Good Day, Gentle Reader. I have been re-reading and re-savoring Greenleaf’s ‘Little Orange Essay’ – ‘The Servant as Leader.’ This is the essay that most folks have access to and it is the second iteration of his original essay. In March, 1975 my mentor, Lowell, presented me with this essay. During these many decades since I often return to the following question – and Greenleaf’s response. During these many decades more and more folks were also asking this question: ‘Who is the servant leader?’ The response that others offered – and continue to offer – focuses more on the concept of ‘leader-first’ and not on Greenleaf’s concept of ‘servant-first.’ Consequently, when I am offered this question I offer Greenleaf’s response and invite the person to ‘consider’ Greenleaf’s response (‘Consider’ = to reflect upon, to think deeply about, to search and seek with others via searching conversations). So, Gentle Reader, today, I invite you to ‘Consider’ Greenleaf’s response – especially if you seek to understand and embrace Greenleaf’s concept of ‘The Servant as Leader.’
‘Who is the servant leader? The servant leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He is sharply different from the person who is leader first. The leader first and the servant first are two extreme types.
The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test and difficult to administer is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will he benefit, or, at least, will he not be further deprived?
As one sets out to serve, how can one know that this will be the result? This is part of the human dilemma; one cannot know for sure. One must, after some study and experience, hypothesize – but leave the hypothesis under a shadow of doubt. Then one acts on the hypothesis and examines the result. One continues to study and learn and periodically one re-examines the hypothesis itself.
Finally, one chooses again. Perhaps one chooses the same hypothesis again and again. But it is always a fresh open choice. And it is always an hypothesis under the shadow of doubt.
Since the test of results of one’s actions is usually long delayed, the faith that sustains the choice of this hypothesis is psychological self-insight. This is the most dependable part of the true servant.
The natural servant, the person who is servant first, is more likely to persevere and refine his hypothesis on what serves another’s highest priority needs than is a person who is leader first and who later serves out of promptings of conscience or in conformity with normative expectations.’ [‘The Servant as Leader,’ Pages 7-8]
‘…if one is servant, either leader or follower, one is always searching and listening…’ –Robert K. Greenleaf
Servant As Leader 