Servant leadership: developing others and addressing gender inequities

Abstract

Purpose

Leaders typically want to be effective and be remembered for their achievements and positive influence. This practitioner study aims to examine theory and research on servant leadership to provide insights into how leaders can address current employment conditions and gender inequities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the key characteristics of servant leadership, compares them to other leadership models, discusses common criticisms and applies the theory to women’s career advancement.

Findings

The review identifies the advantages of servant leadership in terms of encouraging leadership development within organizations, particularly for women, to address the broken rung or lack of early career promotion.

Originality/value

The paper shares key characteristics of servant leadership, explores its differences to other leadership models and focuses on practicalities for developing others in the workplace with a particular emphasis on women.

Citation

Andrade, M.S. (2023), "Servant leadership: developing others and addressing gender inequities", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 52-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-06-2022-0032