Throughout history, servant leadership is valuable theory to enact change within society. From Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr., servant leadership highlights that a leader’s greatness may depend upon the way in which the leader serves his or her subordinates. With servant leadership, a leader transforms into a guide or teacher for subordinates, in turn creating subordinate autonomy and ownership in work. As a leader, empowering your subordinates and cultivating a vested interest in work might be the most essential components to develop for effective, servant leadership.
For this Discussion, select an event, not previously used in the course, that highlights techniques of servant leadership. For the event, consider whether or not the leadership techniques were effective. Also, consider the possibility of applying another leadership theory to the selected event. How may the outcomes change in relation to the application of a different leadership theory?
By Day 4
Post a (2 pages, APA Format, 3-4 References) description of the event you selected. Then explain whether servant leadership was the most effective leadership perspective in the event you selected. Justify your response. Finally, explain how event outcomes might have been different with another leadership perspective.
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Introduction:
The concept of servant leadership has been admired by leaders throughout history, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Servant leadership involves guidance and a teaching approach to subordinates, which leads to autonomy and ownership of the work. In this paper, we will discuss an event that highlights techniques of servant leadership and its effectiveness. We will also consider the application of another leadership theory to the event and examine how the outcomes might differ.
Answer:
The event selected for this paper is the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During this crisis, Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, demonstrated the techniques of servant leadership, including empathy, listening, and empowering the subordinates. He travelled to the affected areas and listened to the concerns of the local communities. Similarly, he empowered the subordinates to take ownership of the situation by providing them with the necessary resources and support to handle the crisis.
Servant leadership was an effective leadership perspective in this event. Hayward’s empathetic attitude and support for the subordinates allowed them to feel valued and supported during this crisis. This approach resulted in subordinates taking ownership of their work, which helped in mitigating the damages caused by the oil spill. Furthermore, this approach fostered a sense of responsibility among the subordinates, which was crucial in restoring credibility to BP’s reputation.
Applying another leadership theory to this event, for example, transformational leadership, might have had a different outcome. Transformational leadership focuses on a leader’s ability to create a vision and motivate subordinates towards achieving that vision. While it can be successful in a crisis, transforming the vision into action can be tricky, as it requires extensive planning and a highly coordinated effort. Therefore, it is unlikely that transformational leadership would have resulted in the same success as servant leadership with the BP oil spill.
Conclusion:
The BP oil spill crisis showcased the effectiveness of servant leadership. Tony Hayward’s empathetic approach and support for the subordinates allowed them to take ownership of the crisis, which ultimately helped in mitigating the damages caused to the environment and BP’s reputation. Applying another leadership perspective, such as transformational leadership, might be successful in some situations, but it is unlikely to be successful in a crisis like the one at BP.
