BIG IDEA
Servant Leadership is a management style and a process that prioritizes the greater good over individual interests. Nonprofit Service Leaders serve employees, program participants and the community with humility, intention and care. When considering service leadership, the goal is to understand service as a leadership model and discuss its significance, characteristics and role in nonprofit management.
What distinguishes servant leadership from other leadership models is the connection to community and the commitment to developing others holistically. It’s a compassionate approach to management that results in high morale, increased engagement, strong ethical standards for the organization, and the development of future leaders.
Servant Leaders are empathetic, persuasive, big-picture thinkers with a high degree of emotional intelligence, and they are active and curious listeners who are open to feedback. Building relationships through service leadership takes time, and leaders have to find the balance between reaching business goals and achieving objectives that serve the whole community.
KEY CONCEPTS
Leadership Model (Leadership Style): a framework that includes concepts and practices that define an approach for managing people.
Influence: to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.
Self-Awareness: the ability to tune in to your feelings, thoughts, and actions.
Emotional Intelligence: the ability to manage individual emotions and understand the emotions of others,
Humility: a modest perception of one's own significance; it is quieting the ego in favor of meeting the needs of others.
Constructive Criticism: feedback that offers specific, actionable recommendations.
PROMPTS
Write as little or as much as you like
As a nonprofit service leader, what groups of people do you serve?
Here you can describe the size and makeup of your leadership team, employees, program participants and community constituents.How would you describe your leadership style?
When interacting with those in your care (employees, participants) what are you really good at, and what would you like to improve?What are some ways you can acknowledge the value of those in your care?
How do you, or how can you help make your employees and program participants feel appreciated?How do you usually respond to feedback and constructive criticism?
Do you think that those in your care feel comfortable to speaking up about things that could be improved?
TASK
Develop a Logic Model: A logic model is a graphic illustration of the relationship between a program's resources, activities, and its intended effects. The 1 page overview document will show how the leadership team, staff, partners and volunteers impact participants and the community. Reference: Logic Model Samples
RESOURCES