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Leadership Research Paper
Emmanuel Morris
School of Business, Liberty University
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Abstract
Servant leadership is a framework whose fundamental focus is to enable leaders to render
services to their followers to fulfil the organization’s requirements. Typically, servant leaders
empower others, and lead with modesty to create a positive work setting. The first section of this
paper articulates on the servant leadership practices, and the criteria for servant leadership
behavior. The second part concerns a leadership interview, where I ask a prominent Walmart Inc.
manager his perspective on servant leadership behavior. During the interview, the CEO responds
to the questions outlined in the paper. The third part compares and contrasts the leaders’ criteria
for servant leadership behavior to the research details on servant leadership, and information
from the group discussions. The section discusses the similarities and differences in context to
servant leadership behavior and servant leadership.
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Leadership Research Paper
Part 1: Literature Review
Servant leadership practices entail a framework that depicts the leaders’ responsibility as
servants to their followers in a work setting. The practice revolves around the leaders’ obligation
to serve other people, by fulfilling their requirements and assisting them to develop (Stauffer &
Maxwell, 2020). Servant leadership is self-less, it does not encourage leaders to be authoritative
or focus on their individual growth. The key practices of servant leadership are as follows:
Perspectives about Servant Leadership Practices
Assisting people to Improve.
Servant leaders focus on the development of their followers. They mentor individuals, give
guidance, and support them to accomplish their objectives. Furthermore, servant leaders offer
development and training opportunities to facilitate the abilities and knowledge of their group
members.
Place the needs of others first.
The priority of servant leadership is to identify the requirements of the individual whom they are
serving. These leaders engage others by paying attention to their needs and help in solving
conflicts. Also, they assist in supporting their followers to fulfil their goals.
They have the mindset of servant leadership.
Another characteristic of servant leadership practices is adopting an attitude of modesty, and
service in their operations (Otto etal, 2021). These leaders do not apply power or individual
ambitions to lead their teams. They work towards improving the lives of other people, and they
believe in the relevance of leadership when they get to support others.
Exemplary leadership.
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These leaders lead others by example, they exhibit traits and standards that they aspire for their
followers to emulate. Also, they work hard, practice integrity and embrace appropriate ethics
while leading others. Besides being honest, servant leaders are respectful, and they are always
ready and willing to assist individuals in need.
Establish a positive work setting.
Servant leadership is attributed to a work environment that enables the subordinates to feel
secure, appreciated, and respected. These leaders allow their followers to experience various
forms of challenges while in the line of duty. As a result, the issues that teams encounter at work
motivate them to perform their best and increase productivity at work. By instilling a sense of
community, servant leaders formulate a positive labor culture that adapts diversity, mutual
support and incorporates other people in their operations. These leaders establish chances for
their followers, endorse motivation and stimulate their teams by celebrating their success.
Empower Others.
Servant leaders create a platform that allows others to actively participate in the organization’s
activities. They provide their followers with resources and liberty to deliver the best at what they
do (Liao etal, 2021). In return, servant leaders create a strong connection with their group
members. For instance, they set aside their time to comprehend the diverse requirements of their
team by identifying their limitations and their strong sides. In the process, leaders instill a sense
of belonging and community among their followers.
Aspire for endless growth.
Servant leaders embrace individual and personal development. As a result, the commitment spirit
leads to the development of their followers and the entire firm. They evaluate their activities,
identify feedback that guides them towards making further progress (Brown et al, 2020). To
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facilitate continuous developments, servant leaders endorse a learning mindset that leads to an
innovative work setting.
Criteria for Servant Leadership Behavior
They serve with Humility.
Servant leaders lead other people with modesty, they are not selfish, and they place people’s
needs before their own. It implies that such leaders are humble, and they do not serve others with
pride that makes them benefit on their side.
Involve appropriate listening skills.
Servant leaders listen keenly to the needs of their team and depict concern in matters that involve
them. These leaders are willing to learn about their followers’ feedback and embrace the
necessary changes that lead to growth among other people (Song et al, 2022). By practicing
empathy and active listening, servant leaders encourage their followers to share their concerns
and views. These leaders exhibit empathy by caring for others and improving their experiences at
the workplace.
Engage in ethical decision-making procedures.
Servant leaders use these criteria to instill integrity and ethical character. These leaders make
decisions in relation to ethical values by focusing on the good aspects that benefit others. They
serve as role models to promote ethical behaviors and instill a culture of honesty and justice.
Allow the team to delegate.
Servant leaders employ the criteria that enable their group to take ownership of their duties. By
trusting their followers to handle different responsibilities, they uplift their team by ensuring they
grow and upgrade from their experiences (Erdurmazlı, 2019).
Enhance Relationships.
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Servant leaders develop connections with their followers by taking time to learn about them
individually. These criteria enable leaders to comprehend the strong and weak areas of their
team. It builds a sense of belonging that allows leaders, and their subordinates to work and trust
each other.
Encourage Coordination.
Servant leaders encourage teamwork and collaboration by creating an inclusive work setting.
They advocate for collaboration, and transparent communication among their followers. Also,
they create opportunities that value their subordinates’ input (Saleem et al, 2020).
The behaviors that relate to servant leadership incorporate:
Courage
Servant leaders are brave and ready to embrace what they aspire to even when it is not common.
Servant leaders believe in providing services to others by placing others’ needs before their own.
They lead by integrity which implies that they keep their promises and divulge ethical behaviors
among their team members (Wu etal, 2021).
Vision
These leaders have a vision for the future, and they pass on what they believe will facilitate
progress to their followers. It implies that servant leaders can inspire others and aid them to
accomplish that vision.
Part 2: Leadership Interview
A Brief Overview
The leader I chose to interview in this paper is an active manager from Walmart Inc. His name is
Doug McMillon. I am a graduate learner conducting research that will take 30 minutes. I am in a
leadership class and the purpose of this interview is to learn about servant leadership. I read an
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article in Fortune magazine that convinced me to identify you as a servant leader. The key reason
for conducting this interview is to learn about your executive perceptions concerning servant
leadership. After the interview, I look forward to contacting you again for follow-up questions.
Interview Questions
How can I grow my servant leadership skills?
What are the benefits for servant leadership for people and the organizations?
What problems do servant leaders incur?
In what ways can I handle servant leadership issues?
Summary of the Leader’s Responses
Walmart’s manager acknowledged the need to learn about servant leadership first to develop
expertise in servant leadership. He recommended accessing the information via articles,
websites and articles that will enlighten on the key behaviors of servant leadership. McMillon
revealed that familiarizing yourself with these elements is vital to apply the concepts to different
leadership contexts. The manager advised on practicing major practices for servant leadership to
advance an individual’s skills on servant leadership. He urged leaders to embrace the practices in
their own leadership style by mentoring others. Leading through example is useful for leaders to
handle others with respect and humility. McMillon further emphasized that the leader’s actions
and behavior impacts the character, and culture of the people he or she leads. Moreover, he
mentioned another way that will foster servant leadership skills which is embracing learning
opportunities. Leaders can participate in networking and cooperate with other leaders via
attending conferences or workshops regarding servant leadership.
Based on the manager’s view, servant leadership benefits people and firms by increasing
learning and progress. For instance, subordinates learn and grow their expertise from servant
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leaders who have listening skills to offer effective feedback. On a personal level, there is job
satisfaction. Servant leaders establish a positive work setting that endorses coordination and
mutual support. As a result, this approach fulfills the individual needs. Firms benefit from
servant leadership via increased productivity. It happens when servant leaders create a work
environment that empowers and inspire employees to offer their best.
Additionally, the interviewee revealed that servant leaders face time management issues. It
occurs when they spend plenty of time listening and assisting to resolve problems in an
organization. To deal with challenges that arise in servant leadership, it is significant for servant
leaders to communicate effectively. By listening to their team’s concerns, these leaders will be in
a position to address the challenges appropriately.
The following criteria describes the leader’s view on servant leadership behavior:
According to this leader, servant leadership is a powerful framework that positively influences
people and organizations (Wang et al, 2022). The manager believes that servant leaders lead with
humility, empower others and are empathetic. He further added that these leaders have a keen ear
that listens to the needs of their team members. By doing this, they generate a positive work
setting that expands on the connection between the top management and the subordinates. Also,
the manager attributed servant leadership as a style that puts the requirements of other people
first.
The manager accredited the behavior of servant leadership as helping others to be successful by
not focusing on their authority. He mentioned the approach that contributes to a more productive
setting which advances the performance, and progress of the entire organization. Based on the
manager’s perspective, servant leaders depict their caring behaviors when they show concern for
individuals, and organizations in times of conflicts (Kaltiainen & Hakanen, 2022). The manager
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believes that the behavior of servant leaders is evident when they foster strong groups. He
recognizes servant leaders as individuals who foster a culture of coordination and innovation.
Part 3: Comparison/Contrast
This section compares and contrasts leaders’ framework or criteria for servant leadership
behavior with literature review research on servant leadership and group discussions.
Criteria for Servant Leadership with Research
In both contexts, servant leadership concerns fulfilling the teams’ requirements, and that of the
entire organization. Reflecting on the criteria and literature review, they share similar sentiments
that servant leaders are humble, they empower others, and they show concern to the needs of
others. Furthermore, both contexts portray servant leaders to develop connections with their
subordinates, listen keenly to the needs of their team members, and initiate a positive work
setting. Additional similarities on the leader’s criteria for servant leadership behavior and the one
I have learned from this research is as follows:
Servant leaders aspire for continuous growth.
Servant leaders embrace individual and career development. Also, they focus on the groups’
progress, and that of the entire organization. These leaders work towards continuous growth by
evaluating responses from their subordinates and assessing their activity towards individual and
company growth. Servant leaders endorse a learning culture that results in innovation in a
company.
Emotional Intelligence.
Servant leaders operate with emotional intelligence that fosters social awareness, and regulate
ways that individuals relate to the organization. These leaders relate their emotions with those of
their team by enhancing interpersonal dynamics which leads to positive connections.
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Place the needs of others first.
Servant leaders rank the need of their followers first before their own. It implies that they
genuinely care for others by availing opportunities to ensure that they progress.
Encourage teamwork and Coordination.
Servant leaders create a working culture that supports the group to collaborate and achieve the
organization’s goals. These leaders endorse teamwork through transparent communication. In the
process, servant leaders formulate a work setting that value different views, instill a sense of
belonging, and respect among the team members.
Advocate for ethical morals and leads with integrity.
Servant leaders apply integrity and ethical values in decision making and conducting operations
at the organization. These leaders are transparent, honest and humble and they connect their
behaviors with ethical standards and values of the firm.
Empower Others.
Servant leaders empower the group by allowing them to take authority, and make decisions that
guide them to perform their duties. They trust their subordinates to delegate responsibilities that
align with a person’s ability and strength.
Focus on Development
Servant leaders are part of the growth of other team members. They allocate resources and
mentorship to help individuals to reach their ultimate potential. Servant leaders contribute to the
growth of their team members by creating chances that enable them to grow individually and
career wise.
Practice empathy and active listening
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Through active listening, servant leaders prove that they care for other people’s concern. They
share their emotions, views and demonstrate empathy through compassion.
Practice humility
Service leaders are humble in that they do not lead with pride to gain personally, and they place
the need of others first before their own.
Servant Leaders Behavior
In both contexts, servant leaders share similarities and have behavior characteristics like being
courageous. These leaders are brave and ready to ready to embrace what they believe in even
when it is uncommon. Moreover, they serve with integrity, they are honest by fulfilling their
promises to the team. They render services to others through commitment, they embrace
people’s requirements first then consider themselves later. Service leaders use a vision to guide
them. In this regard, they are able to articulate what other hope to accomplish in future. In the
process, they motivate team members to work towards achieving the vision.
Differences
The criteria of servant leadership behavior reflects the manner in which a leader serves. It is
different from the literature review content that portray servant leadership as the mindset or
philosophy of a leader who is offering services to other people. The behavior of a servant leader
is listening, placing the desires of others first and encouraging positive relationships. Based on
the study, servant leadership differs when it portray leaders to create positive work settings that
impart motivation among team members.
Group discussion Views on servant leadership
The following are the concepts I learnt about Servant leadership on group discussion:
Embracing the needs of others first results to Success
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Servant leaders focuses on the welfare and requirements of other people to initiate a
collaborative and supportive work setting. They further render loyalty, commitment and trust
among individuals which increases performance levels in the organization.
Empathy facilitates relationships.
I learnt that servant leaders exhibit empathy by portraying concern, and genuine care for their
followers. By comprehending and acknowledging other people’s feelings, it creates aspirations
and solves issues. As a result, these leaders formulate a strong connection based on mutual
respect and trust. It further encourages the team members to have the morale that enables them to
work with unison. Servant leaders establish a strong connection with their followers which guide
them to identify the strength, and limitation of each individual. Furthermore, they create a sense
of belonging and unity among the team.
Empowerment and Coordination leads to Innovation.
Servant leaders instill a collaborative work setting that allows the group to share their ideas and
knowledge. Also, these leaders enhance the possibility for creativity through empowerment and
encourage the team to share diverse views. Through collaboration, the team and servant leaders
resolve conflicts that they encounter at the organization.
Exemplary leadership inspires others.
Servant leaders show others the way via principles, and characters which they expect their
subordinates to emulate. They instill a positive working culture by exhibiting strong work values,
accountability, and integrity in their leadership. In response, employees of team members follow
the same example to fulfil the organization’s goals.
Personal Development is Significant
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I learnt that servant leaders contribute to individual growth. These leaders value the significance
of instilling development between themselves and their team. Servant leaders offer their group
chances to achieve additional skills in their profession. They instill success on personal and
organizational level.
Service is a powerful approach in leadership. According to servant leadership, leaders are
servants to other people. Granting services to their followers enable leaders to create a setting
that advocates for trust, a sense of mutual purpose and coordination. Service is a strategy that
facilitates employee participation, resulting to increased levels of personal and organizational
progress. Active listening encourages comprehension. Servant leaders actively pay attention to
their team. They seek to understand the views, ideas, and concerns of team members in the
organization. The strategy further enhances a deep comprehension of the group’s dynamics. It
results to improved decision-making procedures, and instills a culture of transparent
communication. Significance of a positive work setting. I learnt that service leaders value a
positive work setting to ensure that their followers feel respected and secure. These leaders
formulate a work station that inspires and challenges individuals to give their best accounting for
higher productivity in the organization.
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Differences
Assessing the criteria for servant leadership behavior, it entails different activities like the
leader’s ability to serve others through commitment, and creating a setting that accommodates
the needs of each team member. Comparing this information to servant leadership from my
group discussion, I realized that the concept of servant leadership incorporates a broad view of
leadership philosophy. Servant leadership involves a strategy that covers a set of morals and
standards. Essentially, servant leadership differs from servant leadership behavior when it shapes
a leader’s character by guiding their interactions, decision-making and leading approaches.
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References
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