Robert K. Greenleaf is the one who coined the phrase ‘servant leadership’ in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970.
According to Greenleaf: “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.
The tenet of Greenleaf is truly remarkable and is actually relevant to the field of education in the Philippines. Since the child is the center of the teaching learning process, the educational leaders and educators are thinking of the best possible ways to serve him (child) and meet the expectations of the stakeholders and of the entire school community through altruistic service.
In its real sense, servant leadership is one basic way that specifically defines the action of an effective leader. As leader in an educational institution, it is the big responsibility of the school head or principal to attend to the highest priority needs of the learners, teachers, school personnel, parents and other stakeholders since these people are significant parts of the entire school community.
The servant leader focuses on the development, growth and well-being of people and the communities to which he or she belongs. The servant leader uses power to resolve the needs of others first and makes people grow and achieve as highly as possible.
Servant leadership philosophies that are expressed in different ways in schools may greatly affect the school governance and operations in achieving unselfish and honest service. Apparently, it can make the internal and external stakeholders feel that their leader is only after for the benefit and welfare of the school as a whole.
Further, as the significant skills of servant leaders, they have to understand the personal needs of those within the organization; they should heal the wounds caused by conflicts within the organization; be the stewards of the resources of the organization; develop skills of those within the organization; and be good in listening to others.
Also, servant leadership can eradicate the abuse of authority in school leadership and can shun away from egoism since the educational leader thinks of others first as the people to be served and think of himself or herself as the one to offer service.
Thus, in servant leadership notion of Greenleaf says the leader should start by imagining himself as servant first, rather than thinking of himself as a leader and conceiving the service only afterwards.
That is why numerous notable people became the famous advocates of servant leadership namely, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, M. Scott Peck, Margaret Wheatley, Ann McGee-Cooper & Duane Trammell, Larry Spears, and Kent Keith.
Indeed servant leadership in educational institutions can be very beneficial. Continue to consider this as its original proponent. Greenleaf’s legacy must last for the sake of the your school and of your entire nation as well.
Remarkably in the second major essay, The Institution as Servant, made by Greenleaf and what is often called the “credo.” There he quoted: “This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.
Evidently, effective leadership emerges from a desire to help others…that is the real thought of servant leadership. Therefore, it should live within the educational system.
Servant leadership was more intensely manifested and nailed in the words of Mollie Marti, to wit: “Allow the way to your great work to be guided by your service to others.”
Citations/References/Electronic/References:
http://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
http://www.cancordiaonline.net/what-is-servant-leadership/
modernservantleader.com/peso/ServantLeadership_Introduction.ppt
http://www.powershow.com/view4/424350
ZDM3/Servant_Leadership_Powerpoint_ppt_presentation
http://www.wikipidia.org/wiki/Servant_Leadership
By: FELISA C. BRAVO Principal 1 Dr. Victoria B. Roman Memorial High School Pantingan, Pilar, Bataan
