The transformational leader is a selfless leader. They serve the people that report to them, not some higher purpose. These types of leader put the interests of their colleagues and staff first. Their attention is focused on the local context and the personal growth and needs of others, helping them to achieve their full potential. It's about building a sense of self-worth - not a self-sacrifice.

Robert K Greenleaf
The servant leader idea was first put forward by Robert K Greenleaf in 1970. Visit his website at: http://www.greenleaf.org.uk to find out more. He describes servant leadership as a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power.

Greenleaf's thesis was that a true leader is one who leads by empowering others to reach their full potential. For him, the ideal leader is an individual who transforms and integrates an organisation, a steward with a commitment to building communities of purpose.

xxx"As we enter the twenty-first century, we are beginning to see that traditional autocratic and hierarchical modes of leadership slowly yielding to a newer model - one that attempts to simultaneously enhance the personal growth of workers and improve the quality and caring of our many institutions through a combination of teamwork and community, personal involvement in decision making, and ethical and caring behaviour."
Larry Spiers CEO of the Greenleaf Centre.

Creating the conditions for leadership
Is looking after staff really about leadership? Leadership is surely about seeing the bigger picture, visioning what the future might look like, inspiring people by articulating values. Yes, AND the ability to initiate, develop and maintain good relationships is the preserve of leadership - it's about creating the right conditions. Unless staff feel valued, they are unlikely to see the need to work harder or try new ways of working.

Serving people is in fact an effective way of influencing them. But for what purpose? It cannot be just for the individuals involved or the people they serve. It must be a balance of inside-out and outside-in forces that serve the needs of the organisation as a whole.

10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader
Larry Spiers identified ten characteristics of the servant leader.

1. LISTENING - to identify the will of the group through deep listening and personal reflection
2. EMPATHY - assuming that people have good intentions, even when they appear to behave or perform poorly
3. HEALING - both themselves and others to regain self-worth and self-confidence
4. AWARENESS - trusting intuition and moral judgement as a basis for understanding
5. PERSUASION - relying on persuasion rather than positional power to make decisions and gain the cooperation of others
6. CONCEPTUALISATION - looking for a workable balance between conceptual thinking and task-focused action.
7. FORESIGHT - to integrate past learning, current realities and probable outcomes
8. STEWARDSHIP - serving the needs of others and looking after their interests to secure the greater good of the community a a whole
9. GROWTH - valuing people for more than their work contribution, being committed to helping people achieve their full potential and feel responsible for nurturing their personal, professional and spiritual growth
10. COMMUNITY - building a sense of community removes the impersonal nature of organisational life and shows people the importance of their contribution to a higher purpose

Transactional Leader versus Transformational Servant Leader

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