Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership is a popular leadership style that is often commonly talked about whenever leadership is discussed. A servant leader is not a servant; it is not that literal. Servant leaders are those that lead with their followers at the forefront of their mind. They are about trusting and helping their followers to develop and overcome their problems. A servant leaders is a selfless leader who thinks about others and is not just thinking about themselves. They are thought to be charismatic and also humble. These sound like great qualities for a leader, right? Who wouldn't want to follow a leader who thinks of others and full of humility? But is there a downside to servant leaders?
Of course! Not every leadership style is perfect. One of the biggest criticisms of servant leaders are that they are not practical in a business role. Critics point out that this leadership style conflicts with the role a manager should hold in a company. Managers traditionally are thought to be authoritative and more focused on end goals then their employees. A leader who is focused on their employees might not be able to motivate and show authority the way businesses traditionally view their employees.
Though this criticism is valid, it is also very narrow in perspective. Yes, a leader should be able to motivate and have authority, but who is to say a humble and caring leader isn't one who can lead effectively? The type of leadership that is effective is going to be dependent on the followers. Personally, an empathetic leader who puts my needs and feelings as a priority is a leader I respond to the best. Will this be true for everyone? No, of course not. Criticism often biased and based on a personal opinion.
Moral of the story? All leadership styles have positives and negatives and the most important part of if leadership is successful or not is if the follower respond positively to that leader's style.
