office) will collectively make a healthy, sustainable society. This paper discusses how leaders should go about taking themselves towards servant leadership, build an organization-wide culture for servant leadership, embed it, and sustain it.

Reference :