I personally recommend the Goleman framework, it has helped me tremendously in my career as a senior leader, you can read our article here: Six leadership styles based on Emotional Intelligence. To be an effective leader, its important to develop your selflessness. Servant leaders have to know their team members on a professional and personal level so they can support them to the fullest. A true servant leader would shelf the ego and I must admit I havent fully been able to do that. Although ideas are welcomed, those ideas that negatively impact the organization are rejected. 2. Servant leaders do relinquish some authority but that doesnt mean that youre weak. Servant leadership in nursing is not recommended when top-down decisions must be made with the goal of quickly aligning the entire team. Also, the inclusive approach requires much more time and patience than simply dictating decisions. Theyre based on Greenleafs essays and writings and can help you better understand how to be a servant-first leader. The leader-first and the servant-first are 2 extreme types. Nursing research can be grounded in the various types of leadership Many obstacles to servant leadership must be overcome so our teams can be the best they can be. Required fields are marked *. The team starts off with a huge burst of motivation because they feel like they matter. 3. Servant leadership means setting strong examples of truly ethical leadership. Getting to really know people, their motivations, and areas of growth takes time. Example: As a servant leader you can help your team grow and develop by asking for their goals. The key is to give them context; communicate explicitly thatyou want to empower them but that youre there if they need support. You might also consider creating leadership development plans for yourself and managers that report to you. As such, its important to keep these goals in mind. Dont let the interests of any individual move the needle to a point where you are no longer following these objectives. This quality enables the servant leader to identify with and care for team members. The third weakness I have identified is foresight. He described two broad categories of leaders: A person who is a leader-first is more concerned with exerting power and achieving personal gains. They shouldnt feel threatened by expressing specific complaints or asking questions. Act from a service-first mindset, and youll truly empower them to accomplish their tasks. The servant leadership concept can be time-consuming for leaders, requiring extra effort, which is hard work. The biggest difference between traditional and servant leaders is where their motivation lies. But its important that they are also strongly aware of their own limitations. You can find them here: leadership styles.). Theyre also effective, charismatic decision-makers and clear when they set expectations. Nursing leadership styles can impact job satisfaction, nurse retention rates, quality of care, and patient outcomes. Servant leaders are deeply committed to the growth of their team members. Servant Leadership Advantages And Disadvantages effectively. We come to work each day to be part of a team that provides the highest possible level of care to each and every patient we encounter. This makes servant leaders hard to find since most leaders like a sense of power and control. Convincing their teammates of something rather than coercing compliance is one of the clearest distinctions between the servant leadership style and the authoritarian approach. In this environment, employees should feel comfortable. As a burgeoning research area, servant leadership links leadership to ethics, virtues, and morality ( Lanctot & Irving, 2010; Parris & Peachey, 2013 ). He writes: The servant-leader strives to understand and empathize with others. However, being aware of this aspect and actively trying to understand people from this perspective has certainly worked in many situations. personality) have resulted in explanations too convoluted to be useful for both scholars and practitioners. Impact of Servant Leadership on Performance: The Mediating Role of The pros and cons of servant leadership: digging a little deeper Rather than managing for results, a servant leader focuses on creating an environment in which their team can thrive and get their highest-impact work done. This skill might be seen as a slightly different leadership style from servant leadership. For instance, a military leader would be ineffective because he or she wouldnt have the power to make quick decisions life or death decisions that could seriously affect his or her people. However, I have also experienced the disadvantages of servant leadership. Finally, you can involve team members in decision-making processes. The theory is built upon building trustworthy relationships, team building, and an overall sense of each person belonging in the workplace. (Get a free copy of our E-book 7 Tips on How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence here: Emotional Intelligence E-book.) Its commonly thought that a servant is always at the lower end of the totem pole. This management style is all about hearing your team members points of view. Next, the medical director is a servant to his or her fellow physicians in the group. to bottom, As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Robert K. Greenleaf distinguished between two different types of leaders:servant-first and leader-first. Servant leaders gain respect from their employees due to their kind and gentle nature, This style of leading often enhances employee morale, Employees realise that management is looking out for their higher interests and perform optimally, Companies share their vision and mission more transparently which helps people buy into what they are doing, Employees participating in decision-making processes feel more assured that their opinions are respected when businesses challenges are being faced, Staff grow and develop their skills more rapidly in an environment that supports development, decision-making, growth opportunities, and cooperation between teams, Most leaders and managers will not have grown up with the servant attitude, so it can take time and effort for leaders to change their style of leading, In servant leadership styles, even employees who are not leaders will be involved in decision-making, so it may take longer for decisions to be collected and conclusions reached, In times of crisis, staff usually look to leaders to take control and make immediate decisions, something that servant leadership does not encourage, Employees might not have the experience, knowledge, or capability to help a business or organization move forward and grow.