Servant Leadership in a Diverse Context

Servant Leadership in a Diverse Context

Servant leadership is a globally utilized approach in different contexts. All continents around the world attempt to incorporate servant leadership in their cultures and religions. The most common religions include Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. Each of these strives to teach its followers to practice servant leadership in different contexts. Servanthood is believed to promote the wellness of oneself and humanity. Whether servanthood is based on religious activities or otherwise, it serves a significant purpose of elevating those surrounding an individual. Essentially, this elevation enables a leader to facilitate the empowerment of others. The empowerment enables others to think beyond themselves. Servant leadership has proven to deliver the greatest level of humanity in both religious and cultural contexts.

Hinduism and Servant Leadership

Most Indians practice Hinduism in the Asia and other continents. Hinduism uses the Bhagavad Gita, ‘Song of God,’ which is a revered religious document. It entails three sections, including selfless action, self-knowledge, and ways of loving. The Bhagavad Gita has numerous spiritual references. Still, it contains lessons on leadership (Zu, 2019). The Gita states that an individual attains perfection through diligent attention to their duty. This statement asserts that leaders are responsible for influencing those who rely on them for leadership. To ensure that the leader addresses their various duties responsibly, they must hold onto their values.

The religious text also highlights that ‘a wise man who has conquered his mind and is absorbed in the Self is a lamp, which does not flicker since it stands sheltered from every will’ (Simpsom & Cunha, 2021). The ability to be true to oneself is an art that facilitates the maintenance of an individual’s values. The Gita recognizes this ability as an important aspect of leadership. The Gita also directs leaders to devote themselves to selfless work. This devotion should enable them to achieve life’s goals. It entails doing their work while thinking about others’ welfare (Simpsom & Cunha, 2021).

Moreover, Hindu teachings advise leaders to balance being overbearing and utilizing the laissez-faire leadership approach. They should create an open-door policy to facilitate communication, cooperation with staff, and trust. Instead of making observations while outside, they should be actively engaged in the various activities alongside staff. Servant leaders should also promote active collaboration and participation from their subordinates. Showing sensitivity to their needs is highly encouraged. Such empathy will enable the leaders and staff to bond. The leader is also responsible for ensuring that their motivation, enthusiasm, skills, knowledge, and alertness are maintained at an all-time high. The recommendations that are made in the scriptures and teachings of Hinduism align with the main tenets of servant leadership. These tenets include being selfless, showing empathy, and demonstrating genuine care for the followers (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018). Hindus are also encouraged to conduct various acts of service, respond to the needs of others, and avoid wasting their lives.

Mahatma Gandhi advocated for selflessness as the main strategy for finding oneself. Servant leadership is sometimes considered counter-cultural because it is unnatural to prioritize others’ needs before one’s own. The need to strengthen the whole instead of the individual is emphasized. The result that should be realized from servant leadership in all aspects of life is the growth of all individuals regardless of social class.

Undeniably, servant leadership in the cultural context has a spiritual inclination. The Indian culture is significantly characterized by servant leadership due to the significant actions, life, or teachings of various leaders. The leaders’ tendencies provide an ideal context to examine servant leadership in the Indian culture. As the Gita stipulates, self-sacrifice is a core aspect of servant leadership. The contemporary Indian leader, Swami Vivekananda, highlights that a leader is born and is expected to be a servant of servants. Swami wrote letters to his followers that detailed servant leadership and its benefits about a decade before the term was coined. Swami not only discussed servant leadership but also practiced it (Mishra & Mahapatra, 2018).

In addition, Mahatma Gandhi is another leader to reckon with. His quiet and peaceful lifestyle advocated for servant leadership in every way. From teaching his followers the need to serve others and being empathetic with compatriots during times of trouble, Mahatma embodies the real servant leader whose teachings continue to inspire many globally. Narayana Murthy, the Infosys founder, practices servant leadership. His leadership has led to the company’s success through nurturing, trusting, caring for, and serving the subordinate staff. Azim Premji, Wipro Limited’s chairperson, also embodies servant leadership. Azim’s commitment to social issues has led to significant changes that benefit all Indians instead of himself only (DeConcinck, Moss, & DeConcinck, 2018). Other leaders who are perceived as servant leaders include Ratan Tata and Dhirubhai Ambani.

Similarities and Differences

The Indian culture and Hinduism religion hold more similarities than differences regarding servant leadership. First, both advocate for servant leadership as a demonstration of trust, genuine care, selflessness, trust, and empathy. Second, both religion and culture provide teaching points for the masses on the best ways to practice servant leadership. Thirdly, the religious teachings agree with the various practices that renowned servant leaders undertake as part of their lives. Both contexts existed before Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term servant leadership. Both contexts also acknowledge the importance of upholding one’s values for such leadership.

Hinduism advocates for the various aspects of servant leadership, while the Indian culture embodies actual practices in the daily life of servant leadership. The Gati provides a significant basis for servant leaders for utilization and guidance. Religion only spells out the requirements and ideals of a servant leader, while culture provides a real opportunity to practice through organizational contexts.

Conclusion

Servant leadership has proven to deliver the greatest level of humanity in both religious and cultural contexts. As depicted in the Hindu religion, the teachings advocate selflessness, concern for others, and prioritization of others’ needs over one’s own. The Hindus are also advised to conduct acts of service, which should lead to the achievement of the greatest goal. These aspects are captured in the Indian culture through the leaders who have practiced this kind of leadership. Leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, who appealed to groups in religious and non-religious contexts, have successfully practiced servant leadership. Other highlighted organizational leaders have demonstrated the ability to practice servant leadership in the organizations. Such leadership has resulted in significant success for the organizations and the subordinate employees as well. Religion provides significant guidance for the Indian practice as regards servant leadership. These results encourage every individual who seeks to serve others in various contexts within their life, leading to a greater sense of purpose.

References

DeConcinck, J. B., Moss, H. K., & DeConcinck, M. B. (2018). The relationship between servant leadership, perceived organizational support, performance, and turnover among business-to-business salespeople. Global Journal of Management and Marketing, 2(1), 38-52.

Mishra, A., & Mahapatra, M. (2018). Servant Leadership in India: A Journey from Past to Present. Review of Professional Management, 16(2), 79-87. doi:10.20968/rpm/2018/vl6/i2/141027

Simpsom, A. V., & Cunha, M. P. (2021). A Bhagavad Gita – Inspired Linked Leadership Model. Journal Of Leadership Studies, 15(3).

Zu, L. (2019). Purpose-driven leadership for sustainable business: From the perspective of Taoism. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 4(1).

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

The purpose of this assignment is to examine servant leadership practices with regard to religions and cultures other than those associated with Christianity.

Servant Leadership in a Diverse Context

While servant leadership is often associated with Christianity and the Bible, one could argue that it is compatible with most religions and philosophies and that it transcends cultures.

This assignment presents you with an opportunity to explore other cultures, philosophies, and religions and asks you to think critically about how servant leadership practices are apparent in other religions and cultures.

Begin by selecting and examining one cultural context and one religious viewpoint outside of mainstream Christianity. In a 1,100-word essay, discuss the following:

– Explain how the principles of servant leadership are evident in your chosen culture and religion.
– Identify similarities and differences between servant leadership philosophies and the values from your selected cultural context and religious viewpoint.
– Identify specific examples of servant leadership practices evident in your chosen culture and religion.

You are required to locate a total of four articles that address servant leadership in your chosen cultural context and religious viewpoint. Two of the articles should examine servant leadership from a different cultural perspective and two articles should examine servant leadership from a different religious perspective. The articles must be peer-reviewed and have been published within the last 5 years. You must use and cite the articles within each content area in your paper to strengthen your claims.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.