Transcript SERVANT LEADERSHIP: AN EXAMINATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL

Improving Schools through Building
Meaningful Relationships:
Administrators Modeling and Teaching Servant
Leadership
Matt Stephen, Ed.D.
Can you remember your K-12 teachers?
Is there one special teacher you will never forget?
Why is that?
Are there teachers you have forgotten?
Why?
IT IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
What is Your Leadership Style?
“I don’t know”
“I haven’t thought about that.”
Our leadership style serves to guide every
thought and action employed with
students each day, and the choice of
leadership style will greatly determine our
success or failure in the school setting.
Leadership Style Determines
Classroom and School Climate
“I have come to the frightening conclusion,
I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or
joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decide whether a crisis
Will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized.”
Between Teacher and Child
Haim G. Ginott (1922-73)
Teacher, child psychologist and psychotherapist
If School success is all about relationships...
and
leadership style controls thoughts and actions
of leaders…
then
What leadership style is best at building
relationships?
Servant
Leadership
What is Servant leadership?
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Laub took servant leadership beyond a simple
definition of leadership style when he stated,
“Servant leadership is more than a style of
leadership. It is a different way of thinking about the
purpose of leadership, the true role of a leader, and
the potential of those being led.” Laub also stated,
“Servant leadership is an understanding and practice
of leadership that places the good of those led over
the self-interest of the leader.”
Laub, J. A. (1999). Assessing the servant organization: Development of the servant
organizational leadership assessment (sola) instrument. Dissertation Abstracts International,
60 (02), 308A. (UMI No. 9921922)

"Service brings us joy…In service, we discover
profound happiness."
Margaret J. Wheatley
"Spirituality in Turbulent Times: Leadership Dilemmas Can Only Be Answered Through Spiritual and
Philosophical Traditions"
School Administrator, Sept. 2002
A Brief History of Servant Leadership Theory
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Robert K. Greenleaf (The Father of Modern Servant Leadership)
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Greenleaf is widely recognized as the one who coined the term, servant leadership.
Greenleaf spent 40 years at AT&T as a manager of research, development and
education. Upon retirement, Greenleaf spent the next 25 years in a pursuit of
creating a better, more caring society. Greenleaf remarked that he had great concern
for leadership in America, “the outlook for better leadership in our leadership-poor
society is not encouraging.” Greenleaf founded the Center for Applied Ethics in 1964
which was renamed the Robert K. Greenleaf Center in 1985 (www.greenleaf.org)
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Greenleaf stated in his 1970 ground-breaking essay for servant leadership entitled,
The Servant as Leader, “The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the
natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings
one to aspire to lead.”
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.
History of Servant Leadership Theory

Larry C. Spears
Spears became CEO of the Greenleaf Center shortly
before Greenleaf’s death on September 29, 1990.
Spears defined servant leadership as a leadership
style based upon teamwork, sense of community,
participative decision-making, strong ethical and caring
behavior, and concern for growth of people.
Spears, L. C. (1996). Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf and servant leadership. Leadership &
Organization Development Journal, 17, 33-35.
Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership
Spears (1996)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Listening – Servant leaders’ communication skills are enhanced through a
deep commitment to listening intently to the followers. Servant leaders seek
to identify and clarify the will of the group. Receptive listening and reflection
are essential to the growth of a servant leader.
Empathy – Servant leaders strive to understand and empathize with others.
They accept and recognize followers for their unique spirits; and they assume
others have good intentions, even if they disagree with behavior or
performance.
Healing – Servant leaders are adept at healing others as well as themselves.
They help make others whole by facilitating the healing of broken spirits.
Servant leaders share with followers the search for wholeness.
Awareness – Servant leaders exhibit a general awareness of what is
happening in the organization. They possess a keen sense of self-awareness
and an understanding of issues involving ethics and values. Servant leaders
are often described as disturbers and awakeners.
Persuasion – Servant leaders employ persuasion rather than position
authority when making decisions within the organization. They prefer to
convince rather than coerce followers. Servant leaders are very effective with
building consensus within the group.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Conceptualization – Servant leaders do not deal only with short-term goals
and thinking. They are able to stretch their thinking to encompass broaderbased conceptual thinking. Servant leaders can nurture the abilities of others
to “dream great dreams” and to think beyond day-to-day realities.
Foresight – Servant leaders are capable of understanding lessons from the
past, seeing the realities of the present, and predicting likely consequences
of decisions. They are adept at intuitive thinking.
Stewardship – Servant leaders are dedicated to holding their institutions in
trust for the greater good of society. They are committed to serving the needs
of others.
Commitment to the Growth of People – Servant leaders believe in the
intrinsic value of people beyond their tangible contributions as workers. They
feel responsible for nurturing the personal, professional and spiritual growth
of employees.
Building Community – Servant leaders are dedicated to rebuilding the
sense of community that has been lost with the shift to large institutions.
Seven Virtuous Constructs of Servant Leadership
Patterson (2003)
Patterson, K. A. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model. Servant Leadership Roundtable. Regent University School
of Leadership Studies, Virginia Beach, VA.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Agapao Love – Love is the cornerstone of the servant leader-follower relationship. Servant leaders see
followers as whole persons with different gifts and talents. They are able to focus on followers first, then
on their talents and how those talents benefit the organization.
Humility – Servant leaders are able to keep their accomplishments and talents in perspective. They
focus on others rather than themselves. Servant leaders have an authentic desire to help others, and
they search for ways to serve others through staying in touch with their followers.
Altruism – Servant leaders help others just for the sake of helping. They have an unselfish concern for
others which often involves personal sacrifice. Servant leaders’ behaviors are directed toward the
benefit of others even when those behaviors are against their own personal interests.
Vision – Servant leaders have a vision for their individual followers. They help others to see the big
picture by enabling them to develop a clear sense of purpose and direction. Servant leaders develop
within others the mission to serve and encourage followers to become more than they thought possible.
Trust – Servant leaders develop trust through demonstrating integrity and concern for others. They
create open environments where everyone has a voice and they work collaboratively.
Empowerment – Servant leaders empower others with the best interest of those being served in mind.
They teach and develop people as leaders through shared decision-making and shared responsibility.
Servant leaders make it a priority to grow new servant leaders.
Service – Servant leaders choose the interests of others over self-interests. They see leadership as a
calling - a life mission. Servant leaders accept the responsibility for serving others; and they are
committed to an authentic, personal involvement with followers through the giving or their time, energy,
care, and compassion.
Page and Wong’s
7 Servant Leadership Traits
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Empowering and Developing Others
Vulnerability/Humility
Serving Others
Open, Participatory Leadership
Visionary Leadership
Courageous Leadership
(Integrity/Authenticity)
Inspiring Leadership
Spears’ 10 Characteristics of
Servant Leaders (1996)
Patterson’s 7 Virtuous
Constructs of Servant
Leadership (2003)
Page & Wong’s 7 Factors of
Servant Leadership (2003)
Commitment to Growth of People
Empowerment
Empowering and Developing Others
Empathy
Humility
Vulnerability/Humility
Healing
Stewardship
Agapao Love
Service
Serving Others
Listening
Building Community
Open, Participatory Leadership
Conceptualization
Foresight
Vision
Visionary Leadership
Awareness
Altruism
Courageous Leadership
(Integrity/Authenticity)
Persuasion
Trust
Inspiring Leadership
Seven Factors of Servant
Leadership
Personal Character
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2.
3.
4.
Humility
Serving Others
Courageous Leadership (Integrity)
Visionary Leadership
Interaction with Others
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5.
6.
7.
Empowering and Developing Others
Open, Participatory Leadership
Inspirational Leadership
Why Servant Leadership?
According to the research:
 Climate
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Academic Success
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strong relationship between servant leadership
and positive school climate.
schools with greater practices of servant
leadership achieve at a higher rate than schools
with lower degrees of servant leadership practice.
Job Satisfaction
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strong relationship between servant leadership
and job satisfaction.
Why Servant Leadership?
Teachers are servant leaders themselves,
and they prefer to follow other servant
leaders.
According to Greenleaf, servant leaders want to be led by servant
leaders. He stated, “Those who choose to follow this principle
(servant leadership) will not casually accept the authority of existing
institutions. Rather, they will freely respond only to individuals who
are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted as
servants.”
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist
Press.
Factor #1
Humility
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“Who am I?” Self-reflection as a tool for personal growth
Humble Character
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Providing a role model of Humble Leadership
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Absence of ego, jealousy, and self-promotion
Putting needs of others first
Team membership (walk and talk)
Elevating and praising others
Mentoring others in humility and self-reflection
How does humility help a leader build relationships?
Factor #2
Serving Others
Personal Mission of Serving Others
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Servant role and attitude – Master vs. Servant
Leadership
Living and articulating a personal mission of service
Mission as a motivator and stress reliever
Nurturing and Healing Others
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Listening
Empathy
Sacrifice
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Living a life of giving to others
Balancing personal and professional life
Factor #3
Courageous Leadership
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Integrity
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Examining one’s integrity – values, beliefs, and guiding principles
“Character is made in the small moments of our lives.” Phillips Brooks
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Actions of high integrity leaders – taking the high road
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Integrity killers
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Authenticity
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Genuine leadership
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Admitting to mistakes and asking forgiveness
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Awareness
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Self-awareness and awareness of others
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Building a purposeful reputation
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Understanding issues involving ethical dilemmas
Factor #4
Visionary Leadership
Conceptualization
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Seeing the big picture and dreaming great dreams
Reflecting on the organization beyond day-to-day
issues
Foresight
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Leader intuition
Vision
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Providing direction and purpose for
people/organization
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Articulating personal vision
Creating a shared vision and buy-in from the team
Navigating an organization through shared vision
Factor #5
Empowering and
Developing Others
Connecting with Others
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Getting to know and understand one another on a personal
level
Getting to know and understand one another on a
professional level
Building long-lasting relationships
Commitment to the Growth of Others
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Making a commitment to grow others
How to help others grow
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John C. Maxwell’s Enlarging Process
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See potential
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Cast a vision for their future
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Tap into their passions
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Address their character flaws
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Focus on their strengths
Empowering and
Developing Others
Professional and Personal Development
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Focusing on the needs of those in the organization personal, professional, and spiritual
Learning for continuous improvement
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Fighting isolation
Creating professional learning communities
Growing New Leaders
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Providing a model for servant leadership
Mentoring new leaders
Delegating
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Matching abilities and interests to tasks
Sharing power
Factor #6
Open, Participatory Leadership
Effective Communications in an Organization
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Listening
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Listening to individuals
Listening to the will of the group
Promoting kindness, trust, honesty, and openness in all
interactions
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Setting high standards for self and others
Promoting vital conversations in organizations
Dealing with confrontations
Visibility and Accessibility
Building Cooperative and Collegial Teams
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Shared decision-making and shared power
Trust building
Building positive culture
Factor #7
Inspiring Leadership
Influencing Others
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Persuasion vs. position authority
Becoming a leader of influence (John C. Maxwell)
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Getting others to embrace the vision and mission
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Getting the Best from Others
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What makes a leader inspiring
Visionary Leadership + Courageous Leadership = Inspiring Leadership
“Power is created when individuals perceive that their leaders are honorable, so they trust
them, are inspired by them, believe deeply in the goals communicated by them, and desire
to be led.” Stephen Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership
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Connecting with, believing in, and motivating people
Optimism
Celebrating
Three Point Sermon on
Servant Leadership
Personal Character
Connecting with People
Service Attitude
Questions to Ask Ourselves
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Teachers: How can I best serve my
kids?
Principals: How can I best serve the
servant leaders who serve my kids?
Support: How can I best serve the
servant leaders who serve the servant
leaders who serve my kids?
To Promote Building Relationships
in Schools
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We must live and model servant
leadership traits.
We must hold high expectations for
others to live and model servant
leadership traits and hold them
accountable.
The Lighthouse
She is larger than life and awe inspiring
as she stands firmly on the ground.
She slings her light out into the darkness
turning the lost into the found.
Dependable, patient, stalwart and sturdy
are some words used to express her charm.
She is a beacon of light guiding ships in the night
providing direction and protection from harm.
She guides others on their adventures
some never to return, their futures skillfully erected.
She never abandons her post, she always remains
behind
with no accolades expected.
It is often a thankless job.......
Yet, she is ever faithful to her mission of serving
others.
Please forgive me for getting deep or profound
like some philosopher or preacher,
but it seems to me that you could drop the word
“lighthouse”
and insert the word “teacher.”
Dumbest Words Ever Spoken:
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach”
Saddest Words Ever Spoken:
“I am just a teacher.”
Teachers are Heroes
Teachers are Famous
Definition of “Famous”
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Webster’s Dictionary
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Well-known
Wide-spread Reputation
Celebrated
Servant leadership is not easy,
but it is worth doing right!
Mission as a motivator
and stress reliever
www.ServantLeadersInEducation.com
Please go online and check out further
resources on servant leadership for
educators.
Matt Stephen, Ed.D.
[email protected]
[email protected]