Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership – a LEAF Quality

In a recently published paper, “Servant-Leadership within the Division of Probation and Parole” by Vicki Bealmear she proposes the Servant Leadership model in selecting leaders for the Missouri Department of Corrections.  This sounds amazingly like the traits of the Leaf Ministry!

Her article is based on a 1970’s essay by Robert K. Greenleaf who said the servant-leader is servant first, with a natural feeling to serve to see that people’s highest priorities are met.  Are the people under them becoming healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous and more likely to become servants themselves.  The leader-first on the other hand has the need for power or material possessions.

Ten Principles of Servant Leadership

  1. Listening – A deep commitment to listening intently to others.
  2. Empathy – Accepting and recognizing the uniqueness of others.
  3. Healing – A characteristic that pulls people towards them when the traumatic happens.
  4. Awareness – A keen sense of what’s happening around them.
  5. Persuasion – Seeks consensus for decisions, rather than coerced compliance.
  6. Conceptualization – dream great dreams and avoid getting bogged down.
  7. Foresight – Understand lessons from the past, realities of the present and future consequences.
  8. Stewardship – A desire to prepare the organization to contribute to the greater good of society.
  9. Growth – Everyone has something to offer others.
  10. Building Community – believing an organization needs to function as community.

To read more about Servant Leadership and the proposal for using it as model to select corrections leaders, click here.