Developing Leadership Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Developing Leadership Skills - Assignment Example In 1970s Robert Greenleaf coined this term while describing a leader who wants to serve people. The leader of this mold would be noble and help people around him without any desire for returns. He is highly democratic, selfless and achieves power on the basis of ethical values and right approach; but would never demand it. These leaders would not resent if leadership and power are above their reach. They are just, honest and sincere in their work and do not expect returns. They do not compete for leadership; mostly leadership comes to them unsolicited. They are neither power-grabbers nor power-snatchers. Servant leader would serve first and may or may not be a formal leader. It is about collaboration, trust, listening, foresight, honesty, sincerity, and ethical use of power and empowerment. Greenleaf said "It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is the leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions" http://www.greenleaf.org/leadership/servant-leadership/What-is-Servant-Leadership.html He thought that in the late 20th century, traditionally autocratic and hierarchical leaderships are vanishing and Servant leadership with ethically caring involvement is emerging. It is succeeding through trust, bravery, and forgiveness. Greenleaf Centre for Servant leadership lays down the mission statement with 10 principles: "Listening, empathy, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community". "Servant-leaders are aware that the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives has changed our perceptions and caused a send of loss. Servant-leaders seek to identify a means for building community among those who work within a given institution" http://www.butler.edu/studentlife/hampton/principles.htm I am of the opinion that all these principles suit my temperament and the ultimate goals I have and they would shape my career in life. In this context, I am impressed by Peter Shelden, whom I met in Pakistan during my last visit thereafter earthquakes. Peter Shelden is an American, in charge of a non-government organization that is working in the earthquake hit areas of Kashmir. It is difficult to see a worse example of a disaster compared to what happened 'when the mountains moved'. In October 2005, an earthquake left three million people homeless and 200,000 people injured in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and North-West Frontier Province. Peter's team was providing health services, psycho-social service, and training and rehabilitation. Understandably, it was not an easy job. They were braving the Himalayan winter in temporary sheds and tents and the country was not theirs and the suffering people were not their countrymen. They owed nothing to this suffering lot. Still, throughou t my stay there, trying to help the people in distress, I had seen an amazing commitment in him, with a focussed desire to serve humanity, irrespective of race, region, and color. Â