Science of Servant-Leadership and Needs in a Global Perspective

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Several questions I hope

you’re able to answer…

-How can we recognize servant-leaders?

-How can research help practice? and VV?

-How can research help students? and VV?

-How can research help education? and VV?

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

“… When an idea becomes popular I have to let go

and move on to something else. But you’ve held

on to the spirit of servant-leadership, you’ve kept

it vague and indefinable, which I think is a great

strategic advantage. People can come every year

to figure out what the hell this is. And by not

answering, they’re forced to come next year…”

Peter Block (ISLC, 2005)

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Servant-leadership theory

“Organizational goals will be achieved on a long

term basis only by first facilitating the growth,

development, and general well-being of the

individuals who comprise the organization”

Stone, Russell, & Patterson (2004)

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

“The servant leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure other people’s highest-priority needs are being served.

The best test is this: Do those served grow as persons;

do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”

(Greenleaf, 1970)

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Can we define/find key denominators?

What is really important?

What is servant-leadership?

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

The ‘basic psychological needs’

(Ryan & Deci, 2004):

Autonomie

Binding

Competentie

The best test is…

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Self-determination theory

Investigating people’s inherent

growth tendencies and innate

psychological needs that are the basis

of their self-motivation, personality

integration, and personal well-being

(Ryan & Deci, 2000).

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Self-determination theory

The basic psychological needs have been related to, i.e.:

- self-esteem, creativity, conceptual learning, and

achievement (Ilies, Morgeson, & Nahrgan, 2005);

- engagement, productivity, and wellness (Ryan & Deci,

2006).

Another universal ‘need’

TRUST

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

“It is almost impossible to deliver good

performance without trust, because if trust

is gone passion is replaced by fear”

The Role of Trust

Trust is important for different organizational

outcomes: satisfaction, commitment, turnover

intentions, performance (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002).

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Leader’s support for self-determination has been linked to

trust (Deci, Connell, & Ryan, 1989).

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Interesting to study…

Servant-Leadership

Trust Basic psychological

needs

But…

What is servant-leadership?

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Larry Spears

Ten characteristics of servant leadership

1. Listening

2. Empathy

3. Healing

4. Awareness

5. Persuasion

6. Conceptualization

7. Foresight

8. Stewardship

9. Commitment to the growth of people

10. Building community

Available theory and measures…

• Graham, 1990

• Laub, 1999

• Page & Wong, 2000

• Russell & Stone, 2002

• Patterson, 2003

• Ehrhart, 2004

• Dennis & Bocarnea, 2005

• Barbuto & Wheeler, 2006

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Empowerment

Empowerment : a motivational concept focused

on enabling people (Conger, 2000),

Showing confidence in the follower’s integrity,

ability and motivation, and attending to the

follower’s feelings and needs (Bass, 2000).

Humility

Humility is the ability to look at one’s own

accomplishments and talents in their proper

perspective (Patterson, 2003).

Rowatt et al. (2006) characterize humility as:

down-to-earth and intellectually open,

respectful, willing to admit imperfections, and a

lack of self-focus or self-serving biases.

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Interesting to study…

Servant-

LeadershipTrust Basic psychological

needs

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Interesting to study…

Humility

Trust

Empowerment

Competence

Relatedness

Autonomy

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Results Study 1

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Results Study 2

Note. The hypothesized paths are all significant p < .011

Performance?

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

2 December 2009: Toro Announces

20 Percent Increase in

Regular Quarterly Dividend

Servant-Leadership

Hypothesis

Performance

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Results Study 3

F(2, 140) = 3.77,

p= .03, ηp2 = .05

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

But what is

servant-leadership?

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Empowerment

Humility

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Accountability

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Stewardship

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Standing back

"Van een schouderklopje heeft nog nooit iemand

een blessure opgelopen!" _ Foppe de Haan

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Authenticity

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Forgiveness

Courage

© 2010 Ed Voerman & Dr. Inge Nuijten © 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

“A servant-leader has moral

character, the wisdom to foresee

what’s needed, the ability meet

the needs of others and the

courage to act on that.”

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten

Several questions to discuss

-How can we share our knowledge worldwide?

-How can we improve research? (needs?)

-How can we improve education? (needs?)

-How can we best help society? (needs?)

-How can we best help future generations?

Dank u Dank u welwel!!

AlsAls u (u (onderzoeks)vragenonderzoeks)vragen heeftheeft::

www.ingenuijten.nlwww.ingenuijten.nl

EE--mail: mail: IngeSPT@gmail.comIngeSPT@gmail.com

© 2010 Dr. Inge Nuijten