Why Is Servant Leadership Becoming the Next Big Thing in Leadership?
Several people have heard of transformative leadership, which considers the needs of others as a means to an end. Fulfilling people’s needs, according to transformative leadership, will result in good change in them. Servant leadership, on the other hand, is gaining favour since it views people’s needs as a goal in and of themselves. Servant leadership does not expect anything other than to meet people’s basic needs. It is implied that servicing them will benefit them only.
Servant leadership is no longer confined to theory. Researchers are now focusing on empirically verified study findings in their investigations. Many academics have also been successful in forecasting the impact and benefits of the servant leadership method when it is implemented. With such data, it is simpler to examine and assess how successful servant leadership leads to specific outcomes.
Organizations all throughout the world are focusing their efforts on assisting people in growing and focusing. Furthermore, persons in positions of leadership are motivated to serve others rather than just to lead, because practically every stakeholder in an institution has instant access to all information.
In terms of the workplace, servant leadership allows subordinates to take on leadership roles in their divisions. Those leaders and organisations with everyone on board empowered to identify and solve the organization’s problems will have a competitive future. It recognises corporate citizenship through servant leadership, which means that in order for employees to demonstrate selflessness and go above and beyond their call of duty, the servant leader must make each employee feel important. This is only possible when an organization’s leadership is interested about everyone’s overall well-being and growth.
Job performance is the sum of all people’ contributions to the organization’s aim throughout time. It could be task or context-related performance. Task performance contributes to the production of products and services, and it is reasonably simple to track and measure. Contextual performance, on the other hand, entails interpersonal and voluntary behaviours that assist an organisation in achieving its basic goals in a larger context. Contextual corporate goals can only be met with a cohesive team of empowered employees and an environment that prioritises the employees’ overall well-being.
The world has shrunk into a single town as a result of globalisation. Across continents, different cultures and conventions are now influencing one another. Multinational corporations are exporting excellent practises while also learning from the communities in which they operate. Human needs have taken centre stage as a result of the world’s strong human rights movements. The institutions that will survive in this competitive twenty-first century are those that are willing to embrace change and have servant leadership at the centre of their organisational structure. Labor unions, previous management, and leadership styles based on command, prestige, and authority, on the other hand, will perish.
The impact of servant leadership on the world
The rewards of good servant leadership, according to proponents and practitioners of servant leadership, will manifest in every part of society through most of the numerous traits identified by scholars once servant leadership is internalised and lived to its ideals. There will be little or no misunderstandings since everyone will listen and be listened to. This will aid in the creation of a united, cohesive community that faces common difficulties together. As a result, society will be more compassionate, resulting in a society that is more committed to the advancement of each individual.
Organizations will be more attentive to the demands of their employees and the people in the communities in which they operate. In other words, corporate social responsibility will be boosted more than ever before. Also, to resolve disagreements, people will use persuasion and dialogue rather than power and authority, which can quickly lead to dissatisfaction and even violence. People will adopt an altruistic mindset. This will motivate everyone to go above and beyond the call of duty to accomplish something that will benefit the entire company or society, even if it is not part of their formal duties.
Those who refuse to conform and choose to keep to the old ways will be the only ones who fail at servant leadership. They may fall behind us in this endeavour, but they run the risk of being obsolete and out of business.