Comparison Of The Characteristics Of Followership And Servant Leadership

This essay will discuss the differences between servant leadership and following. Understanding the relationship between these leadership concepts is crucial. These concepts can be used to help young leaders develop their leadership skills. These concepts will give insight into each leader’s current situation and help them to be the leader they want to be. Critical thinking is required for both servant leadership and followership. The Sergeant Majors Academy essay outlines one characteristic of a servant leader: the need to foresee. Serving leaders must be able to anticipate and plan for potential problems that might affect Soldiers’ needs. Serving leaders must plan ahead for Soldiers’ meals, such as when they are taking off to the range. Effective followers are the same. Effective followers should be able to look for solutions and other ways to accomplish the task. Blindly following can lead to unexpected obstacles that could threaten the mission’s success. While servant leadership might seem similar to followership, they have distinct characteristics. Depending on the situation, followership can take on different forms. The environment can influence how followership works. R.E Kelly’s Two-Dimensional Model on Follower Behavior reveals that sheep followers are passive and non-critical thinkers. The sheep position is very negative at first. The sheep can be a positive asset to the team if there is an ongoing struggle for power. Another way to put it is the saying, “Too many cooks in a kitchen.” However, the sheep-follower role may not be beneficial if there are no other people taking initiative. However, servant leadership does not have to be a broad concept. It is a simple list of characteristics that can be applied to any situation. While this doesn’t allow for individuality, it does give a guideline and something that every leader can strive for. The essay has concluded by discussing the similarities between followership and servant leadership concepts. These concepts are not all equal. Young leaders should use each concept in different situations to assess how they will apply them.