By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” –Max De Pree
A sad fallout of all of the expectations that have come with healthcare reform is that many nurse leaders today are perceived as not being caring by their staff. Young nurses today often complain about a lack of advocacy from their leaders who seem more focused on costs and performance measures than on care. Recent nationwide research conducted by the Advisory Board indicates that only 32.8% of Registered Nurses are engaged in their work and 7.4% are actively disengaged. So how can a leader get things back on track if he or she finds that they do need to rebuild a better relationship with staff. Embracing servant leadership is one good approach.
What is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership as a leadership philosophy was first defined by Robert K. Greenleaf. He described servant leaders as those who achieve results for their organizations by attending to the needs of those they serve. A nurse servant leader looks to the needs of his/her staff and continually asks how they can help them solve problems and promote their personal development. The servant leader manager works with her/his staff to help them meet the needs of patients, while coaching them in their professional practice. The ability to provide service is their primary motivator for seeking a leadership role. Larry Spears describes 10 characteristics that are key to the development of a servant leader:
1. Listening – the servant leader actively listens to the needs of staff and helps to support them in their decision making.
2. Empathy – the servant leader seeks first to understand the needs of others and empathize with them.
3. Healing – the servant leader helps staff to resolve their problems, negotiate their conflicts and encourage the formation of a healing environment.
4. Awareness – the servant leader has a high degree of emotional intelligence and self-awareness. He or she views situations from a holistic, systems perspective.
5. Persuasion – the servant leader does not use coercive power to influence or persuade but rather their personal powers of persuasion.
6. Conceptualization – the servant leader sees beyond the day to day operations of their unit or department. They are able to focus on the bigger picture and build a personal vision.
7. Foresight – the servant leader is able to envision the likely outcome of a situation and is proactive in attempts to create the best consequences.
8. Stewardship – the servant leader is a good steward of the resources and staff that they are given. They feel an obligation to help and serve others without focusing on their own rewards.
9. Commitment to the Growth of People – the servant leader is inclusive of all staff and sees value in everyone. They attempt to maximize the strengths of all who work with them.
10. Building Community – the servant leader recognizes the importance of building a sense of community among staff.
Servant leadership has been embraced by many nurse leaders as the philosophy that guides their practice. Servant leadership is caring leadership and helps to build trust because followers believe that their leader genuinely cares about their welfare. This psychological safety leads to a higher level of employee engagement. Through their work, nurse servant leaders naturally build healthy work environments that attract and retain staff.
Read to Lead
Greenleaf, R.K. & Spears, L.C. (2002). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness 25th Anniversary Edition. Paulist Press.
The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
© emergingrnleader.com 2015
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