Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Servant Leadership

In education, we are always trying to find new ways to serve our student population. In philosophy of leadership, that style is called Servant Leadership. The main goal of the servant leader is to serve and is very different from other leadership philosophies. As an educator, I certainly subscribe to servant leadership as one of the leadership styles that should be used the most in schools. Schools should be run as a collective of the stakeholders. The primary leader, or principal, should not be the sole decision maker. As an educational leader, it is my opinion that in order to be a successful leader, I have to work hard to make my subordinates successful. When they shine, I shine. 

In servant leadership, the desire to serve should be the prime motivation for all leaders. Some may see this as a weakness in the leadership model. Through my past experiences and training, I believe this model to be one of the best for schools. Servant leadership informs the group of the positives of being deeply involved with the needs of the group. This fosters a level of unity and connection that benefits everyone and can potentially increase productivity and efficiency. This collective efficacy that is fostered with servant leadership helps to build a positive school culture which can lead to improved student performance.

That being understood, great leaders have always put the well-being of their followers before their own self-interests. That helps to cultivate the level of trust that develops when servant leadership is present. Trust is a vital part of the interpersonal communication that is a basic part of successful leadership. In servant leadership, the followers have to trust the leader and be able to communicate their constructive input without fear of reprisal, knowing that the leader is willing to listen and act. When that type of communication is developed, the organization will benefit.

As a principal of a large high school, I have always worked to make sure my staff has everything they need to be successful. Even without understanding the details of the servant leadership philosophy, I acknowledged long before understanding leadership philosophy that as an educator, I am in the service industry. As a prime motivator, I have to have a desire to serve the students, staff, and community at large. 

A servant leader that understands the needs of the followers will be in a better position to build efficacy and trust in the school setting. Until next time….

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