Content
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Servant Leadership
We rise by lifting others. Robert Ingersoll
Servant leadership, although it has been around in some form or another since the 15th century (Lau Tzu), is focused on the relationship with the follower as being service-based and centered on the well-being and development of followers.
Objectives this Week
By the end of this week you will be able to:
- Describe the core commitments of servant leadership.
- Differentiate servant leadership from transformational leadership across the moral, focus, and mission distinctions.
- Assess whether servant leadership can be sustained within healthcare organizational constraints.
- Evaluate the effect of servant leadership on organizational citizenship and team performance.
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Content in Context
You learned about transformational leadership in week 3. With the focus turning to servant leadership during this week, it may be helpful to specify how servant leadership differs from transformational leadership. Parolini, Patterson, and Winston (2009) wrote that difference between the two lies in five areas:
- Moral distinction: Transformational leadership is marked by fully engaging followers in the work of the organization, to the point at which the organization's interest becomes the followers' interest. There are potential moral shortcomings of transformational leaders' which could arise from subverting individuals' interests and values in favor of organizational ones. Servant leadership emphasizes the principled use of power and sacrificing one's ego to promote positive relationships.
- Focus distinction: The focus of transformational leaders is on organizational or collective goals, whereas servant leaders are focused more on follower autonomy.
- Motive and mission distinction: The motive and mission of transformational leaders is to achieve organizational growth. Servant leadership, on the hand, focus on individual growth and stable organizational cultures.
- Development distinction: Transformational leaders tend to develop their followers into leaders, whereas servant leaders are servants first who become leaders through their own conscious choices.
- Influence distinction: Transformational leaders gain influence through charisma, whereas servant leaders gain influence through non-manipulative processes, and especially, through service itself.
Both transformational and servant leadership are powerful styles, but studies have shown that the former provides better results for organizational learning (Choudhary, Akhtar, & Zaheer, 2013). Barriers also exist that may prevent servant leadership from being fully implemented in organizations (Barry, 2000; Savage-Austin & Honeycutt, 2011). The main mechanism by which servant leadership works in organizations is that it promotes organizational citizenship which drives improved performance (Ebener & O’Connell, 2010).
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Can a servant leader exist in an organization?
Submission Instructions
Complete the assignment by clicking on the Discussion title above or the button below and then "Create Thread." Next, review at least three peers' work. If possible, select posts for which there are not yet any replies.
View the Discussion rubric by clicking the button below.
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Debate the pros and cons of servant leadership in a team environment. Is it possible for a leader in a team to take a servant approach? How can a servant leader attend to the development needs of an entire team, either virtual or face-to-face? What are some of the issues affecting servant leadership in these kinds of settings? Provide supporting research to substantiate your arguments.
Submission Instructions
Maximum 5 pages – not including title page, references or appendices.
APA format is required. Minimum of 2 academic and/or professional references.
The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback and grade your work. Review the rubric by clicking the link below and use it to guide your work.
MHA Assignment RubricStart Assignment
Complete the assignment by clicking on the assignment title or the button above.
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5.1 | Can a Servant Leader Exist? (10 points)
5.2 | Servant Leadership in Teams (100 points)