People are primarily driven by self-interest. Creating a social contract will make human beings set aside personal interests and dedicate their abilities to the organizational objective. Many studies argued that people are born in a world that is selfish by nature. From the period one is born, parents tend to encourage children to be self-interests. This aspect is usually seen in schools where report form tends to reflect on individual attainments, which, in turn, made one focus on improving oneself. Even in the civilian workforce, people compete against their peers to get an excellent job and promotions. On the contrary, servant leadership, which Robert K. Greenleaf introduced, is a philosophy and leadership model that opposes the culture of self-interest. Servant leadership is a focused phenomenon, which means that a leader directs more energy towards meeting the followers' requirements. US Army leadership guidelines emphasize developing leaders' function to possess particular servant-like traits and competencies that make them able to understand and relate to the challenges that subordinate face.
A servant leader is a person who focuses on the needs of others, especially group members, before considering personal needs. One is in a position to acknowledge other individual's perspectives, offer them sufficient assistance they require to meet their duties and personal objectives. A servant leader involves subordinates in the decision-making, resulting in the maximum engagement and robust relations with team members and stakeholders. When all these aspects are in place, it will increase innovation in the workplace. Servant leadership is not a leadership style but a skill. It is the qualities that a person adopts in the long run and ten to complement democratic leadership with similar attributes to transformational leadership.
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For an army leader to become a servant, one should embrace the value of listening. A person will serve its subordinate when one maximizes listening keenly to their challenges and suggestions. To improve the listening attributes, it is good to offer people full attention, be diligent on the body language, and avoid interruption before they finish talking. A servant leader also offers feedback to his subordinates appropriately. A servant leader also has empathy where one strived to understand other individuals' intentions and perspectives. Empathy means that a person can see the world from another person's point of view. Servant leader shows their comprehension of the challenges of their subordinates through the application of empathy. When a servant leader validates the subordinates, it makes them feel recognized despite uniqueness and diversity. A servant leader in a position to do this without compromising work things and at the same time able to maximize talents within the workplace.
A servant leader is also a healer who restore or make another individual whole again. The army is a profession that has numerous challenges. Servant leader in the army, therefore, should invest their time in the well-being of their subordinates. They provide help through all problems. Greenleaf highlights that healing foes two ways when leader assists their subordinates to become whole again. It requires a person to demonstrate their human side. A servant leader supports his followers both physically and mentally by using adequate support, resources, and knowledge. Also, there should be procedures to assist them to be happy and engaged in their responsibilities. A servant leader also should possess a maximum level of self-awareness. Self-awareness is the capability to look at oneself deeply about personal emotions and behaviors and how they influence individuals in the same surrounding and how it aligns with personal values. When a servant leader becomes self-aware, they understand the strengths and weaknesses and ask for others' feedback. Additionally, one should also learn how to manage personal emotions to understand how acts and behaviors influence other people.
A servant leader is also persuasive rather being authoritative. One encourages subordinates to take action and aim to build agreement in the team while at the same time, supporting their decisions. Prominent servant leaders learn the prowess of persuasion over a long period and ensure excellent relationships with followers without taking advantage of them. A servant leader also builds expert power. An expert is likely to listen to other people and try to persuade and inspire them. A servant leader is also a steward who takes responsibility for the actions and performance of the followers. They also take accountability for the team. Whether one is a formal leader or not, one has the responsibility for what is happening in the workplace. Taking time to think about personal beliefs and those of the organization will lead by example and show positive values and behaviors to the subordinates. The followers will develop confidence and work that alight with the leader's values and expectations.
The last element of being a servant leader is to build a community. Army leadership should aim to offer opportunities to individuals they interact with. They should always organize social activities such as lunch conferences and many more. They should also encourage people to chat with them informally and dedicate a few hours to interact with community members on non-work-related conversations. A servant leader is a person who encourages people to take responsibility for their actions and constantly reminds them that what they do contribute to the success and goals of the community and its people.
