BUSI 502 Leadership Research Paper

BUSI 502: Leadership Research Paper

Jessica Ortiz

Liberty University

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to further one’s knowledge on servant leadership. A literature review of scholarly articles was conducted to build understanding and background on the topic. A successful servant leader was interviewed to gain an inside perspective on servant leadership practices and results, which is summarized throughout this paper. The results of the servant leadership academic research and the servant leader interview are then compared and contrasted to accumulate the knowledge learned from both experiences of the study.

Keywords: servant leadership, research, results

BUSI 502: Leadership Research Paper

Servant leadership is a forever relevant concept throughout the world. Its power to change people, families, organizations, etc. is amazing. The people who make up the organizations across the world need to realize the impact servant leadership can have on their level of success. The world is in great need of more servant leaders. People need leaders who strive to put God’s will before their own, who serve others before themselves, and whose ultimate goal is to further the Kingdom of God through their words and actions towards others. Fully understanding the concept of servant leadership can be what makes the biggest difference between success and failure; so this paper will discuss a literature review of studies of servant leadership, a leadership interview with a successful servant leader, and a compare and contrast section between what the leader had to say about servant leadership and what was found through research on servant leadership.

Literature Review

Spears (1996) explains that the idea of servant leadership began in 1970 from an essay titled, The Servant as Leader, by Robert K. Greenleaf. Greenleaf believed that “True leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others” (Spears, 1996, p. 33). Russell and Stone (2002) describes servant leadership as a concept that is progressively becoming more common amongst a variety of leadership styles (p. 145). Dierendonck (2010) describes stewardship, genuineness, interpersonal acceptance, and humbleness as great ways to demonstrate servant leadership. Another great characteristic servant leaders should obtain is modesty. Collins (2001) goes into detail about how the modest good-to-great leaders did not talk about themselves when being interviewed. They continuously gave credit to the people who helped make things possible, as well as their successors (p. 27). Developing and empowering people is an effect of servant leadership through providing direction for the ones servant leaders strive to lead (Dierendonck, 2010, p. 1228). Greenleaf’s perspective on servant leadership is not based on the teachings of the bible, but it is almost impossible to practice servant leadership without using biblical principles. Servant leadership from all perspectives is beneficial to people and organizations across the world, but when someone practices servant leadership based on biblical principles, the Kingdom of God grows and lives have the opportunity to be changed (Souyri, 2014, p. 171).

Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendry (2016) discuss four basic beliefs that have been essential to their ministry: 1) Leadership takes place when people impact the opinion, behavior, or growth of someone else, 2) The greatest role model of leadership there has ever been is Jesus, 3) The only method of leadership that Jesus authorizes for His followers is servant leadership, 4) Successful leadership starts on the inside, with peoples’ hearts (p. 2). Blanchard et al. explains how leading like Jesus is not an easy task, “It demands intentionality and commitment as well as an ongoing relationship with the model you are trying to follow” (p. 73). Blanchard and Hodges (2003) describes how it is important for leaders to know if they are self-serving leaders or servant leaders (p. 17). The major difference between self-serving leaders and servant leaders are their methods of handling feedback. Self-serving leaders do not handle feedback well, and they think their leadership is not needed anymore. Servant leaders see feedback as a positive thing because it helps them know how to be better leaders (p. 17-18).

Fahlberg and Toomey (2016) explains how often traditional leadership is often viewed as someone grabbing at power. Some leaders strive to obtain control and exclusive status. Servant leadership is the opposite of this (p. 50). Fahlberg and Toomey (2016) continue by explaining servant leadership as something that comes from within. It is when leaders make a conscious decision to lead by first serving others (p. 51). Servant leadership is a concept that pertains to all cultures. Mittal and Dorfman (2012) list 5 servant leadership aspects that makes it effective across cultures: 1) Egalitarianism, 2) Moral integrity, 3) Empowering, 4) Humility, 5) Empathy (p. 560). Egalitarianism denies the common thought that management or leaders are above other employees within an organization (Scheffler, 2003, p. 7). Beed and Beed (2015) continues this thought by explaining that governance egalitarianism is when all employees, no matter their position, within an organization have an equal say on policies of the organization (p. 5). Chi and Chi (2014) explains how Greenleaf highlighted the importance of a moral man. Moral integrity is a major factor within the definition of servant leadership. When a servant leader lacks moral integrity it affects everyone within the organization (p. 203). Murari and Kripa (2012) explains the role empowerment plays within servant leadership. Empowerment builds a proactive attitude within an organization, as well as increases personal growth amongst all employees. When servant leaders focus on empowerment they are proving they care about the personal development of the one’s they influence (p. 29). Sousa and Dierendonck (2015) highlights how servant leaders can be humble while leading others, “Humility is about the extent to which a leader gives priority to the interest of others first and gives them the necessary support and credits…” (p. 15). Humility is also displayed by servant leaders when they prove the limit they are willing to go to put others first (Dierendonck and Patterson, 2015, p. 123). Barbuto and Wheeler (2006) explain that empathy is one of the most important characteristics for servant leaders to have. Having empathy and compassion for others develops a compassionate environment within the workplace (p. 303). Isis (2004) continues this thought by stating that listening to the needs and emotions of others is crucial when wanting to be an effective servant leader (p. 20). “Servant leadership has been used successfully by many business, organizations, religions, and educational systems” (Thompson, 2014, p. 244). Hanse, Harlin, Jarebrant, Ulin, and Winkel (2015) explains it is because of the 5 dimensions of servant leadership that make this leadership style so effective within numerous organizations (p. 230).

Leadership Interview

Colonel Frank J. Stanco was interviewed about his views on servant leadership. He is the Division Artillery Commander for the United States Army at Fort Campbell. Colonel Stanco was asked a variety of questions to get a full understanding on how he believes servant leadership affects people within the military and organizations. Jessica Ortiz interviewed Colonel Stanco because she believed he would have great insight on the true meaning of being a servant leader. Here is a list of questions Jessica asked Colonel Stanco: Have you heard about Robert Greenleaf’s perspective on servant leadership? How does your opinion on servant leadership differ from Greenleaf’s? When you decided to join the United States Army did you plan on being a servant leader? What does being a servant leader mean to you? Do you think servant leadership is a concept everyone should embrace? How would being a servant leader in the military differ from someone who is a servant leader within an organization?

Colonel Stanco had heard of Greenleaf’s thoughts on servant leadership. He agreed that servant leadership is about wanting to serve others first. Colonel Stanco stated that he thinks Greenleaf set a great standard on how people should define servant leadership. The main difference in how he viewed servant leadership vs. Greenleaf is that he believes before someone can be a true servant leader they have to first follow Christ. He explained that before he gave himself to Christ he thought he was a great leader and strived daily to be a leader. It was not until his life changed with Christ that he fully understood what a leader should be like. He stated, “Before my life with Christ, I thought I had it all together. I thought I was being a leader for the soldiers I was in charge of, as well as a leader for my family. My whole perspective on what a leader was changed when I started looking at Christ as my example.” Colonel Stanco continued this thought by explaining that once he found Christ he saw where he had fallen short so many times and areas of his life where he could be better. He agreed with everything Greenleaf described servant leadership to me, but he does not believe you can truly commit to being a servant leader without your heart being where it needs to be.

When Colonel Stanco joined the United States Army he did not even think about being a servant leader. He stated, “I was young and was just beginning a whole new career. I knew I wanted to make a difference and serve my country, but being a servant leader was not on my mind because I knew I needed someone to lead me for awhile.” He explained that he still has people who lead him daily. He said, “I mean the whole military is full of men and women who sacrifice a lot to serve our country, so it is nearly impossible not to be surrounded by amazing leaders daily.” He continued by discussing the difference it makes when people listen to one another and understand where each other are coming from. He stated, “Yes, I expect my soldiers to listen to me, but I also know the importance of listening to them.” He explained that as soldiers they are sometimes on the battlefield and have to be able to trust one another. Colonel Franco discussed how open communication is crucial to be able to work with others effectively.

Colonel Stanco explained how important being a servant leader is to him. He wants all of his soldiers to look at him as an example for all aspects of life. He described his relationship with God, his wife and children, and his coworkers. He said he wants the men and women who he is in charge of to see him as a leader in his personal and professional life. Colonel Stanco is well aware of the importance his role has on the lives of numerous American soldiers. He stated, “What I do and the people I lead are to ultimately better this country and to make sure the United States military is made up of the best men and women this country has to offer.” He explained that his role at Fort Campbell and the opportunity he has to be a servant leader is not something he takes lightly.

Colonel Franco believes servant leadership is a concept everyone should be aware of and should aim to be servant leaders. He explained that servant leadership is the best form of leadership, in his opinion. He went into detail on how serving others first and actually caring about the needs of others makes you a better person, as well. He believes servant leadership is a win for everyone involved. Colonel Stanco does think that servant leadership is different in the military than it is within organizations. He stated, “I am not trying to discredit the great servant leaders who are not in the military, but the extent of leadership one receives in the military can result in life or death, while in organizations its financial or personal success that is at risk.” America, as well as other countries, is in great need of more servant leaders, he explained. Colonel Stanco said that he tells even the privates in the Army how important their leadership is. He validated how important it is for everyone, no matter their rank in the military or their position in an organization, to be servant leaders for the people around them. He said, “We see all different forms of leadership in the military, but it is when our soldiers choose to be servant leaders that we see a true difference in how things are done.” Colonel Stanco would not take any credit for how far he has come throughout his time as an American soldier. He gave full credit to God, his family, the men and women who served before him, and the soldiers who still lead him today.

Comparison/Contrast

Leadership Interview vs. Servant Leadership Academic Research

The way Colonel Franco views servant leadership greatlly compares to the way the scholars describe servant leadership. It is always enlightening to research a topic and then get an inside view from someone who has had successful experiences with the topic. Colonel Franco proved that when someone understands the true meaning of servant leadership it makes a huge difference in the success of the servant leader, as well as the success of the ones the servant leader influences.

Collins (2001) discusses modesty and how people who are modest do not boast themselves (p. 27). Colonel Franco was a wonderful example of this when he was constantly giving credit to God, his family, and the leaders in his life. Souyri (2014) goes into detail about the importance of serving God first before someone can be a servant leader (p. 171). Colonel Franco agrees with this scholar and described how his view on leadership completely changed once he gave his heart to Christ. Colonel Franco believes one’s heart must be where it needs to be, which is with Christ, to be able to fully be a servant leader, which is exactly what Souyri (2014) discusses. This thought continues into the four basic beliefs that Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendrey (2016) discusses on page 2. The fourth belief states that successful leadership starts on the inside, which explains that Souyri, Blanchard, et. al., and Colonel Franco agree on this point. One of the four basic beliefs that made their ministry successful is that Jesus is the greatest model of leadership. Colonel Franco described how his view of leadership transformed when he began looking at Jesus as his leadership example. It made him realize many things about himself, as well as areas of his life he needed to improve.

Fahlberg and Toomey (2016) discusses when leaders try to obtain power (p. 50). Colonel Franco proved he is an effective servant leader when he discussed how he even informs the privates how important their leadership is. A leader who is striving to obtain power does not tell others the effectiveness their leadership is capable of. Colonel Franco sharing this with his soldiers of all ranks proves power is not what he is worried about. Mittal and Dorfman (2012) discusses the 5 servant leadership aspects, which are egalitarianism, moral integrity, empowering, humility, and empathy. While Colonel Franco did not specifically discuss these aspects, it is evident he obtains a great mixture of these characteristics to remain a successful servant leader.

Leadership Interview vs. Servant Leadership Group Discussions

The group discussions covered topics discussed within the course presentations. The group discussions allow individuals to share their own thoughts, as well as learn from the thoughts of others about the topic, servant leadership. The presentations are based on crucial servant leadership topics that allows students to grow as servant leaders and develop a full understanding of the concept.

Dr. Fischer discusses servant leadership throughout the biblical leadership presentation. Fischer (2018) highlights important pratices of servant leadership, such as, acknowledgement of needing a Savior, people needing to love their neighbor, acknowledgement of sinful attitudes, pride and selfishness with coworkers, and the meaning of a covenant relationship. The group discussed these topics within the forum then formed a group paper. The group stated, “Therefore for people to be servant leaders through God, they must serve God first and have a relationship with God in order to serve their neighbors properly.” Colonel Franco proved he agreed with this statement when he discussed the need of a relationship with Christ before being able to be a servant leader. The group, as well as Colonel Franco, is aware of the importance of a relationship with Christ in order to effectively be servant leaders.

Fischer (2018) Personal Application presentation brings to light mistakes people make while on the job. Fischer (2018) discusses how often people become workaholics and do not take the time they should with people. The group discussed how taking time with people shows humility. The group used a quote from Fischer: “Servant leaders are aware that people, the Word of God, and God Himself is the focus of everything they do” (Fischer, “Personal Application”, 2018). This point goes along with what Colonel Franco had to say about wanting his soldiers to see him as an example in all aspects of life. The relationship he shares with God, his family, and his coworkers are all based on the Word of God, and he wants people to be able to tell that by how he lives his life.

The Servant Leader presentation was another topic discussed within the group discussion board. This presentation highlights the difference in Christ-centered or man-centered leadership. Colonel Franco touched on this topic when he stated that within the military there are multiple forms of leadership styles. The group continued this discussion within their group paper when they explained that God-centered leaders serve Christ first, while man-centered leaders serve themselves first. “By serving God first servant leaders can serve and transform with their heart, head, hands, and habits” (The Servant Leader). A man-centered focus will be on self-interest, whereas, a God-centered approach requires biblical wisdom and guidance in order to serve like Jesus (Liberty University, “Leading like Jesus”, 2018). The group mentioned what Matthew 6:33 (KJV) reads, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you.”

The course presentations, as well as insight from Colonel Franco, make it evident what servant leadership is all about. The presentations allow students to gain knowledge on multiple aspect of servant leadership. Students become aware of the challenges they may face, how to grow as servant leaders, and how to put multiple concepts into action. Interviewing a servant leader allows students to see what the result of servant leadership can be. Gaining insight from a successful servant leader motivates students to want to be one themselves, and they gain a respect for servant leaders.

Servant leadership is a concept that has been discussed and studied for many years. Its effectiveness and ability to change people and organizations across the world is remarkable. The more people learn about servant leadership, the more they realize what a difference it can make within organizations everywhere. Servant leadership is full of many characteristics that people of all statuses and ranks need to strive to obtain. Forming a literature review, interviewing a servant leader, and comparing and contrasting the research found is greatly beneficial to one’s understanding of the growing concept: servant leadership.

References

Barbuto, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2006). Scale development and construct clarification of servant leadership. Group & Organization Management, 31(3), 300-326. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/203373307?accountid=12085

Beed, C., & Beed, C. (2015). Governance egalitarianism in jesus’ teaching. Anglican Theological Review, 97(4), 587-607. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1728725598?accountid=12085

Blanchard, K., & Hodges, P. (2003). The servant leader: Transforming your heart, head, hands & habits. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead like Jesus revisited: Lessons for everyone from the greatest leadership role model of all time. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Chi, J. L., & Chi, G. C. (2014) Perceived executive leader’s integrity in terms of servant and ethical leadership on job burnout among Christian healthcare service providers: test of a structural equation model. Journal of Management Research, 14(4), 203-226. Retrieved on May 7, 2018.

Collins, J. C. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap… and others don’t. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Dierendonck, D. (2010). Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261. Retrieved May 7, 2018.

Dierendonck, D., & Patterson, K. (2015). Compassionate love as a cornerstone of servant leadership: An integration of previous theorizing and research. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(1), 119-131. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s10551-014-2085-z

Fahlberg, B., & Toomey, R. (2016). Servant leadership: A model for emerging nurse leaders. Nursing 2016, 46(10), 49-52. Retrieved May 7, 2018.

Fischer, K. (2018). Liberty University (Producer). Biblical Leadership. Available from

https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_406732_1&content_id=_21998740_1

Fischer, K. (2018). Liberty University (Producer). Personal Application. Available from

https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_406732_1&content_id=_21998745_1

Hanse, J. J., Harlin, U., Jarebrant, C., Ulin, K., and Winkel, J. (2015). The impact of servant leadership dimensions of leader-member exchange among healthcare professionals. Nursing Management, 24(2), 228-234. Retrieved from https://doiorg.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1111/jonm.12304

Isis, L. H. (2004). The servant leader. Nursing Management (through 2013), 11(3), 20-4. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/236938518?accountid=12085

Liberty University (2018). Liberty University (Producer). Leading like Jesus – Who will you

follow? How will you lead? Available from https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/

blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_406732_1&content_id=_21998740_1

Liberty University (2018). Liberty University (Producer). The Servant Leader. Available from

https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_406732_1&content_id=_21998745_1

Mittal, R., Dorfman, P. W. (2012) Servant leadership. Journal of Business Across Cultures, 47(4), 555-570. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2012.01.009.

Murari, K., & Kripa, S. G. (2012). Impact of servant leadership on employee empowerment. Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, 1(1), 28-37. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1478027992?accountid=12085

Russell, R. F., & Stone, A. G. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes: developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157. Retrieved May 7, 2018.

Scheffler, S. (2003) What is Egalitarianism? Philosophy & Public Affairs, 31(1) 5-39. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558033

Sousa, M., & Dierendonck, D. (2017). Servant leadership and the effect of the interaction between humility, action, and hierarchical power on follower engagement. Journal of Business Ethics, 141(1), 13-25. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s10551-015-2725-y

Souyri, É. (2014). Servant Leadership: How Christianity Informs the New Spirit of Capitalism in Education. Revue française d’études américaines, 141,(4), 171-183. doi:10.3917/rfea.141.0171.

Spears, L. (1996). Reflections on robert K. greenleaf and servant-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 33-35. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/226920195?accountid=12085