the concept of servant leadership
Since the concept of servant leadership was conceptualized, it has gone through different definitions ranging from the contemporary to religious. While discussing the idea of servant leadership, a lot of focus has been put on the characteristics that leaders in this model ought to exhibit. This research paper, therefore, looked into some of the significant traits of a leader by putting it into the context of past research, the Bible, and policing. Based on this research, it has been established that servant leaders need to be good listeners, have good communication skills, be humble, persuasive, show commitment to others, have conceptualization skills, and not limited to being empathetic. The study also shows that servant leadership is among the most appropriate models that should be incorporated in service industries such as police organizations. However, being that the policing culture requires much of autocracy in leadership, the implementation process might be slightly challenging though its long-term implementation would yield desirable outcomes.
Introduction
Over the past, there has been a growing discussion on whether a character is acquired or learned. However, grounded in the current research, there are substantial reasons to believe that desirable traits can both be learned and taught. In servant leadership, the basic understanding of character has often been linked with individual traits. The idea of servant leadership assumes an altruistic leadership approach by focusing on others’ growth and support (Lemoine, Hartnell & Leroy, 2019). The assertion means that true servant leadership is putting oneself as a steward first, offering service to others to deliver quality results and enhancing their professional growth. Typically, servant leaders put much focus on bringing members on board in the daily decision-making processes of their respective institutions as opposed to traditional or authoritarian leaders. Servant leaders also play a vital role in connecting fellow workers both at the worker and the management level, thereby building a synergistic and efficient engine. This research paper, therefore, looks into some of the major traits of a leader by putting it into the context of past research, the Bible, and policing.
The Concept of Servant Leadership
The research carried out by Stone and Gandolfi (2018) noted that a combination of empirical evidence and philosophical theories concur that servant leadership can be touted as desirable and practical. Servant leadership is useful because it incorporates all the aspects that are deemed desirable in leadership. Classically, the idea of leadership being a two-way interaction renders much traditional leadership approaches ineffective. This explains why servant leaders are constantly being perceived as the most interactive leaders when the aspect of follower or leader engagement is put into consideration. The rationale behind viewing these leaders in such a lens is that the main emphasis for achieving the goals of a given organization is founded in serving the followers given the responsibility of achieving such. It is also important to realize that servant leadership works from a moral perspective and a personal humility. Blending all these aspects together makes servant leadership a highly desirable style of governance.
With the original definition of servant leadership coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, this description launched a revolution in how people perceive and practice leadership (Eva et al., 2019). Close to five decades since the concept of servant leadership was coined, it still remains relevant and the most effective leadership style compared to the other classical approaches. As opposed to the old days, the modern generation is going through a swift change in many business and non-profit organizations, which is contrary to the hierarchical and autocratic models experienced in the past, thereby necessitating servant leadership to foster a relationship with each other (Davis, 2017).
Nonetheless, the concept of leadership is also taught differently in the Bible, where Jesus preached that leadership was not merely an up-down approach, but the masters needed to show an excellent example of service to their followers. This contribution is emphasized in the gospel of Mark, where Jesus washed his followers’ feet as a sign of stewardship. According to Mark, Jesus said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (NIV Bible, Mark 13: 14-17).
Servant Leadership Traits
Commitment to other people’s growth is one of the characteristics that define a servant leader. As mentioned earlier in the paper, servant leadership focuses not only on the productivity of an individual within a work environment but also on their personal development. According to Jit, Sharma & Kawatra (2016), leaders who exhibit this control style believe that humans possess an intrinsic value that goes beyond the physical input they contribute as workers. In this connection, servant leaders are more concerned with their followers’ progress within their respective organizations. A leader who practices this style is cognizant of the responsibility that they have to do everything they can to nurture workers and colleagues’ professional and personal development. Practically, this could include concrete steps such as setting aside funds for career development programs, encouraging the involvement of employees in the decision-making process, and supporting workers who have become redundant in securing other positions.
Considering commitment from a Christian point of view, Jesus taught his disciples on showing commitment to each other’s course rather than being preoccupied with power and control. In Mark Chapter 10, for instance, Jesus found John and James arguing over their superiority to the other disciples, but he intervened and told them, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NIV Bible, Mark 10: 43-45).
At the same time, conceptualization plays an integral role in determining a servant leader. Flynn et al. (2016) believe that a significant percentage, if not all servant leaders, focus on nurturing their abilities to have bigger dreams. The ability to perceive an organization or a problem from a conceptualizing perspective implies that an individual has to think beyond the daily realities. Indeed, for many leaders, this is a trait that necessitates practice and discipline. While ordinary leaders are preoccupied with the need to attain short-term goals, servant leaders must extend their thinking to incorporate broader conceptual thinking. The board of directors or trustees plays a vital role in conceptualization at their respective organizations. It is also essential to understand that leaders provide visionary ideas for the institution by having a broader conceptualization. Servant leaders are entrusted with the responsibility of seeking a delicate balance between daily operational approaches and conceptual thinking.
Possessing listening skills is the other characteristic that servant leaders ought to have. Throughout history, leaders have been respected for their exceptional decision-making and communication skills. Even so, these attributes are also necessary for servant leadership. While both traditional and servant leaders are equally expected to show outstanding communication skills, the latter ought to be supported by a more profound commitment of listening to others attentively (Norris, Sitton & Baker, 2017). A servant leader looks forward to singling out a group’s will and intervenes in clarifying that objective. Instead of only listening to what is said, servant leaders also pay close attention to what is not being addressed. Leaders who exercise this method of control recognize that listening also embodies hearing an individual’s inner voice. This statement explains why servant leaders usually take time to reflect on what their colleagues and followers are saying whenever serious issues are being discussed.
Servant leaders are also characteristically reliant on persuasion instead of an individual’s position of authority when making important decisions in at their respective institutions. Rather than coercing their followers to comply with the rules, servant leaders have unique negotiation skills that persuade people to adopt specific approaches or ways of doing things (Coetzer, Bussin & Geldenhuys, 2017). Ostensibly, the trait of reliance on persuasion is one characteristic that contradicts the position that is always taken by traditional leaders. Instead of negotiating, conventional leaders always want to express their authority over their followers to ensure that regulations and processes are adhered to. The persuasion trait that servant leaders have enables them to build a consensus with the groups they lead. Emphasizing on negotiation rather than coercion also finds its roots in the Christian belief of servant leadership.
Servant leaders have to be empathetic with the people whom they represent. Understanding and internalizing one’s followers’ thoughts and feelings is integral in leading them effectively (Russell, Broomé & Russell, 2018). At various places of work, for instance, employees need to be recognized and accepted for their unique and special spirits. As a leader, it is important to assume that the colleagues and subordinates have good intentions in whatever they do. Even when some people fail to follow the prescribed procedures at the workplace, it is irrational to suspect that they do not mean well with their actions. Skilled empathetic listeners make the best servant leaders.
Bringing the Notion of Servant Leadership to Police Organization
Giving orders to the officers in lower ranks and dictating every discussion might not be the most appropriate way of leading a police department. However, servant leadership is among the best alternatives that an officer can ever apply to lead their subordinates. As aforementioned, this style necessitates respecting and appreciating the value that every officer, regardless of their ranks bring to the team, asking for feedback, and not limited to working to ensure that the agency or the department serves the society’s greater good rather than focusing on the contribution of the officers in the organization.
There is no doubt that officers are entrusted with the responsibility of policing a very diverse, complex, and changing society in the current law enforcement world. The top officials in law enforcement are quite overawed with the administrative tasks to the extent that they have been separated from the community they serve and the people they lead (Martin et al., 2017). While the modern law enforcement officers have better training, education, and more experience than their counterparts who served in the previous eras, a considerable number of officers who occupy high ranks in the administration still want to make decisions for their subordinates to follow all the time.
The ongoing trend implies a need for change in leadership that encourages decision-making, thinking, empowerment and input from the officers who serve in the field. Indeed, a transformation that works to ensure that officers turn out to be problem-solving and customer-oriented leaders is necessary. Nonetheless, for this transformation to be realized in various police organizations, the agency and law enforcement executive must go through leadership and organizational change. The top officials in police administrations have to change the context of leadership in their respective organizations, from conventional leadership to servant leadership, to pave the way for the transformation mentioned above.
According to Floyd (2020), the first move towards transforming leadership in policing involves identifying the current challenge in law enforcement management. Martin et al. (2017) confirm that one of those managerial issues is that police operation are in a paramilitary environment, including a top-down order and a well-structured hierarchy. However, most decisions are made by the top executives. Exercising control from the top makes the officers have inadequate sense of ownership and compels them to fail to take personal responsibility for their actions on the field, thereby preventing service delivery to the members of society.
The traditional authoritative leadership style might have instilled the required discipline in law enforcement in the past police organizations. However, the same is not applicable in modern society that is marked with better police experience and better knowledge in law enforcement. The first-line supervisors in the current police agencies, for example, have narrow organizational views, limited authority, and only concerned with the specific unit for which they are responsible. Consequently, the executive supervisors are being overwhelmed with too much to handle, and other subordinates just wait to receive orders (Martin et al., 2017). Indeed, this style unveils more complicated ways to hide and blame problems.
Servant leadership applies to the challenges faced in the structured, traditional environment. This model reverses the conventional hierarchy by paving the way for the top officials in the police departments to serve and support their subordinates in the lower ranks every day. Each rank of law enforcement is more visible, broader in scale and scope, increasingly responsible for direct contact with the community while delivering services to society and combating crime.
Like any other organization, employees who take responsibility for their actions, those at liberty to make independent choices, and trusted in law enforcement would remain committed to doing their duties diligently and feel that they are creating an impact on the community (Floyd, 2020). Creating an atmosphere of servant leadership in policing encourages the currently independent, more educated, and innovative police to take responsibility and make more informed decisions that would consequently result in more significant commitment and higher performance in law enforcement agencies. Indubitably, this model might be the only way of keeping the future police engaged in their duties.
Conversely, servant leadership allows people to lead because they opt to be each other’s stewards and focus on higher ideals. The bottom line is that servant leaders create an environment where other people believe that their services are also valuable. This leadership style also stresses the need to let the nature of their work inspire more officers to do it better. Concisely, servant leadership strengthens police organizations and encourages a team-oriented approach in policing.
Benefits and Pitfalls of Servant Leadership in Police Organizations
One of the main advantages of incorporating servant leadership in police agencies is that it creates a road to positive change (Gracey, 2019). Servant leadership in policing helps in making positive changes in law enforcement. Instead of dictating rules for the subordinates to follow, top officials in police departments embrace the value of persuading the subordinates to adhere to the rules and making them part of the decision-making process. Usually, autocratic leaders perceive change as a top-down rule they impose on the agency. However, if the head of a department practice servant leadership, they embrace change among the employees. Listening to the officers’ concerns and effectively communicating the agency’s vision to the officers enables servant leaders to steer the organization further than merely penalizing every police who fails to adhere to the rules.
On the other hand, servant leadership in policing plays a significant role in boosting the officers’ morale (Gracey, 2019). Just like in other fields, exemplary leadership in law enforcement inspires various departments. Police officers would always be motivated to take up their duties and serve their respective communities enthusiastically if they have the right leadership model. Humility in leadership determines the loyalty and dedication of workers to the agency and its vision. Predictably, law enforcement officers who trust their leaders show unwavering commitment even if their perspectives are not tolerated.
On the flip side, while servant leadership is the most appropriate model for policing in the modern society, it is also essential to understand that it can be tedious to implement. Unquestionably, selling the idea of servant leadership in police organizations can be a challenging move. Top executives in the police force might not embrace the idea, opting to maintain authoritative leaders who can command their subordinates. The top officials in police agencies are more concerned with instant results than long-term transformations in the department (Martin et al., 2017). Unfortunately, some junior officers might also perceive humility in top leadership as a weakness instead of an inspiration.
Simultaneously, practicing servant leadership in law enforcement might be challenging since not every individual is a servant. Good servant leaders need to empathize with their followers, listen intently to their colleagues and subordinates’ concerns, and persuade every officer to follow the rules instead of coercing them. Regrettably, some leaders do not have such qualities. Compelling a leader to exhibit the personalities mentioned above might not produce desired results. One might only work on improving their current styles of management as opposed to changing them entirely.
Implementing Change Plan
Implementing a change in the police organization requires a long-term commitment plan. Surveying and training the police departments in the new direction would need resources that have to be allotted before commencing (Barker, 2017). Besides, this long-term plan requires various stakeholders’ engagement, including but not limited to the city manager, mayor, and the city council.
Since many law enforcement agencies have political inclinations, there is a need to train the police organizations on the political nature of their departments to enable easy operations of the police chief and allow for positive change.
Instituting a new culture would necessitate the writing of new regulations and guidelines for recruiting and promotion that would encompass the standards for servant leadership (Barker, 2017). Since this shall be a growing process within the police department, a key consideration shall be put on the subsequent group of managers and empowered levels.
A strategy that would integrate more community policing, coupled with regionalization of law enforcement agencies to empower junior officers and lower management levels, would also be necessary.
A long-term plan would also necessitate the implementation of programs for various managements to work harmoniously with officers or their assistants who have servant leadership traits. Besides, there would be a need to incorporate leadership concepts, seminars, and other necessary coaching. Finally, an implementation plan should have a central goal that is direct and clear. This move would allow for a unidirectional flow of information.
Conclusion
The Christ’s Disciples supported Jesus’ mission for years, and even during that duration, they occasionally slipped and failed. Even though their master listened to their concerns, treated them with humility, and persuaded them to carry on with the mission. In the same way, leaders need to embrace the servant qualities that Christ showed to his followers irrespective of their duty line. Being one of the most crucial service industries to society, the police organization needs to adopt the servant leadership model and inspire future leaders to embrace it. If leaders started practicing the Christian belief, they would not have an issue implementing servant leadership at their respective workplaces.