Robert Greenleaf changed the way management was defined by introducing servant leadership in 1970. The important characteristics were listed for effective servant leadership. This includes the quality of effective communication and skill of decision making. This is essential for reinforcing a sense of deep commitment and reflecting on the important needs. Another important quality is of healing and awareness for understanding the issues effectively and recognizing the unique spirits. Awareness lends more holistic approach along with persuasion which is an important quality. Servant Leadership has a commitment to the growth of the employees and serve the customers effectively and consistently. Servant Leadership is an important leadership model for organizations and businesses which can also be customized.
The organization which uses servant leadership is Chick-fil-A. The fast-food giant has massive growth and it has experienced a growth of Korean than 10 percent in one year after its launch in 1946. It has the retention rate of around 95 to 97 percent. Chick-fil-A has important guiding principles. It effectively makes use of recruitment of talent which is depended on the qualities of character, competency, and chemistry assessment. The employees are nurtured and honesty is maintained for the sake of their performance. There is a future created of trust and it adds value to the relationship. It also focuses on sharing a culture with the partners and embrace the Second-Mile-Service philosophy. It has its signature response of "it's my pleasure" while serving the customers working on the core model of servant leadership.
Another example is Southwest Airlines which is well known for its excellent customer service. It has important values of delivering effective service and commitment to the brand. It serves the customers openly with respect and dedication. The Southwest brand is used as the characteristic to live by for the employees. The value of servant's heart comes across effectively. It focuses on the personal values and beliefs which motivates the behavior. Both the companies have an engaging audience, loyal customers and profitability are high. Servant leadership is practiced effectively by both the companies.
Based on your research, what company stood out the most and why?