Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2023 - 51

R
obert Greenleaf has inspired
much of what we know
about servant leadership
today. Greenleaf instructs us
to consider how we apply servant
leadership through the lens of a
question: " The best test [of a servantleader],
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? "
While answering this question requires
much self-reflection and self-awareness,
there has been an inquiry into how this
style of leadership can be applied to
the workplace. Specifically, when we
consider power dynamics
within an
organization, how can Greenleaf's best
test inspire how our teams function?
Russ S. Moxley, a fellow with the Center
for Creative Leadership, states that we
need to look at power through the lens
of a partnership, not just a singular set of
actions or behaviors. When considering
leadership, especially servant
leadership, we need to understand the
five requirements for teams to operate
through partnership:
1. There must be a balance of
power. In " Focus on Leadership:
Servant-leadership for the Twentyfirst
Century, " Moxley writes, " A
partnership will not work when
one person has power and others
don't...Rather, each individual must
claim their personal power to create
win-win situations and reach a
shared goal. "
2. There must be a shared goal. If we
understand that each employee will
look at a goal or situation differently,
then we acknowledge the need
to create goals collaboratively. A
shared goal is one where everyone
on the team understands and can
identify how they personally will
accomplish the shared goal.
3. There must be a shared sense of
responsibility. " Everyone on the
team needs to be responsible and
accountable for the work. " Teams
need to emphasize the role of
team relationships. Ensuring clear
WE NEED TO LOOK AT
POWER THROUGH THE
LENS OF A PARTNERSHIP.
communication and transparent
objectives will help every team
member see where they fit and
where their responsibility lies.
4. Partnership requires respect for
the person. Emphasis should be
placed on each team member's
strengths and interests. This is not
to say that certain work can only
go to certain team members, but if
a team member is assigned a task
that is not in their zone of strength,
the team needs to recognize this
and provide appropriate support.
5. Partnership must be applied in
all areas of organizational life.
As
with
teams
most
cannot
culture
be
selective
changes,
for
when they want to apply certain
behaviors. There needs to be a
desire from the team members to
protect the relationships they have.
Additionally, effort toward culture
needs to be visible at all levels of
the organization. When partnership
is espoused, all team members
should be able to identify those
cultural behaviors regardless of
who they are interacting with.
From these five requirements, we can
ascertain
that power includes
goals,
responsibility, respect and balance. But
does this really define how we think
about power? As servant leaders, do
we " make " people do what we want? Or
do we serve them in a way that inspires
or influences them to, as Greenleaf
writes, " become healthier, wiser, freer,
and more autonomous? " This wordplay
is important when we are developing
an understanding of how servant
leadership and power connect.
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2023 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
Appropriate use is where the power
of choice comes in. We know that
everyone has the ability to choose
how they respond and interact with
others. Relationships at work and in
life will require different applications
of power. For example, Larry Spears
writes about 10 characteristics of
servant leadership in his book, " Focus
on Leadership: Servant-Leadership for
the 21st Century " :
51
Servant Leadership
and Power
Let's consider the five bases of power
that were identified in 1959 by French
and Raven.
1. Legitimate: Positional power you
receive based on your position or title.
2. Reward: Your ability to offer rewards
or benefits in exchange for work.
3. Expert: Comes from having deep
technical knowledge and experience.
4. Referent: Developed through
relationships built on trust and
respect.
5. Coercive: Involves using threats to
make others complete tasks.
While
there
are
advantages
and
disadvantages to each of these types
of power, we can connect each of these
bases to the foundational elements of
servant leadership.
Servant leadership deals with the
reality of power in everyday life - its
legitimacy, the ethical restraints upon
it and the beneficial results that can be
attained through the appropriate use
of power.
https://serveleadnow.com/greenleafs-best-test-servant-leader/ https://serveleadnow.com/greenleafs-best-test-servant-leader/ https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1960-06701-004 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1960-06701-004 https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine
Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2023

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