With politics bombarding the public through all forms of media, it is sometimes important to discuss different leadership styles and what leaders should and should not be. Leadership should be about benefitting the group as a whole and raising the standard of living for all. One such leadership style is Servant Leadership. The term, “Servant Leadership”, was first coined by Robert Greenleaf in an essay that he published in 1970. In his essay, Greenleaf describes a servant-leader as a servant first. This is in stark contrast to what we see in the media from candidates that would say and do anything to win the votes of their constituents. Often, these people are leaders first, rather than servants first, and crave power so that they might bend others to their will.

In his essay, Greenleaf goes on to say, “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?”

UK writer, Jonathan Sandling, takes Greenleaf’s ideas a step further in his article, “The 10 Principles of Servant Leadership,” where he summarizes Greenleaf’s original essay. Sandling believes that, while Greenleaf’s essay on Servant Leadership is great in concept, it needed to be better defined and presented in a more concise manner.

According to Sandling, a servant-leader must demonstrate the 10 following qualities:

1. Listening: Servant-leaders do not tell their followers what to do, say, or think. Instead they listen with an open mind and are respectful of the needs and opinions of their followers.

2. Empathy: Servant-leaders display empathy and are able to understand their followers’ point of view. They are able to put themselves in the place of those they lead.

3. Healing: Healing refers to the holistic improvement of the group. Servant-leaders work to advance the group in all positive ways.

4. Awareness: Servant-leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and are honest about areas that need improvement. They strive to maximize their own performance and desire to be their best so that they might best serve others.

5. Persuasion: Servant-leaders are cooperative and work to persuade their followers rather than order them. They are interested in getting their followers to buy into their point of view and do not depend upon their authority to get compliance.

6. Conceptualization: Servant-leaders are able to think through problems and conceptualize real-world solutions. They have the ability to view a problem from multiple viewpoints and are able to balance problem solving with their responsibilities as leaders.

7. Foresight: Foresight is an ability of servant-leaders to learn from the past and apply that knowledge to the present and future. They are able to acquire knowledge and apply it to current and future problem solving.

8. Stewardship: Stewardship is a servant-leader’s quest to benefit the current and future members of their organization and to leave the world a better placed than they found it.

9. Commitment to the Growth of People: Servant-leaders strive to improve the overall well-being of their followers. They desire to assist them in living their best lives and become the best versions of themselves.

10. Building Community: Servant-leaders understand that a strong community is critical to success. They strive to develop strong social connections among community members and know that the good of the group depends upon its unity.

In his 1999 doctoral dissertation, James Laub, another well-known leadership studies researcher, defined Servant Leadership as an understanding and practice of leadership that places the good of those led over personal self-interest. He goes on to say, “Servant Leadership promotes the valuing and development of people, the building of community, the practice of authenticity, the providing of leadership for the good of those led and the sharing of power and status for the common good of each individual, the total organization and those served by the organization. Today’s leaders, whether in government or business, might do well to take some notes from the writings of Greenleaf and Laub. Rather than herding the masses like sheep, they should strive to work with their followers and for their followers. They should strive to place the well-being of those they lead before their own. Servant-leaders must still acknowledge power but to recognize it as not something to acquire like wealth, but the ability to act for the benefit of all.