10 Principles of SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Summary

In this video, Jonathan Sandling discusses the 10 principles of servant leadership, a concept introduced by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. The principles include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Sandling explains how servant leadership challenges traditional hierarchical models by placing leaders in a supportive role, emphasizing the importance of enriching individual lives and creating a more caring world.

Takeaways

• 📚 Servant leadership was introduced by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, emphasizing a philosophy that enriches lives and fosters a caring world.
• 🔄 It challenges traditional leadership by placing the leader in a supportive role at the base of the organizational pyramid, serving others.
• 👂 Listening is the first principle, highlighting the importance of active and respectful listening to understand and act upon received information.
• 🌟 Empathy is crucial for servant leaders to understand their team's strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and personal preferences.
• 🩹 Healing involves addressing holistic well-being through coaching, mentoring, and creating positive work environments.
• 👁️ Awareness is key for servant leaders to understand their own and their team's strengths, weaknesses, and the broader cultural context.
• ✋ Persuasion in servant leadership is about gaining followers through collaboration and shared vision rather than coercion.
• 🌐 Conceptualization is the ability to envision and articulate the future direction of the organization and its alignment with current activities.
• 🔮 Foresight allows servant leaders to learn from past experiences, understand current realities, and predict future outcomes.
• 🛠 Stewardship is about guiding an organization ethically and authentically, ensuring it contributes positively to society.
• 🌱 Commitment to the growth of people is central to servant leadership, focusing on both personal and professional development.
• 🏘️ Building community is fundamental, with servant leaders aiming to create cohesive teams through trust and a shared ambitious vision.

Q & A

What is the core concept of servant leadership as proposed by Robert Greenleaf?

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. It rethinks the hierarchical model of leadership by placing the leader in a supporting and serving position at the bottom of the pyramid.

How does servant leadership differ from traditional leadership models?

Traditional leadership models place the leader at the top of the hierarchy with authority and power. Servant leadership, in contrast, flips this model, positioning the leader at the bottom to serve and support others, emphasizing the value of service over authority.

Why is listening considered a crucial skill in servant leadership?

Listening is central to servant leadership because it allows leaders to actively and respectfully hear others, which is essential for understanding their needs and acting on the received information. It's an overlooked skill that is vital for effective communication and leadership.

What role does empathy play in the context of servant leadership?

Empathy in servant leadership is about getting to know the team's strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and motivations. It enables leaders to serve and support their team members more effectively by understanding their individual experiences and needs.

Can you explain the concept of 'healing' in servant leadership?

In servant leadership, 'healing' refers to addressing the holistic well-being of individuals, which can be achieved through coaching, mentoring, and a relationship-oriented leadership style. It involves creating positive work environments and providing support to help people manage stress and difficulties.

How is 'awareness' important for a servant leader?

Awareness is crucial for servant leaders as it involves understanding one's own strengths, weaknesses, and the environment, as well as those of the team. This self-awareness and environmental awareness help in serving, supporting, managing, and leading the team more effectively.

What does persuasion in servant leadership entail?

Persuasion in servant leadership is about gaining followers through influence and collaboration rather than coercion. It means leaders want people to follow them because they believe in the vision, not because they have to.

Why is 'conceptualization' a key ability for servant leaders?

Conceptualization allows servant leaders to have a clear understanding of the future direction of the organization and how current activities align with that vision. It helps in providing direction and ensuring that the organization moves towards its long-term goals.

How does 'foresight' contribute to effective servant leadership?

Foresight enables servant leaders to learn from past experiences, understand current realities, and anticipate future outcomes. It involves reflective practices to inform decisions and is crucial for making well-informed choices that benefit the organization.

What is the significance of 'stewardship' in the context of servant leadership?

Stewardship in servant leadership is about guiding an organization for the greater good of society. It implies that leaders have a responsibility to ensure their institutions work ethically and authentically, focusing on more than just profits.

Why is 'commitment to the growth of people' a central pillar of servant leadership?

Servant leaders believe in the intrinsic value of people beyond their work contributions. They are deeply committed to the personal and professional growth of individuals, ensuring their welfare and well-being, which is a fundamental aspect of servant leadership.

How does 'building community' fit into the principles of servant leadership?

Building community is fundamental to servant leadership as it involves creating and synthesizing social and task-oriented communities. This is achieved through trust, a shared vision, and strong team cohesion, which are essential for the success of any organization.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Servant Leadership Principles

The video introduces the concept of servant leadership, a philosophy that prioritizes enriching the lives of individuals and building better organizations. It was first proposed by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 and challenges the traditional hierarchical leadership model by placing the leader in a supportive role at the bottom of the pyramid. The video outlines ten principles of servant leadership, starting with listening and empathy, which are crucial for effective communication and understanding team dynamics. Healing is discussed as a holistic process that involves coaching and mentoring to support individuals through personal and professional challenges. Awareness is highlighted as a key quality for leaders to understand themselves, their teams, and the broader work environment. Persuasion is presented as a means for leaders to gain followers through collaboration rather than coercion, ensuring a shared belief in the vision and objectives.

05:00

🔮 Deep Dive into Servant Leadership's Core Principles

Conceptualization is emphasized as the ability of leaders to envision the future direction of their organization, providing clarity and purpose. Foresight allows servant leaders to learn from past experiences, understand current realities, and anticipate future outcomes, which is crucial for informed decision-making. Stewardship is defined as the responsibility of leaders to guide their institutions for the greater good of society, focusing on ethical leadership beyond profit. The commitment to the growth of people is central to servant leadership, with leaders prioritizing the personal and professional development of their team members. Building community is the final principle, where servant leaders work to create cohesive and effective teams through trust and a shared vision. The video concludes with resources for viewers to assess and develop their own servant leadership skills, including a self-assessment questionnaire and a detailed article on the subject.

Keywords

💡Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy that emphasizes the importance of serving others before oneself. In the video, it is defined by Robert Greenleaf as a set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals and builds better organizations. The concept is central to the video's theme, as it is the foundation upon which the 10 principles are built. The video discusses how servant leadership rethinks the traditional hierarchical model by placing the leader in a supportive, serving role.

💡Listening

Listening is the first principle of servant leadership mentioned in the video. It refers to the ability to actively and respectfully listen to others, which is crucial for effective communication. The video emphasizes that while many are good at talking, listening is often overlooked. In the context of servant leadership, listening is key to understanding the needs of others and serving them better.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In servant leadership, empathy is about getting to know one's team on a deeper level, recognizing their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. The video illustrates that by understanding team members, a leader can serve and support them more effectively.

💡Healing

Healing in the context of servant leadership is about creating a holistically positive environment that addresses not just physical health but also emotional and psychological well-being. The video suggests that servant leaders can provide healing through coaching, mentoring, and by fostering a supportive work culture that helps manage stress and anxiety.

💡Awareness

Awareness is the quality of being conscious of and understanding one's own strengths, weaknesses, and the environment. The video explains that servant leaders have a good awareness of themselves and their team, which is essential for personal growth and effective leadership. It also extends to being aware of the broader cultural and environmental factors within the workplace.

💡Persuasion

Persuasion in servant leadership is about gaining followers through influence and collaboration rather than coercion. The video highlights that servant leaders aim to have people follow them because they want to, not because they have to. This principle is linked to the idea of creating a shared belief in the vision and objectives of the organization.

💡Conceptualization

Conceptualization refers to the ability to form a coherent idea or framework about the future direction of an organization. In the video, it is mentioned as a key aspect of servant leadership, where leaders must have a clear vision of where they and their organization are headed to provide effective guidance and direction.

💡Foresight

Foresight is the ability to anticipate future outcomes based on past experiences and current realities. The video explains that servant leaders use foresight to learn from past decisions and to inform future ones. This involves reflective practices, which are emphasized as important for leaders to allocate time for in their schedules.

💡Stewardship

Stewardship in servant leadership is about guiding an organization with a focus on the greater good of society. The video mentions that servant leaders should be ethical and authentic, and not solely focused on profits. This principle aligns with the idea that leaders have a responsibility to ensure their institutions contribute positively to society.

💡Commitment to Growth

Commitment to the growth of people is a central pillar of servant leadership. The video explains that servant leaders believe in the intrinsic value of individuals beyond their work contributions. They are dedicated to the personal and professional development of their team members, ensuring their welfare and well-being.

💡Building Community

Building community is about creating strong, cohesive teams and social structures. The video describes how servant leaders aim to develop communities that are both socially and task-oriented, fostering trust and a shared vision. This principle is integral to servant leadership as it emphasizes the importance of team cohesion and collective success.

Highlights

Servant leadership was first proposed by Robert Greenleaf in 1970.

Servant leadership is a philosophy that enriches lives and creates a more just and caring world.

It rethinks the hierarchical model of leadership by placing the leader in a serving position.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Anybody can be great because everyone can serve.'

Greenleaf proposed ten principles to become an effective servant leader.

The first principle is listening, which is central to servant leadership.

Empathy allows servant leaders to understand their team's strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes.

Healing involves creating positive work environments to support team members holistically.

Awareness is key for understanding oneself and the team for personal growth and development.

Persuasion is about gaining followers through collaboration rather than coercion.

Conceptualization is the ability to envision the future direction of the organization.

Foresight helps leaders understand past lessons, present realities, and future outcomes.

Stewardship is about guiding an organization for the greater good of society.

Commitment to the growth of people is central to servant leadership.

Building community is fundamental to servant leadership, focusing on team cohesion and trust.

A free downloadable self-assessment questionnaire is available for assessing servant leadership skills.

The video offers additional resources for exploring servant leadership in more detail.

Transcripts

in this video i'm going to be talking

about the 10 principles of servant

leadership

listening empathy healing awareness

persuasion conceptualization

foresight stewardship commitment to the

growth of people and building community

so without further ado let's do

my name is jonathan sandling if you're

new to my channel welcome if you're

returning to my channel

welcome back servant leadership was

first proposed by robert greenleaf in

1970

in his book entitled the servant as

leader and what better way to define

servant leadership than to use

greenleaf's very own definition

servant leadership is a philosophy and

set of practices that enrich the lives

of individuals builds better

organizations and ultimately creates a

more just and caring world

servant leadership completely rethinks

the hierarchical model of leadership and

turns it on its head the traditional

hierarchical model of leadership

sees the leader at the top of the

pyramid in a position of authority and

power

whereas servant leadership flips this

concept upside down placing the leader

at the bottom of the pyramid in a more

supporting serving position

and as martin luther king jr said

anybody can be great

because everyone can serve and greenleaf

proposed ten principles to help people

become

effective servant leaders number one

listening

communication is a two-way process most

people are very good at doing the

talking bit but not very good at doing

the listening bit

effective servant leaders are able to

actively listen intently and

respectfully to others

and act in a meaningful way on the

information they receive in my

experience listening is a hugely

overlooked skill

you very rarely hear people say i'm

going to go and work on my listening

skills it doesn't ever happen

but people need to be doing that

listening is central to servant

leadership and central to effective

communication

number two empathy servant leaders are

able to effectively empathize with

others

and empathy in leadership can be quite a

complex topic but in the context of

servant leadership

it's ultimately about getting to know

your team what are their strengths and

weaknesses what are their likes and

dislikes what motivates them servant

leadership is all about serving and

supporting so the better you know your

team the better you can serve and

support them

number three healing we're not really

referring to healing someone physically

from an illness we're talking about

healing on a more holistic level

and this can be achieved through

coaching mentoring and a more

relationship orientated leadership style

people will experience difficulties in

work and outside of work which create

stress and anxiety and make their lives

difficult to manage

servant leaders have the ability to

identify these issues and provide

healing

through creating positive work

environments creating value for

employers

making people feel valued and giving

people the tools they need to succeed

number four awareness having a good

awareness of yourself and others

is a quality that is often seen in

effective servant leaders understanding

your own strengths and talents and your

own weaknesses and errors for

improvement is essential for your own

personal growth and development as a

leader

and the same goes for understanding the

strengths and weaknesses and talents and

errors for development of your team

both as a collective team and as

individuals within your team

awareness also extends to the wider

culture environment

atmosphere that's occurring in the

workplace or in the area you're leading

having an awareness of the environment

you're functioning in your own qualities

and the qualities of your team can

greatly help you to serve support

manage and lead that team forwards

number five

persuasion a key feature of servant

leadership is that they gain followers

through persuasion and collaboration

as opposed to other styles of leadership

which are more associated with power

authority and coercion in other words a

servant leader would want people to want

to follow them

not feel that they have to follow them

this ensures that everyone has a true

sincere belief in the vision and the

future ambitions and objectives of what

is trying to be achieved

number six conceptualization as a leader

you need to have a clear understanding

where you

and your organization are heading in the

future without this clarity there will

be a lack of direction

and vision servant leaders have the

ability to conceptualize the situations

they find themselves in and this is in

relation to the future outlook and the

current day-to-day activities

number seven foresight foresight is a

characteristic that enables servant

leaders to understand lessons learnt

from the past the realities of the

present day

and the likely outcome of any future

decisions servant leaders are highly

reflective of past experiences

and can reflect on the outcomes of prior

decisions to inform the likely outcomes

of future decisions foresight doesn't

always come naturally to every leader

and very few leaders factor in

reflective time within their schedules

so it's important to allocate

specific points in the week the month or

the day where you can sit

and reflect on past experiences and

future potential decisions

number eight stewardship stewardship is

about a leader guiding an institution or

organization

throughout their journey and robert

greenleaf believed that all leaders of

all institutions had a responsibility

to ensure their institution worked for

the greater good of society

so servant leaders should be ethical

authentic

and focus on more than just profits in

other words servant leaders should be

demonstrating

decency in leadership number nine

commitment to the growth of people

servant leaders believe that people have

an intrinsic value

beyond simply the work that they do

servant leaders lead with a deep

commitment to both the personal and

professional growth of any individual

they're dealing with

ensuring staff welfare and well-being is

a major consideration for servant

leaders in fact

this principle can be found in a number

of other principles such as awareness

and healing

making the commitment to the growth of

people a central pillar of servant

leadership

number 10 building community developing

and building an effective community

is fundamental to servant leadership

servant leaders aim to create

and synthesize social and task

orientated communities

establishing strong team cohesion is an

important component for servant leaders

and this can be achieved through

enhanced trust and an ambitious vision

if you're interested in assessing and

developing your own servant leadership

skills i've created a free

downloadable self-assessment

questionnaire it's a 28

item questionnaire with auto-generated

results and there's a link in the

description

should you wish to complete it there's

also a link in the description below to

my website article which explores the

concept of servant leadership

and the 10 principles in a bit more

detail so go and check that out

if you enjoyed this video please

consider giving the like button a jolly

good tap

and why not hit that bloody subscribe

button

i've created other videos about

leadership and some other stuff so why

not

check these out my name's jonathan

sandling that's all for now