Servant leadership--an introduction.

The Concept

The paradoxical term, "servant-leadership," which appears to touch an innate need in many of us, and which therefore harks back to the beginning of time, became popularized twenty-five years ago by Robert Greenleaf in his books Servant Leadership (1977) and Teacher as Servant (1979). The servant-leader first has the desire to serve others, and then learns to lead as a servant. The ideas of serving, helping, self-effacing, and effectiveness permeate the servant-leadership concept. Greenleaf, for many years an executive at AT&T, sought to express his desire to serve, while making use of his executive talents. By serving on the boards of non-profit organizations, and encouraging other private sector managers to do likewise, Greenleaf hoped to instigate a cultural revolution--not just in terms of executive behaviors, but in terms of a mindset that dissociates material situation from psychological or spiritual health. Both rich and poor need caring and guidance, and the servant-leader concept intends to communicate that serving, leading, receiving, and giving are intermingled and not so discrete and dissociated as some economists or social theorists might think.

Caring and leading have traditionally been at least partly a function of propinquity. But our traditional concept of distance has been blown apart. We can be emotionally separated from the person sitting next to us, and be intimate with someone 3000 miles away--vicariously via videophone or internet, or in person after a 5-hour plane ride. Our work partners need not be close by, as we ship and receive work products from around the globe within seconds.

Where 100 years ago the family was the unit upon which society was based, this source of economic, social, and emotional support is no longer dependable. Government can supply money, but it does not supply caring attention. The servant leader can demonstrate caring attention to the needs of another, and demonstrate leadership. The idea of servant-leadership fits within this search to find new ways of engaging that are consciously interdependent. Being in relationship to another has psychological, social, and economic implications. Realizing an interdependent relationship to another, a servant-leader, can position the other for emotional growth. Within this changed demographic environment the servant-leader has an important role in today's world. The articles in this issue help describe the servant-leader role.

The Articles

Mary Ann Feldheim and Gail Johnson, in their article, "Normative Education: Putting the Servant in Public Service," combine a normative concept of learning with servant leadership and Kohlberg's theory of emotional growth. They put the ASPA ethics code as the centerpiece of authentic communication in exemplifying virtue ethics in a way compatible with Robert Greenleaf's ideas. Aspirations are goals that are slowly realized, one step at a time, and maintaining patience over the long haul is needed. This notion of cultural change ties in with the argument of the final article here, by Lori Riverstone.

Saundra Reinke's "Service Before Self: Towards A Theory Of Servant-Leadership" is an empirical study showing that a servant leadership style of behavior builds trust within the organization and toward the leader. These findings support the argument of Feldheim and Johnson, showing that aspirational goals and authentic communication reward the organization with improved effectiveness.