The State Of Servant Leadership Theory: History, Direction, And Benefits

Servant leadership is a popular leadership theory pioneered by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s. The theory has grown in popularity since its introduction. The theory is grounded in principles of the Christian Gospel. However, the application and impact of this theory has become international with practitioners coming from many different philosophical and religious backgrounds. However, theories of servant leadership vary to some degree amongst the published research on the subject. Due to this disparity, many in management and leadership may not fully comprehend the elements that make up servant leadership. A key goal of this paper is to provide management professionals and students with a more uniform understanding of what servant-leadership theory entails. Research has shown that there are many benefits that stem from the practice of servant leadership within organizations. Some of the benefits of servant leadership include self-efficacy, motivation to serve, motivation to lead, empowerment, cognitive learning ability, improved organizational citizenship behavior, enhanced job satisfaction among workers, improved customer service, and increased employee retention. The application of this leadership theory may well have growing relevance. Servant-leadership theory has a high degree of application to workers who fall under the age groupings of Millennials and Generation Y. Additionally, some managers may not fully understand how research has demonstrated the benefits of servant leadership for both organizations and individual employee performance. The mission of this paper is to serve as a resource for both managers and students, helping them understand how scholarly literature describes servant leadership and reports its impact, based on a review of published scholarly literature. Additionally, this paper will discuss organizational practices that may limit the benefits of servant leadership. It is hoped that management practitioners will utilize this paper to better and more accurately apply servant leadership in their organizations.