What are the advantages and disadvantages of the servant leadership model?

Leading others is often done using various styles and models of leadership, often transitioning from one leadership style to the next to suit the current situation. Initially, when you are considering leadership styles, you may believe one style of leadership model is superior to another.

However, when you take a closer look at each model, you will find that each leadership style has its unique merit in a leader’s toolkit. An intelligent leader knows to move from one style to another as the situation demands.  Thus, each leadership style will have its own benefits and drawbacks, as well as their appropriate uses in certain situations.

Here, we take a closer look at the servant leadership model, what it means, some famous leaders who primarily used this style of leadership, and the advantages and disadvantages of it. Let’s start with a clear definition of the term ‘servant leadership’.

What does servant leadership mean?

You might be wondering what the term ‘servant leadership’ means. How can we best define ‘servant leadership’?

To put it simply, a servant leader is someone who operates with the passion to serve first and lead second. It is an approach where the servant-leader focuses mostly on the development and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While conventional leadership usually entails the collection and use of power or authority by one individual at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is distinct from this notion. The servant-leader distributes power amongst others first and supports people to grow and operate as optimally as possible.

Though servant leadership is a long-standing concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was devised by Robert K. Greenleaf in “The Servant as Leader”; an essay that he first published in 1970. In this essay, Greenleaf said:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

Greenleaf further explains; “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?”

Therefore, this type of leadership usually extends beyond an organization’s environment to reach those who are in any way linked with it. This includes stakeholders, employees, clients, and customers, with “serving others” being its standard leadership characteristic.

Examples of famous servant leaders

If you are wanting to understand the concept of servant leadership better, it’s a good idea to take a look at some well-known servant leader examples from the past, to see how and why they are classified as such:

• Martin Luther King, Jr. – King did not always want to be the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the US, but he understood the need for equality.
• Nelson Mandela – When making a speech to his people, Mandela said that he was a humble servant with a desire for his people to experience equality.
• Albert Schweitzer – By taking his faith very literally, Schweitzer took the words of Christ to heart and lived by them. He was focused on loving other people as his own, to the point where he served in many ways. On one occasion, he and his wife tended to thousands of patients in Africa, having to travel hundreds of miles occasionally just to get to one patient.

These figures from the past exemplify the servant leadership model, as they predominantly took on the servant role when leading. Next, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of servant leadership style:

The advantages of servant leadership

Some of the advantages of the servant leadership model include:

• 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
• People feel more valued in their roles
• 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

The disadvantages of servant leadership

As with all models of leadership, the servant leadership model also has a few drawbacks, such as:

• 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. This leaves the business unprotected if the decisions are critical to successful market competitiveness
• Staff may be required to make conclusions or come up with ideas when they do not see the bigger picture or have a limited understanding of budgeting or business strategy and market share

Is servant leadership right for you?

While there are many advantages to this style of leading, there are also some drawbacks to consider. Dr. John Behr, an executive coach with 30 years of experience working with leaders, suggests:

“Servant leadership isn’t a guide to be followed step by step; instead, it is a philosophy or ‘mindset’ to embrace and an attitude to express under real leadership conditions.

Servant leadership is not superior or inferior to other types of leadership models. I believe it’s important to make your own leadership journey more personal and call upon different styles of leading depending on the situation at hand.”

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