Adapting Servant Leadership to Follower Maturity:A Dynamic Leadership Approach for a Diverse Environment
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Selecting the appropriate style of leadership in different situations or environments remains a contentious topic in any leadership discussion.The theory proposed in this paper attempts to blend core servant leadership attributes with both transactional and transformational leadership styles when viewed through the lens of contingency theory.The selection of leadership style is determined by the professional maturity of the follower, consistent with current thought in situational leadership theory.Central to this is paper is the notion that regardless of the situation that dictates style of leadership, a leader can always maintain characteristics of a servant leader even when applying other styles of leadership prescribed by contingency theory.The paper builds upon Staats (2015) by defining how servant leadership interacts within contingency theory as well as introducing model that is centered around follower maturity as the mediating factor of leadership style selection.The theoretical model proposed allows a leader to apply servant leader attributes blended with transactional and transformational leadership in an environment of diverse followers.This serves as a pragmatic model for responsible, compassionate, and effective leadership.
Authors: Gary G. Harber, Christopher C. McMaster
Language: English
Subfield: Strategy and Management
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2805327633