The Effectiveness of Servant Leadership in Schools

The author is Teacher III at Cutud Elementary School Shirley M. Guzman

Servant leadership is one of the most effective models of leadership today. School heads who embody this leadership paradigm encourage and enable teachers to demonstrate a desire to build school community. Teacher’s efficiency and effectiveness increase as they are honored and served by their principal .Hence, impacting students , colleagues and parents positively and putting the needs of organization ahead of personal needs and honoring the people ,not programs and politics. Students ultimately benefit from this approach as the teachers learn to serve them first as people and influence ,lead and guide them confidently into their learning. Stewart (2012) and Crippen (2010) agreed in Greenleaf’s notion in 1970’s about servant leadership starts with desire highlighted the intrinsic feeling of leaders wanting to serve. Servant leadership can be defined as an attitude of leading others from a perspective of placing the organizational purpose, the needs of the school, and the needs of the people over the needs of the leader. It compels leaders to provide followers with the followers need that the followers might be able to do what needs to be done. If principals want to be excellent servant leaders and increase the effectiveness of teachers in their schools , they must develop strong character traits that are embodied and exemplified by successful servant leaders. The principal’s role of leadership is vital for school progress .School head must model the way , enable teachers to act, encourage teachers’ hearts , and communicate a larger vision to pursue .Therefore , teachers will increase in self-efficacy as principals embody consistent and vivid experience of modelling behavior that builds trust and reinforces verbal commitment where there teachers perform at their best. Teachers then tend to persevere , be positive ,retain the core values and strive to meet the goal that eventually lead to developing the vision into reality. They become effective and caring leaders too as they are enabled by the principal. It is clear that “servant leadership provides the promise of an effective educational leadership and management model”(Crippen 2005 , p .16),wherein principals serve and lead teachers and increase effectiveness in school .As servant leader principals lead by serving , they change those around them , transforming the organization and increasing leadership effectiveness in the world of education.