Servant

Leadership
and Civic
Engagemen
t
Francisco Aragón-Guiller
July 3, 2018
Reflection: The Nature of
Leadership
Small group discussion questions:

1. How should leaders act to encourage civic

engagement?
2. What personal traits or qualities should
civic leaders have?
3. How should civic leaders act or behave?
4. Are great civic leaders “born,” or are they
“made?”
What is Servant
Leadership?
“Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of
practices that enriches the lives of
individuals,
builds better organizations, and ultimately
creates a more just and caring world.”

Reference: Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, “What is Servant Leadership” (2016)
What is Servant
Leadership?
● Serving others’ needs is the top priority.
● Servant leaders aim to empower their
followers through
○ Sharing power and decision-making
responsibilities;
○ Allowing followers to have greater autonomy
and independence;
○ Respecting their skills, knowledge, and
potential; and
Introducing Servant Leadership
(2’49”)

Video Reference: Agile by Barclaycard (2016)

10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
1. Listening
2. Empathy
3. Healing
4. Awareness
5. Persuasion
6. Conceptualization
7. Foresight
8. Stewardship
9. Commitment to the growth of people
10.Building community
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 1 Listening:
● It is more difficult-- but more important--
for leaders to listen first to their followers.

Reflection question: Was there ever a time

when a leader listened to you? How did this
make you feel?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 2 Empathy:
● Servant leaders must not only listen but
demonstrate that they understand and
empathize with how their followers think
and feel.

Reflection question: How has a leader shown

you he/she understood you? How did this make
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 3 Healing:
● Servant leaders care about their followers’
wellness and well-being, which helps the
leader feel complete or whole.

Reflection question: How does caring about

follower well-being help to also benefit the
leader and the organization?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 4 Awareness:
● Being open and aware of environmental
factors (e.g., social, physical, political), as
well as the influence and power the
servant leader holds.

Reflection question: Why do civic leaders

need to be aware of their environments and
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 5 Persuasion:
● Having clear and assertive stances to
ethically convince others around them.

Reflection question: What is the role of

persuasion for civic leaders?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 6 Conceptualization:
● Being a visionary with strong goals and
direction.

Reflection question: Why do civic leaders

need to be able to both serve and have a strong
vision?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 7 Foresight
● Having the ability to predict future trends,
events, challenges, and opportunities.

Reflection question: Why is it important for

civic leaders to reflect upon and anticipate the
future?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 8 Stewardship
● Being responsible for-- and acting
responsibly with-- one’s own power and
leadership.

Reflection question: Why do civic leaders

need to command the trust of their followers
and community?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 9 Commitment to the growth of people
● Able to see the individual strengths,
potential, and needs of others.

Reflection question: How should civic leaders

develop their followers, in order to maximize
their human potential and ability to have
community impact?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
# 10 Building community
● Transforming individuals into a cohesive,
unified group with shared responsibilities?

Reflection question: How can civic leaders

empower and connect others without fearing for
their own positions?
10 Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
1. Listening
2. Empathy
3. Healing
4. Awareness
5. Persuasion
6. Conceptualization
7. Foresight
8. Stewardship
9. Commitment to the growth of people
10.Building community
Key Characteristics of Servant
Leaders
...

Reference: Northouse (2016, p. 230)

Model for Servant Leadership

Reference: Northouse (2016, p. 232)

Servant Leadership in the Private
Sector
The following company leaders have, at some point,
adopted a servant leadership approach:
● Starbucks
● AT&T (Telecommunications)
● The Toro Company (Garden and land care)
● Herman Miller (Furniture company)
● Synovus Financial Corporation (Financial Services and
commercial bank)
● ServiceMaster Company (Home maintenance and care)
● Men’s Wearhouse (Retail- Clothing and accessories)
● Southwest Airlines (Commercial airline)
Reference: Spears (2002); in Northouse (2016)
Strengths of Servant
Leadership
● Ethics and altruism are first and foremost.
● Uses power strategically through shared
power and influence.
● If followers are receptive, servant
leadership is effective in helping empower
followers to:
○ Work harder
○ Work more cohesively together
○ Stay longer (employee retention)
Challenges of Servant
Leadership
● Shares power, making it difficult to maintain
control.
● Easier said than done.
● Can be used to influence followers to go
towards a poor vision.
● Can get preoccupied with serving others and
less on being a leader and visionary.
● Must have a supportive culture.
● Must have dedicated, reflective leaders.
Group Reflection: Leading by Serving
Others
1. Is this a paradox: is it really possible to
both lead and serve others?
2. How can a Servant Leadership approach
best serve you as current and aspiring
civic leaders?
3. How can you apply the concepts of
Servant Leadership in your community
engagement projects and activities in
Servant Leadership Self-
Assessment
● Complete the 62-question self-assessment by Wong
and Page (2000).
● Answer honestly, as this can help you see how your
behaviors and orientations align with a Servant
Leadership approach.
● Please use the entire 1-7 scale, answering “1” if you
strongly disagree with the statement, “4” if neutral,
and “7” if you strongly agree (with other responses
in between).
● Do not score your self-assessment until all questions
Servant Leadership Resources
Presentation:
● Greenleaf (1970) - Foundation of Servant
Leadership
● Northouse (2016) - General overview
● Wong and Page (2000) - Self Assessment
Instrument
Influential Universities and Institutes:
● Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
●