Servant Leadership: A Critical Analysis of the Theory and Its Characteristics

Servant leadership is a unique style of leadership ideology which flows against the grain of self-interest and human behavior. Leadership, based on serving others and putting their needs before one’s own goes back to a paradoxical leadership style found in the life and teaching of Jesus. Becoming a servant leader begins with a conscious choice to serve others and let them grow. Service is the pathway to real significance. Excellent service comes from the heart of those who long to improve the human condition. Servant Leadership is gaining attention as a radical way to successfully lead organizations while empowering individuals through service. The purpose of this paper is to look at the available literature as it relates to Servant Leadership Theory and critically analyze some characteristics of servant leaders.