Prof Kim
Submission Ide: d49c9dc8-6a1c-45d0-9c0b-74b5ad992bd0
75% SIMILARITY SCORE 27 CITATION ITEMS 26 GRAMMAR ISSUES 0 FEEDBACK COMMENT
Internet Source 42%
Institution 33%
Antoinette Pearsall
Servant Leadership in Diverse Contexts
Summary
1794 Words
Running Head: SERVANT LEADERSHIP 1
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 2
How Servant Leadership Practices Are Apparent In Other Religions and Cultures
It is worth noting that servant leadership empowers followers to grow freer, more
independent and selfless, giving them the freedom to make decisions. This enables followers to
Potentially missing comma: 2021 2021,
Servant Leadership Practices In Other Religions and Cultures
Antoinette Pearsall
GCU
MGT:410
January 20, 2021
have a higher perception of being able to act in accordance to their values and beliefs. While
servant leadership is in nature fragmented, this affects ethics and morality, and it becomes
difficult to remedy it to produce a unified and cohesive worldview of servant traditions. In this
essay, it is important to examine the overall compatibility of the major world religions including
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. The big question that arises is why
different religions and cultures practice servant leadership. The overall impression is that, there
are really no philosophic or conceptual underpinnings to servant leadership other than what
Greenleaf terms as the commitment to treat people with kindness.
To start with, a contingency theory in leadership that is founded on the worldview of
five religious cultures that together represent over 82% of the world’s population is posed.
There are numerous religious traditions including; Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam,
and Judaism in relation to factors such as the nature and exemplars of leadership, core vision,
basis for moral leadership, source of wisdom for leaders, levels of being, and the role of
community in servant leadership. While the explanations of the different religious traditions are
not exhaustive in the appraisal of each religion, the fact remains that the main focus is on
Buddhism and Islam, and Hinduism, with sparse reference to Judaism and Christianity
(Bragger, Alonso, D’Ambrosio, & Williams, 2021). The conclusion is that servant leadership
in the five religions corresponds more closely to servant leadership theories since each cultural
tradition provides a series of individuals as role models who exemplify servant leadership
behavior as well as acceptable life patterns, and who arise in times of crises to provide guidance
and inspiration.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 3
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Redundant phrase: main focus focus
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Passive voice: are noted to be
all/most/some…: all of script… all scripture
Spelling mistake: Giambatista
In the diverse religious cultures and traditions provide a list of values drawn from the
study of spirituality in the workplace that include; forgiveness, empathy, integrity, kindness,
honesty, patience, humility, loving kindness, service to others, thankfulness, guidance, joy, and
inner peace (Daniels, 2021). These values are also found within each of the five religious
traditions. Simply said, servant leadership values are embodied in each of the religious
traditions.
In the community culture sphere, extended family, village location, tribal affiliation, and
national identity are highly embraced. People are noted to be members of small groups of
friends, family, and business associates with whom they have interaction. The emphasis on the
individual is anchored in the emphasis for the need for individuals to be aware of the common
good of the community. This tension between needs and wants of an individual and those of
the community permeates all of scripture and culture. There are expectations related to how
communities relate to individuals; with special emphasis on the marginalized, and the
disenfranchised. There are also expectations related to the responsibilities individuals have to
ensure that communities are peaceful, prosperous, and just places to live (Giambatista,
McKeage, & Brees, 2020). This is emphasized on servant leadership.
Leaders are also noted to use power since power is a key area of interest in the
Scriptures. The recurring theme in servant leadership is one of sharing power; not amassing
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 4
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 5
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
on the other hand (…: On the other hand But
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Spelling mistake: Giambatista
Spelling mist…: socio-economi… socioeconomic
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
power, misleading or manipulating people, or using them as pawns in some grand vision or
scheme of the leader. Each person should have the opportunity to participate in shaping their
individual destiny and those of the followers. The use of power must affirm and strengthen
human dignity. Power usage must involve the followers or average people having the means to
act upon their dreams and desires.
When it comes to justice within the community, of particular note is the attention given
to those who are marginalized, disenfranchised, and downtrodden in diverse cultures such as
the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. This concern is a dual concern since on one hand, it
reveals the value placed on an individual regardless of whether that individual is rich or poor,
a member of the community or not. According to Bragger et al., (2021), servant leadership
emphasizes that communities have a responsibility to care for these marginalized people within
the communities. On the other hand, it reveals that a community’s concept of justice exposes
the strength or weakness of that community for its long-term sustainability. A community that
embraces servant leadership should be a community that is a just community.
Therefore, the concept of justice found within the diverse scriptures includes; procedural
justice, which specifies fair legal process for the followers, and commutative justice that defines
the fair exchange of goods and the conducting of business with fair weights and measures in
mind (Giambatista, McKeage, & Brees, 2020). There is also restorative justice, which is an
aspect of distributive and retributive justice and specifies the fair ways to correct injustice and
restore socio-economic wholeness for persons and communities. Additionally, the
responsibility of leaders to care for their followers is emphasized.
Unlike God’s declaration that the earth and all that is in it is His and human beings are
given the responsibility to care for His creation, people have the opportunity to use resources
placed in their care as stewards, by managing resources according to the wishes the followers
(Daniels, 2021). Imperatively, stewardship includes the development of personal skills and
abilities, stewardship of community, management of personal and social resources,
management of social systems, care for the marginalized, and the care for the environment just
to mention a few.
When it comes to compassion, it is interesting that throughout the diverse scriptures
those economic principles of capital redistribution are part of distributive and restorative justice.
This is justice coupled with love. Here religious traditions seek to correct and restore
community that has been fractured by material need (Gandolfi, & Stone, 2018). It therefore
makes servant leaders responsible for removing oppression that causes members of a
community to be excluded, devalued, or merely forgotten. Servant leadership is committed to
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 6
leadership. Just as an example, there is no mention made of the dual system of justice existing
in Islam regarding Muslims and non-Muslims that incorporates the concept of jihad and
challenges the broad worldview concept of the dignity of all humans (Langhof, & Güldenberg,
2020). This leads to parallels being drawn between Bedouin-Arab tribal leaders and the values
they embrace and servant leadership. However, no mention was made of how non-Muslims are
treated. In Islam, non-Muslims are divided into two basic categories: the pagan idol worshipers
and people of the book or the Jews and Christians.
It is therefore not possible for a tradition that adheres to these positions to be regarded
as a possible philosophic foundation for servant leadership showing incompatibility. In
Hinduism, the hot buttons relate to the caste system and karma. The Hindu doctrine of caste
divides people into Brahman, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudra, and untouchables. The Brahmans
embody the highest, most respected level while dalits represent the lowest and least respected
level. This division denies the value of the individual, forcing a solidarity in which all are
expected to conform to caste in behavior and self-image and in which individuals are not to be
judged apart from caste. Similarly to Islam, it is not possible for a tradition that adheres to these
positions to be regarded as a possible philosophic foundation for servant leadership. It should
be however noted that compared to the two previous religious traditions, Buddhism seems more
compatible with servant leadership since it has an emphasis on the interrelatedness of all
creation and humanity.
It can therefore be concluded that, that Judaism and Christianity hold similar positions
related to servant leadership since they share huge chunks of their scriptures. This worldview
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Passive voice: it is interesting that
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Passive voice: leaders are judged by
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Passive voice: is however assumed to be
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Spelling mistake: nontheistic non theistic
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Possible wordiness: whether or not whether
sufficient (enough): sufficient enough
Spelling mistake: Langhof Lanzhou
Spelling mistake: Güldenberg Gutenberg
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Spelling mistake: kshatriyas Kshatriya
Spelling mistake: vaishyas vanishes
Spelling mistake: shudra Sudra
caring for the marginalized and to economic parity and that this commitment to these principles
is of paramount importance. Servant leadership therefore in the community represents
compassion, along with the cluster of justice principles, within the Jewish society for instance.
Undeniably, servant leaders are judged by how they revealed compassion.
There are also areas of religious incompatibility with servant leadership. By focusing
on the list of values or attributes associated with servant leadership, Arabic culture for instance
exhibits values that seem incompatible with servant leadership. There are also isolated values
that are based on the fact that followers in Islam bestow power upon the leader and give them
the right to lead. Any worldview anchored in a traditional religion is however assumed to be
incompatible with servant leadership as seen in Saudi Arabia.
Going further, Buddhism’s religious traditions and values seem closest to the virtue
approach to servant leadership. Buddhism is technically a nontheistic religion and poses virtues
which guide the follower. These virtues relate to inner states and external practices of the leader.
Buddhism therefore places a strong emphasis on the servant leader practicing and embodying
the virtues appropriate to daily situations. Values flow from a philosophic position or
worldview. When only values are considered, each religion reveals some level of agreement
with servant leadership. However, there are hot buttons associated with each of the five
religious traditions. These hot buttons are part of the greater worldview associated with each
religion and raise questions about whether or not specific values are sufficient to support servant
has come under criticism for an apparent gender bias that discriminates against women.
Ultimately, all five religions suffer, to a greater or lesser degree, from inconsistencies or
teachings that seem incompatible with the values of servant leadership. However, as a common
point of view, three of the five religious traditions and cultures have serious contradictions with
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 7
servant leadership. This does not mean that one has to denounce all religious cultures as a basis
for servant leadership because of conflicts with specific values. When viewed in a broad
spectrum, as presented in this paper; the broad cultural religious worldview is compatible with
personalism, servant leadership as well as many other leadership styles expressed in leadership
literature. As a final note, there is a significant compatibility between the values and
components of servant leadership and the religious traditions.
References
SERVANT LEADERSHIP 8
Bragger, J. D., Alonso, N. A., D’Ambrosio, K., & Williams, N. (2021). Developing leaders to
serve and servants to lead. Human Resource Development Review, 20(1), 9-45.
Daniels, L. M. (2021). Servant Leadership in a Globally Diverse and Inclusive Organizational
Culture. In Culture in Global Businesses (pp. 19-43). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2018). Leadership, leadership styles, and servant
leadership. Journal of Management Research, 18(4), 261-269.
Giambatista, R., McKeage, R., & Brees, J. (2020). Cultures of servant leadership and their
impact. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 13(1), 12.
Spelling mistake: dalits davits
Punctuation error: Similarly Similarly,
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Spelling mist…: interrelatedn… inter related…
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Spelling mistake: personalism personal ism
Web Content: https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/Wallace/wallace.htm…
Langhof, J. G., & Güldenberg, S. (2020). Servant leadership: A systematic literature review
Toward a model of antecedents and outcomes. German Journal of Human Resource
Management, 34(1), 32-68.
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Student: Submitted to Grand Canyon University
Spelling mistake: Giambatista
Spelling mistake: Langhof Lanzhou
Spelling mistake: Güldenberg Gutenberg