Servant leadership in Education and Business

Servant Leadership and Collaborative Culture

Servant leadership is gaining traction in higher education, the for-profit, and non-profit markets. In recent years, I’ve discovered that servant leadership transfers authority and prioritizes the interests of others. Collaborative culture includes unrestricted attitudes, confidence and respect, transparency, and mutual leadership at all levels. Personal accountability, on the other hand, I believe is a less influential force shaping a team community because it is more important for people to be committed to the good of other members and the organization rather than personal glory (Sipe & Frick, 2009). Another less influential factor is the concept of shared leadership where everyone takes initiative. Shared leadership may result in chaos particularly when there is a lack of planning. The most powerful factors associated with collaborative culture are the commitment to the success of others and continuous improvement of the organization.

Motivation and Beliefs of Servant Leaders

Individuals are motivated to assume a leadership role in a group because they feel there is a niche that they could fill. Servant leaders adopt leadership role believing their expertise and experience will be able to assist the team to achieve their goals, communicate freely, advocate for consensus decision making, and solve problems through negation. Servant leaders assume leadership roles with the belief that serving as a leader will increase their commitment to the success of others and the visions of the organization.

Personal Experience in a Collaborative Culture

I tend to assume the role of a compassionate collaborator in a team since I am good at observing peoples’ behavior and determining what they value. When I was initially entering the job market, I worked in an organization that was primarily focused on listening to the consumer rather than the employees. While the leaders recognized the value of collaboration, it felt like an additional task rather than fitting naturally. As such, the teamwork was almost impossible, and people were more committed to personal glory. The employees were afraid to express their opinions freely and avoided confrontation. The concept of united strategies was alien hence reducing productivity. However, our team was commended for good performance on several occasions since I focused on appreciating others and putting the needs of others first as their leader. A collaborative culture is vital to the success of an organization and the growth of individuals.

Reference

Sipe, J. W., & Frick, D. M. (2009). Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership: Practicing the wisdom of leading by serving. Paulist Press.