Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy that emphasizes the leader's role as a servant to

their followers, prioritizing their needs, growth, and development over their own personal
interests. This approach is particularly relevant for government employees, who are responsible
for serving the public and delivering essential services.
The “leadership” aspect of servant leadership is all about vision, direction, and goals. Most
leaders find themselves in positions of leadership in the first place because their foresight is
better than most. Foresight is a “better than average guess about what is going to happen when
in the future.”
Unlike traditional leadership, the servant leader is focused on the employees and their well-
being. Apart from honing the necessary skills, to become a servant leader you also need to
change your perspective and adapt your behavior.
In servant leadership, you focus on your employees’ needs, before considering your own. The
servant-leader is a servant first: he gives other people the support and acknowledgment they
need to reach their goals.
Decision-making involves the entire team and it is the servant leader’s job to build a sense of
community and trust. As a result, you have higher employee engagement and stronger
relationships with team members. It can also lead to increased motivation and innovation.
The basic idea is that if your employees feel that their voices and ideas are heard and that
they’ve got your support, they will be more productive and efficient. Your team, and thus your
company, will prosper.
Though more conservative leaders express their doubts as to the effectiveness of servant
leadership, there is an abundance of real-life examples of the positive impact this style of
leadership can have on companies as well as in other spheres of life.

In the context of government, servant leadership involves leaders who prioritize the needs of
the public and work to improve the well-being of the community they serve. Rather than
focusing solely on achieving personal or organizational goals, servant leaders are committed to
enhancing the public good and promoting social justice.

Government employees are responsible for serving the public, and servant leadership is a
leadership philosophy that prioritizes the needs, growth, and development of others over the
interests of the leader. This approach is particularly relevant in the public sector, where
employees are accountable to the public and work to serve their needs and improve their well-
being.

Servant leadership in government involves leaders who are committed to serving the public and
promoting the public good. They prioritize the needs of the public and work to improve the
well-being of the community they serve. They are empathetic towards others, listen actively,
are selfless, committed to service, humble, and have a clear vision for the future. These
characteristics are all valuable in the public sector, where government employees must work
collaboratively to deliver services, address public needs, and promote social justice.
By embracing servant leadership, government employees can build more effective teams,
deliver better services, and improve the well-being of their communities. The philosophy of
servant leadership can help to create a culture of trust, collaboration, and empowerment,
which can lead to better outcomes for both employees and the public they serve.

The philosophy of servant leadership is not specifically mandated by law, but it is consistent
with many legal principles and requirements that apply to government employees. Some
examples include:
1. Public service values: Many laws and regulations that apply to government employees
emphasize the importance of public service values, such as integrity, honesty, and
accountability. Servant leadership is consistent with these values, as it emphasizes the
importance of serving others and putting their needs first.
2. Civil service laws: Civil service laws provide the legal framework for the employment of
government employees, and often emphasize the importance of merit-based hiring,
equal opportunity, and the protection of employee rights. Servant leadership is
consistent with these principles, as it emphasizes the importance of empowering and
supporting employees, regardless of their background or status.
3. Constitutional principles: The Philippine Constitution emphasize the importance of
democracy, equal protection, and the rule of law. Servant leadership is consistent with
these principles, as it emphasizes the importance of serving the public good and
promoting social justice.
4. Ethical standards: Many government agencies have established codes of ethics or
conduct that provide guidance on appropriate behavior for employees. These codes
often emphasize the importance of honesty, fairness, and respect for others. Servant
leadership is consistent with these standards, as it emphasizes the importance of
putting the needs of others first and treating them with respect and dignity.
Overall, while there is no specific legal requirement to adopt the philosophy of servant
leadership, it is consistent with many legal principles and requirements that apply to
government employees. By embracing servant leadership, government employees can help to
ensure that their actions and decisions are consistent with these principles, and that they are
serving the public to the best of their ability.

Some key characteristics of servant leadership in government may include:

1. Empathy: A servant leader is empathetic towards others, seeking to understand their
perspectives, feelings, and needs.
2. Listening: A servant leader is an active listener, paying close attention to what others
have to say and seeking to understand their point of view.
3. Selflessness: A servant leader puts the needs of others first, prioritizing their growth and
development over their own personal interests.
4. Commitment to service: A servant leader is committed to serving others, whether that
means serving their team, their organization, or their community.
5. Humility: A servant leader is humble, recognizing that they are not the center of
attention and that they are part of a larger community.
6. Integrity: A servant leader is honest, transparent, and ethical, always striving to do the
right thing and setting a good example for others.
 7. Vision: A servant leader has a clear vision for the future, and is able to communicate
that vision to others and inspire them to work towards it.
8. Empowerment: A servant leader empowers others, giving them the tools, resources,
and support they need to succeed.
9. Collaboration: A servant leader works collaboratively with others, recognizing that
everyone has something valuable to contribute and that working together leads to
better outcomes.
Servant leadership can be an effective approach for government employees, helping leaders to
build more effective teams, deliver better services, and improve the well-being of their
communities.

Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King
Jr., George Washington

Ramon Magsaysay

Servant Leaders Characteristics

Servant leaders, as the term suggests, are “servants” first and leaders second. Their desire to
serve is natural and innate; while stepping into a leadership role is a conscious choice. At its
core, being a servant means taking the responsibility of meeting others’ needs upon yourself. In
a business setting, that means making an individual’s growth and development—personally and
professionally—first priority.
Servant leaders, then, empower and serve their followers to achieve a shared vision for the
future—effectively “leading from behind.”
Nelson Mandela illustrated this concept in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom: “ A
leader…is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead,
whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
“The upside-down pyramid” is another way experts describe servant leadership. In a traditional
hierarchy, the CEO and upper levels of management are at the top of the pyramid, and those
underneath—including middle management and frontline employees—are responsible for
catering to their needs. Servant leadership flips this model on its head, putting employees and
customers at the top.
“You’ve got to turn that pyramid upside down, so now you work for your people, who
eventually work for your customers,” said Dr. Blanchard, author of Servant Leadership in
Action, in a podcast interview. “Once the vision, and direction, and goals are clear, the job of
the leader is to help people live according to the vision of values and goals and be successful.
Now you're working for them. You're the head cheerleader.”
Pat Falotico, CEO of the Robert K. Greenleaf1 Center for Servant Leadership and former IBM
executive leader, says that all servant leaders have a natural desire to serve, hold themselves
accountable for the growth of others, and operate out of a drive to create a better world.
What’s more, Greenleaf writes in The Servant as Leader that the best way to “test” a servant
leader is asking if the people they serve, “while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer,
more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
Greenleaf also offers a few characteristics that exemplify servant leaders in his essay:
1. Servant leaders respond to problems by listening to understand. Servant leaders are
excellent active listeners. In stark contrast to “listening to respond,” “listening to
understand” requires the listener to put all of his energy toward absorbing what the
speaker is saying, rather than formulating a response while she is still talking. 
2. Servant leaders approach people with acceptance and empathy. Servant leaders
unconditionally accept their followers and seek to empathize with them. “The
servant always accepts and empathizes, never rejects,” Greenleaf writes. However,
Greenleaf is careful to point out that this doesn't mean the leader should
unconditionally accept subpar work, but rather the whole person—flaws and all.
3. Servant leaders take time for themselves. In essence, servant leaders know that
when their energy is depleted, they won’t be at their best for the people around
them. Greenleaf calls this “pacing oneself for appropriate withdrawal.” Servant
leaders constantly ask themselves what they need to do in order to serve best.
4. Servant leaders are excellent forecasters and vision communicators. Servant leaders
are adept at making predictions and setting goals to achieve outcomes. Most leaders
have the gift of foresight, but servant leaders are especially skilled at leading people
into the future from alongside or behind them. “The best leaders are clear,” wrote
Greenleaf. “They continually light the way, and in the process, let each person know
that what they do makes a difference.”  
5. Servant leaders are perceptive and aware. Servant leaders “see things as they are.”
Greenleaf writes that those who “move with narrow perception miss opportunities
for leadership.” Perceptiveness requires being fully present in the current moment,
rather than obsessing over the past or things to come.

Will you be a Servant Leader in Government?

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1
Robert K. Greenleaf first introduced the servant leadership philosophy in his seminal essay The Servant as Leader
in 1970