Servant Military Leadership Can Be Most Effective During Unstable Times

• In Event: Examinations of Military and Command Leadership

Short Description

Top military leaders recognize the problem of first-term officers departing the service. The concept of servant leadership, particularly in turbulent times, can be beneficial in maintaining personnel as noted in this heuristic study incorporating the lived experiences of the primary researcher and six former United States Armed Forces military officers.

Detailed Abstract

The concept of servant leadership is practiced to a lesser degree throughout a turbulent world, ever changing, and ever redefining itself, particularly in terms of employment personnel. Jobs come and go and the rationale as to their importance and longevity are constantly being challenged by leadership, new operating procedures, and equipment such as computers which can make some jobs obsolete. However, servant leadership (generally defined as working in roles from the lowest of subordinates and up) itself, has not become a viable form of leadership in today’s military (Earnhardt, 2008). As a whole little is studied about servant leadership and its value in general. For this study, however, servant leadership involves troops at all levels of the hierarchy in the decision-making process without coercion or fear. Top military leaders recognize the problem of first-term officers departing the service. The concept of servant leadership may prove to be beneficial in the Armed Forces and there may be a viable need for selfless leadership in today’s military. According to Greenleaf (2003), “True leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others” (p. 15). This type of leader is vastly different than one who believes they are a leader first because of the need to satisfy an inherent desire to serve people or acquire material possessions (Greenleaf, 2002). The United States military has a long-standing tradition of leadership which has proven to be effective. However; in recent unstable years during downsizing and the uncertain era of proper military readiness, the military has experienced an increase in the number of ensigns, lieutenants, and captains leaving the service upon completion of their initial subordinate contractual obligations. This study focused on applying servant leadership concepts in the military which can complement the traditional autocratic style of leadership. Servant leadership is based on leaders becoming servants first, able to see the organization through the eyes of their people and empathic to the people’s needs. Using a heuristic design because it incorporates the lived experiences of the primary researcher and six former United States Armed Forces military officers. Based on key questions, the participants overwhelmingly agreed that servant leadership is needed during these uncertain times. For example, “If servant leadership was practiced in the military when I was serving, I might still be in the (branch of service)”. While this sample was small, it represented a large proportion of military personnel that would likely agree that servant leadership may complement traditional military leadership and reduce the retention rate among company grade officers. When military stress increases during times of war further studies can examine how servant leadership may reduce the suicide rates in the United States Armed Forces due to the connectivity soldiers feel based on their duties involving dedication and experience. Discover what makes the potential of servant leadership such a great mainstay among military personnel. Find out through a firsthand account of situations and modes of steps up the military ladder where servant leadership added value to both subordinate and those he or she must serve under. Anecdotes and other prescriptive scenarios demonstrate why it is so important that the integrity of servant leadership remain intact particularly during uncertain times where budgets and personnel can be juxtaposed to one another, times so turbulent that crisis management may be the norm and a Who Moved My Cheese (constantly changing job roles) philosophy can be omnipresent (Johnson, 1998). No matter the volatile roles and responsibility military personal face, an old pop culture adage from the 1960’s television show Star Trek aligns well with the best that servant leadership has to offer, “The needs of the many outweigh the few,” as Leonard Nimoy who portrayed the character of Spock would often say. Indeed, for the future of servant leadership could be one of the best prescriptions the military can use, redefining the roles of leadership in other ways that this study showed can be imagined.

Participants

• James C. Turner, University of Phoenix

• Erik Bean, University of Phoenix