In one of the previous week's readings, James Barker stated, "leadership is service" (p. 65). This struck a chord with me and now we have a week of readings focused on servant leadership. Again, I wonder how I fit in with the concepts of servant leadership. This is probably an area I need to spend time on. Bogue discussed the concept of effective leadership and provided several conditions for effective leadership. The key to identifying effective leadership, though, is to develop a personal view of effectiveness and stick to that view.
Bogue also shared, "The leader who neglects or abandons the servant ideal will sooner or later fall victim to arrogrance, and the departure of her or his nobility will manifest itself in destructive behavior" (p. 133). I believe this truly is the key for all leaders. There are readings to support the concept that followers can give or take away the effectiveness of the leader and I think this is important to remember, as well. If a leader cannot put themselves in the shoes of their constitutents, then what is the point of being a leader?
I need to remember this concept for my future careers. I wonder if the concept of servant leadership is more critical the "higher" you get in the hierarchy? In other words, an administrative assistant may show signs of servant leadership, but will other see the results as much as if the director of a department exhibited signs of servant leadership?
Sheila - in my first year of advising RHA, I found myself thinking about Servant Leadership frequently. I know the basic concepts, but sadly, am not that familiar with it. I do hope to do more studying on it this summer... I believe that even the students can better serve their senators (on our campus) better if they're less worried about their own "power" and more about serving others. I like to think about this from my new role as an assistant director, too... thanks for starting this conversation!!
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