Servant leadership
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and approach that emphasizes the leader’s role as a servant first and foremost. In traditional leadership models, the leader’s primary focus is often on the accumulation of power, authority, and the accomplishment of organizational goals. However, servant leadership flips this paradigm by prioritizing the needs of others, such as team members, employees, and the community, above the leader’s own interests.
The concept of servant leadership was popularized by Robert K. Greenleaf in his essay “The Servant as Leader,” published in 1970. Greenleaf proposed that a servant-leader is someone who actively seeks to serve others and places the growth and well-being of their followers above all else. The servant-leader is empathetic, compassionate, and committed to the personal and professional development of those they lead.