Servant Leader: A Modern Aspect

This second week in Lent has the theme of transformation.  Sunday we had the Gospel of the transformation of Jesus, on our blog I was struck by the post about the Gift of Self in Marriage, that I thought this post from my site: Spiritual Lives Of Women would fit right in: 

Servant Leadership has become a a model of business as coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf. Mr. Greenleaf (1904–1990) was the founder of the modern Servant Leadership movement. Greenleaf was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1904. After graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota, he went to work for AT&T. For the next forty years he researched management, development, and education. All along, he felt a growing suspicion that the power-centered authoritarian leadership style so prominent in U.S. institutions was not working, and in 1964 he took an early retirement to found the Center for Applied Ethics.

Mr. Greenleaf got his inspiration from a work of fiction in which a group of men are going on a spiritual journey and to complete their quest they learned they must have full cooperation and trust among each other. This idea of cooperation and trust was one that Mr. Greenleaf saw lacking in the more traditional power based business so he created Servant Leadership as a more equable form of business management. Toms Shoes is an excellent example of this type of business model.

My hubby came home from a workshop held at his job in which servant leadership was being discussed. 
After my hubby explained his workshop material and seeing him so enthused to use it among his employees I read a little more about it and saw this concept as the perfect example of the Servant Leader we encounter over and over again in scripture; in fact it is an excellent way to view how Jesus must have been with his disciples. In fact take out the business wording and put in the word parenting and you can see how Mary must have been, and maybe this is something we can incorporate into our own Mothering/Parenting.
Here is what my hubby learned about the principles and concept of Servant Leadership:

Listening: Traditionally, and also in servant leadership, managers are required to have communication skills as well as the competence to make decisions. A servant leader has the motivation to listen actively to subordinates and support them in decision identification. The servant leader particularly needs to pay attention to what remains unspoken in the management setting. This means relying on his inner voice in order to find out what the body, mind and spirit are communicating.
Empathy: A servant leader attempts to understand and empathize with others. Workers may be considered not only as employees, but also as people who need respect and appreciation for their personal development. As a result, leadership is seen as a special type of human work, which ultimately generates a competitive advantage.
Healing: A great strength of a Servant Leader is the ability for healing one’s self and others. A servant leader tries to help people solve their problems and conflicts in relationships, because he wants to encourage and support the personal development of each individual. This leads to the formation of a business culture, in which the working environment is dynamic, fun and free of the fear of failure.
Awareness: A servant leader needs to gain general awareness and especially self-awareness. He has the ability to view situations from a more integrated, holistic position. As a result, he gets a better understanding about ethics and values.
Persuasion: A Servant Leader does not take advantage of their power and status by coercing compliance; they rather try to convince those they manage. This element distinguishes servant leadership most clearly from traditional, authoritarian models and can be traced back to the religious views of Robert Greenleaf.
Conceptualization: A servant leader thinks beyond day-to-day realities. That means he has the ability to see beyond the limits of the operating business and also focuses on long term operating goals. A Leader constructs a personal vision that only he can develop by reflecting on the meaning of life. As a result, he derives specific goals and implementation strategies.
Foresight: Foresight is the ability to foresee the likely outcome of a situation. It enables the servant leader to learn about the past and to achieve a better understanding about the current reality. It also enables the servant leader to identify consequences about the future. This characteristic is closely related to conceptualization.
Stewardship: CEOs, staffs and trustees have the task to hold their institution in trust for the greater good of society. In conclusion, servant leadership is seen as an obligation to help and serve others. Openness and persuasion are more important than control.
Commitment to the growth of people: A servant leader is convinced that people have an intrinsic value beyond their contributions as workers. Therefore, she should nurture the personal, professional and spiritual growth of employees. For example, she spends money for the personal and professional development of the people who make up her organization. The servant leader will also encourage the ideas of everyone and involve workers in decision making.
Building community: A servant leader identifies means to build a strong community within his organization and wants to develop a true community among businesses and institutions.