Natalie A. Price
Point University
BUSI 542: Servant Leadership Theory & Development
June 25, 2023
Abstract
Servant leadership theory is one of many effective approaches to leadership. While the theory has its criticisms, characteristics of a servant leader are applicable to the author’s personal leadership model. Personal context, including worldviews and work experience inform the leader’s understanding of servant leadership. To strengthen the effectiveness of the model, the author will outline a strategy for implementation and identify forecasting considerations.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP INFLUENCES: A Personal Leadership Model
For the past seven years, I have had the privilege of serving at Chick-fil-A both in the restaurant and remotely. In my tenure, I have concluded that there is no better place for me to build character and learn about leadership than my small corner of Chick-fil-A at 124th & Capitol. In a company built on Christian principles, aspects of servant leadership are weaved throughout our mission in the restaurant industry (CFA Properties, Inc., 2023) The cultural heartbeat of our brand is to leave people better than we found them (Spears and Lawrence, 2002). Three ideas related to servant leadership theory that influence my approach to leadership are listening, empathy, and foresight (Greenleaf and Spears, 2012). Servant leadership is helping me build a framework around how I, as a leader, can help the people I lead find meaningful work even in the small, mundane tasks that are daily and constant (Kauppila et al., 2018).
Servant Leadership Defined & Criticisms
The dichotomy of servant leadership is that “leadership” is often depicted as large and powerful, while “servant” is considered as a lower and lesser position. Robert K. Greenleaf (2012), upon presenting the term “servant-leader” in 1970, reversed the hierarchy by encouraging people to have a serve-first mindset. A servant leader is someone who, though in charge, focuses on the needs of his followers first and foremost. The intention is for those being served by the leader to experience personal and professional growth that influences them to in turn serve others. This not only affects the organizations where servant leadership is practiced but also the greater community (pp. 26-27).
Greenleaf identified ten key attributes that embody servant leadership, including qualities that also show strength and steadiness, such as persuasion and building community (Spears and Lawrence, 2002). When I think of “servant”, I do not immediately think of influence. The words, “sacrifice”, “humble”, and “meek” come to mind. The idea of a servant carrying most of the workload without expectation of recognition to support a grander goal supports what I originally knew to be true of servant leadership. However, under Greenleaf’s model, a servant leader, by putting others first empowers them to action. That is influence. The purpose of serving first as a leader is to give opportunities to followers based on their needs. This provides employees fulfillment, which in turn benefits the rest of the organization (Carroll, 2022).
At its best, applying servant leadership theory is having a, “what about you?” mindset towards others. Learning to focus attention on followers opens a leader’s mind and creativity to new ideas. When connection and collaboration occur between leader and follower, it creates buy-in. Leaders can empower their followers, help maximize their contributions to the team, and create a lasting emotional impact in their lives (Gandolfi and Stone, 2018; Spears and Lawrence, 2002.
Three challenges I see with the servant leadership model are related to the leader’s personal life, remote work, and the follower’s ultimate perception. Research has shown that integrating servant leadership with healthy family life is challenging. Conflict can arise for employees who are motivated to serve their families first before their co-workers. They are less inclined to put work before family life. On the contrary, leaders can be more motivated to serve at work because of the measurable impact that is easier to see in the workplace than at home (Stollberger et al., 2019).
For example, a missionary doctor serving in a foreign country could see the immediate impact of saving a person’s life, both physically and spiritually. The saved person could very likely be inspired to give his life to serve others after such an experience. Once at home, the missionary may struggle to see the fruit in serving his argumentative children in a way that makes them want to be obedient and serve each other. Servant leadership requires intentionality and focus on others’ needs, often fragmenting a leader’s priorities and thwarting a healthy work-life balance. This burdens the leader, who serves out of an unhealthy place with less impact (Li et al., 2023).
In today’s digital context, remote work has become more prevalent. What does not always translate through email and varying virtual communication channels is body language and nonverbals (Singfiel, 2018). New co-workers meeting for the first time over a screen may struggle to not only connect, but tone, emphasis, and eye contact can all be lost in translation, too. What the digital age and a global pandemic have simultaneously produced is a life built on convenience. It has also produced social anxiety, burnout, and an endless list of health concerns that get in the way of human connection (Brown, 2018).
Servant leadership depends on an organic connection. Jon Acuff has recently said, “Accidental community is over, the future is intentional (Thomas & Goff, 2023, 31:50).” In other words, water-cooler conversation in the office is dying out. How then, can a servant leader not only grow followers but connect with them to focus on what matters to them? To date, there is no “applicable” research to know how to apply this well in a remote context. With only intentionality to rely on, the leader is at the mercy of their followers to receive their efforts well (Gandolfi and Stone, 2018, p. 265).
A final criticism of servant leadership is articulated best by Jeff Singfiel (2018) who writes, “Service is what the follower experiences, not what the leader intends (p. 74).” Ultimately, servant leadership is not up to the leader to determine. The leader’s effort can then only be measured by the follower’s perception. This makes servant leadership hard to measure because unresearched followers can determine servant leadership to mean anything to them. Further, the needs of the person may not be what is best for the organization. Servant leaders are required to model positive attributes, but an unhealthy follower is not held accountable in the same way.
Transformational leadership takes servant leadership a step further because it inspires individuals to buy into a team-oriented culture. “Mission becomes king” instead (Kelly, 2021). James MacGregor Burns argued in his definition of transformational leadership that the relationship between leader and follower can be mutually beneficial. Under this collaboration, both parties can grow with an “iron sharpens iron” posture (Stewart, 2006). “Serving first” is one approach to leadership that becomes even more impactful, measurable, and applicable when layered with models like transformational leadership.
Personal Leadership Model
The foundation for my personal leadership model has been culminated by who I have been influenced by and through experiences that have built character in me (Bailey, 2021). My grandfather was the senior pastor at our church when I was young and shared the pulpit with my dad, the associate pastor. My grandpa chose to retire from pastoral ministry early so that my dad could lead the church as a younger leader with a fresh vision. Two and a half decades later, my dad did the same for a younger generation of pastors, stepping down from his senior position to take on a supportive role.
I watched two generations of leaders in my family yield to God’s spiritual authority by listening to his voice and using foresight to discern what to do with what they heard. This significantly influenced both my faith and leadership.Through family modeling, my faith in Jesus Christ became real to me at eleven years old led to my decision to be baptized. In the years following my adolescence, I had a series of encounters with Jesus that changed the way I saw the world and viewed people. One of the ways I experienced Jesus was in the hallways of my high school and the small corners of my job as a shampoo girl in an upscale salon.
As a minority in my high school, I learned to see people as individually unique and special in God’s eyes through my own experience of being different. Even as I often felt misunderstood, Jesus wanted to teach me something. Across the ticker of my mind as I walked to class one morning came the word “others”. Over time, my eyes were opened to see that other people felt overlooked, too. Questions became a way to connect. I made it a mission to be not only inclusive of, but curious about, others. Kids that struggled to fit in came to my mind and I found ways to notice them. This focus on others through Jesus not only cured much of my self-pity and loneliness but helped me listen to and empathize with other people’s stories first.
At the salon, I was often the last person to leave, finishing tasks like folding towels and washing hair color out of the sink. It was during those quiet nights alone that I began to sense the Lord’s presence with me even as I swept hair from the floor. The power of doing things with Jesus changed my heart to want to serve others. As I began to learn how to discern his voice, I found purpose and joy in the small, mundane tasks only Jesus saw. It was his foresight and his direction that helped me to see ordinary moments in light of eternity.
As I stepped into my leadership role at Chick-fil-A, focusing on others first as a partnership with Jesus became foundational to how I view leadership. I learned that sin turns us inward, but life in Jesus Christ turns us outward (Galatians 2:20, English Standard Version Bible, 2009). My title at Chick-fil-A is Executive Coordinator, where I serve on our executive leadership team assisting the owner/operator while holding my own responsibilities. I work remotely five days a week and commute an hour into the restaurant once a week for meetings. Among my varying responsibilities, my primary focus is on human resources. I am most passionate about helping people become aware of their underlying motivations, strengths, and frustrations through leadership development.
I have defined my personal leadership model around three servant leadership attributes which are listening, empathy, and foresight (Greenleaf and Spears, 2012). In my experience, most people are unsure of how to process what they think or feel because they are not used to recurrently being asked about themselves. Compounded over time, unprocessed thoughts and emotions create anxiety, inner tension, and unidentified forms of shame. Knowing this, I want to listen to understand people with my whole heart (Brown, 2019). The people I work with are hungry for authenticity and want to be appreciated for who they are both inside and outside of work (Kauppila et al., 2018).
Servant leadership helps me apply this to my personal model because connecting with others starts with listening and understanding people’s stories. Extending empathy helps me relate to their experience. These ideas give breathing room for meaningful work to inspire team members because they feel supported first (Hartnell et al., 2023). My mission as a leader is to walk with leaders toward transformative self-development for healthier leadership influence at Chick-fil-A. This requires foresight and the ability to understand the trajectory of what is ahead. My leadership stance is servant leadership, while my overall leadership style identifies more with transformational leadership (Echols, 2009).
Strategy for Workplace Implementation
There are several ways I have tried to quietly apply servant leadership to my workplace context using my personal model. Even on the days when I do not feel understood or noticed, I try to notice someone else on the team. My strategy is to understand people and their underlying motivation by trying to get to know their heart and intentions. I try to ask questions such as, “How can I help you flourish?”, “How are you?”, What are you working on and how can I help?” The notes app on my phone is becoming a helpful resource to keep the people I have in mind visible to me.
Listening well, as Edgar Schein outlines, starts with having a humble curiosity about others (Schein and Schein, 2021). Listening creates an environment where employees feel like their ideas matter because the leader positively reinforces that they are a person who matters. To ask questions without a critical spirit creates trust and psychological safety (Khan, 2023). It takes patience, personal development, and practice for a leader to consistently listen without judgment (Worthington, 2021). Beyond making an employee feel understood, a pivotal part of leadership is the ability to take the information and provide solutions to them (Echols, 2009).
Empathy helps others process what they think and feel. Greenleaf (2012) used the word “acceptance” interchangeably with empathy. Relating to others and acknowledging their experiences helps to reduce the anxiety of having to be perfect or perform. Jesus modeled both accepting others and how to process human emotions in a healthy capacity (Greenleaf & Spears, 2012; Politis and Politis, 2017; Worthington, 2021). When I model empathy, I can show that emotions are able to aid in stronger self-awareness. Growth happens when I name things. I can provide others relief from the pressure of thinking that they are the only ones that struggle.
A strategy I have for relating to others to share what I am learning. Sometimes that requires me to be vulnerable first and lead from my personal experiences or struggles. Other strategies I have are providing my time through Enneagram coaching or leadership coaching. Structured conversations such as these allow me to listen and empathize with intentionality because I have set aside the time to be present.
As a leader, if I can demonstrate that Jesus wants to walk people through what they feel because it can inform them of things to know, people can become “freer, healthier, wiser, and more autonomous (Greenleaf & Spears, 2012, p. 27).” When working in teams, I can provide understanding to the diverse personalities in the room. Because I can get inside people’s minds and walk through what they are thinking and feeling, I can help bring explanations to everyone in the room (Bailey, 2001; Carroll, 2022). People then feel at peace and safe to collaborate and look towards what may come next.
Foresight is simultaneously holding what was, what is, and what might be into consideration. My role as a servant leader is to help people discern what to do about what they have just processed using intuition and wisdom. I can serve them by asking questions related to thoughts and feelings to help them address their own uncertainties and move into productive decision-making. Coaching allows me to motivate others by providing “clarity” and helping them build a tactical plan for growth (Carroll, 2022, p. 58).
Using intuition helps anticipate what other people may need. I am pursuing higher education because I want to use my gift of learning to help my restaurant thrive. It is a joy for me to drink from a hydrant of information to be able to provide the one drop of water that is going to help someone else propel forward. I try to share articles, books, and worthwhile leadership content with my team. Foresight also helps me identify the current reality of our restaurant for my operator. I use the information I have gathered from listening and empathizing to summarize helpful insights for him.
A strategy that will be helpful for me to implement will be asking for people’s feedback more often instead of arriving at my own assumptions. Things often change in our industry, leading to tension and miscommunications. My goal is to work on my communication under the umbrella of foresight. Articulating what is ahead for our team is challenging to get right. However, I can ask the people I lead if they have clarity and do my best to provide additional information to help ease their minds (Heine et al., 2023).
A final strategy for my personal leadership model is to practice healthy self-care. One practical way to do that is to write in my gratitude journal daily. To serve others well, I must be intentional about filling my cup up, too. Helpful habits for me include my daily Bible reading, attending weekly therapy as a preventative maintenance strategy for my head and my heart, exercising and eating properly (Clear, 2018). It is also fulfilling to spend time in community with my various friends and church groups. Reading for leisure, learning about a variety of subjects, and resting are all strategies for becoming a healthier version of myself.
Forecasting Considerations
There are several considerations when forecasting the effectiveness of my personal leadership model strategy. Working remotely with a busy personal life, wrestling with human selfishness, and working with the unpredictability of others challenge the consistency of the strategy. However, the opportunity for impact is available and possible.
My personal context of being married to a year-round, busy basketball coach and a working mom of young children will be challenging. To be inconsistent as a leader can hurt the follower. Servant leadership asks the leader to be accessible, which bleeds into having healthy boundaries between work and home (Canavesi and Minelli, 2022; Khan, 2023). Remote work is challenged by the lack of proximity and limited number of face-to-face interactions. Some people are not comfortable not being in person or even being asked in-depth questions. This can feel invasive and unhelpful.
What happens when the person who provides empathy and trust to others does not feel psychologically safe or cared for? For me personally, the lack of reciprocity in a servant leadership role over time could lead to burnout and a lack of boundaries. I can struggle with wanting to be noticed for my contributions, too (Bailey, 2009; Canavesi and Minelli, 2022). My position sits at the top of the organizational chart, which means I do not have as many opportunities to be served in the workplace apart from my operator. I must commit personal time outside of work for fulfillment and find ways to motivate myself before leading others.
In my leadership, I can also struggle to be relationship-oriented ahead of being task-oriented. The quick service restaurant industry experiences heavy turnover and its often easier to save time by doing things myself instead of repetitively train new leaders (Morelo Pereira et al., 2022). Letting others make decisions and try new things can also cause confusion and disrupt productive communication and team chemistry (Canavesi and Minelli, 2022; Echols, 2009). As a for-profit company in business to make money, there are times when it becomes necessary to put the needs of the restaurant ahead of individual development (Li et al., 2023).
On the positive side, research shows the need for servant leadership to be applied, beginning in human resources. While I cannot make followers want to grow in their own development or change their attitudes to serve others, I can have some of the biggest impacts in the store by implanting servant leadership even in a remote context (Bailey, 2001; Hartnell et al. 2023; Heine et al., 2023). Treating every interaction with focus and intention is the first step.
Conclusion
What I am discovering about servant leadership is that it is made up of all kinds of small, quiet practices. Listening to others provides connection as they process their own thoughts. Empathy gives sense of relatability and belonging. Foresight motivates them to confidently take the next step forward under wise counsel (Greenleaf and Spears, 2012). These humble offerings both build character in the leader and encourage the heart of the follower. Leadership is a high calling that regularly reminds me that I have so much left I can learn. Because I often tend to serve myself first, servant leadership provides me opportunities to keep practicing how to be more like Jesus in his heart to serve people. Under this consistency, my servant leadership can flourish.
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The Steadfast Heart 