followership and servant leadership army essay

Servant Leadership vs Followership: Decode the Concepts with a Deep Dive

Leadership and followership are two sides of the same coin, with each playing a crucial role in the functioning and success of any team or organization. However, there’s a lot to learn and unpack when we delve deeper into specific types of leadership and followership. One of the most influential and transformative leadership styles is servant leadership. But how does this compare and contrast with the concept of followership? In this article, we will conduct a deep dive into the topic of servant leadership vs followership , unpacking these concepts to provide you with a richer understanding of their roles and impacts.

Table of Contents

What is Servant Leadership and what is Followership?

Servant Leadership is a leadership approach in which the primary goal of the leader is to serve others. This leadership style prioritizes the needs of the team members, the organization, and the community above the self. The servant leader empowers and develops people, demonstrates humility, and contributes to the well-being of others. They place a great emphasis on the growth and development of their team, aiming to enhance individuals’ abilities and foster a positive work environment.

On the other hand, Followership refers to the behaviors and attitudes of individuals acting in a subordinate role. While it may sound less glamorous than leadership, followership is equally important in any organization or team. Effective followers are not just passive observers but active participants in their organization’s success. They understand their role, manage themselves well, remain committed to their organizations, and courageously challenge their leaders when necessary.

Key Differences between Servant Leadership and Followership

• Focus : While servant leadership places an emphasis on serving others and putting their needs first, followership focuses on supporting and executing the leader’s vision.
• Position : A servant leader is usually in a position of authority and uses their power to serve others, while a follower operates from a subordinate role, playing a supporting part in the organization’s success.
• Responsibility : Servant leaders are responsible for setting the direction and vision of the team, while followers are expected to understand this vision and work towards it.
• Influence : Servant leaders have a significant influence on organizational culture through their selfless and empowering approach, while followers contribute to the culture by actively engaging in their roles and supporting the leader’s vision.
• Development : Servant leaders focus on the development of their team members, while effective followers seek their personal and professional development within the framework provided by their leaders.

Key Similarities between Servant Leadership and Followership

• Goal alignment : Both servant leadership and followership aim for the achievement of the organization’s goals. They share a common purpose and work in tandem to achieve it.
• Active roles : Servant leaders and effective followers are not passive. They both actively contribute to the organization’s success, though in different capacities.
• Value contribution : Both servant leaders and followers contribute significantly to the team’s culture and productivity. The leader serves and empowers, while the follower supports and executes.
• Ethics and values : Servant leaders and followers both need to adhere to high ethical standards and shared values for their roles to be effective. Honesty, respect, and commitment are common in both roles.
• Continuous learning : Servant leaders and effective followers understand the importance of continuous learning. They both seek opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Communication : Effective communication is crucial in both servant leadership and followership. Whether it’s the leader conveying the vision or the follower providing feedback, open and honest communication is key to their success.

Pros of Servant Leadership over Followership

• Empowerment : Servant leadership empowers team members , nurturing their skills and encouraging personal and professional growth.
• Morale and Satisfaction : By placing the team’s needs first, servant leadership can lead to higher job satisfaction and morale, which in turn can result in lower turnover rates.
• Team Development : Servant leaders prioritize team development, which can help create a more skilled and adaptable workforce.
• Long-term Vision : Servant leaders often have a long-term perspective, planning for the future and fostering sustainable success.
• Community Impact : Servant leadership extends beyond the organization, often focusing on serving the broader community as well, which can lead to increased public goodwill and reputation.
• Innovative Environment : By empowering team members and encouraging their growth, servant leaders often foster an environment conducive to innovation and creativity.

Cons of Servant Leadership compared to Followership

• Time-Intensive : Servant leadership requires substantial time and commitment to cater to individual team members’ needs and foster their growth, which may not always be practical in a fast-paced environment.
• Misinterpretation : The emphasis on service in servant leadership can sometimes be misinterpreted as a lack of authority or decisiveness , which could potentially undermine the leader’s position.
• Dependence on Leader : Servant leadership can sometimes lead to excessive dependence on the leader, limiting the team’s self-sufficiency.
• Difficult Balance : It can be challenging to balance the needs of individual team members with the overall goals of the organization.
• Slow Decision Making : Decision making in servant leadership might take longer, as the leader seeks to consider and address the views and needs of all team members.
• Potential for Exploitation : In some cases, servant leaders may be taken advantage of by individuals who see their servant-first approach as a weakness to be exploited

Pros of Followership over Servant Leadership

• Less Responsibility : Followership generally involves less responsibility compared to servant leadership, allowing individuals to focus more on their specific tasks.
• Skill Development : In a followership role, individuals can concentrate on developing specific skills and competencies in their area of expertise.
• Flexibility : Followers often have the flexibility to adapt to different leaders and leadership styles, making them versatile contributors in various situations.
• Supporting Role : Effective followers play a critical supporting role that contributes to the overall success of a team, which can be rewarding and impactful.
• Learning Opportunities : Followership can provide valuable learning opportunities. Observing different leadership styles can prepare followers for future leadership roles.
• Efficiency : Followership can lead to more efficiency as responsibilities are divided, and individuals can focus on specific tasks.

Cons of Followership compared to Servant Leadership

• Limited Authority : Followers generally have limited authority to make decisions, which can be frustrating for those who want more control over their work.
• Dependent on Leadership : The success of followership is highly dependent on the quality of leadership. A poor leader can make followership challenging.
• Limited Recognition : Followers may not receive the same level of recognition or reward as leaders, even when they contribute significantly to the team’s success.
• Potential for Exploitation : There is a potential for followers to be exploited or undervalued by unscrupulous leaders.
• Less Influence : Followers generally have less influence over the team or organization’s direction compared to leaders.
• Challenge in Growth : Sometimes, growth opportunities may be limited in a followership role, especially if the leader does not prioritize the development of their team.

Situations when Servant Leadership is better than Followership

• Employee Engagement : Servant leadership is particularly effective when higher levels of employee engagement and morale are needed. By putting the team’s needs first, servant leaders can foster a supportive and positive environment.
• Organizational Transformation : In situations requiring significant organizational change or transformation, a servant leadership approach can be beneficial. It encourages collaboration, communication, and supports team members through changes.
• Team Development : Servant leadership excels in situations where team development is a priority. It allows leaders to focus on nurturing and enhancing the skills of each team member.
• Community Engagement : If an organization aims to strengthen its community relations or CSR initiatives, servant leadership can be an ideal approach.
• Innovation and Creativity : Servant leadership is effective in environments that encourage innovation and creativity, as it empowers team members to think freely and take risks.

Situations when Followership is better than Servant Leadership

• Highly Specialized Tasks : In situations where tasks are highly specialized and require specific expertise, a strong followership can be beneficial as it allows individuals to focus on their specific roles.
• Inexperience with Leadership : For those inexperienced in leadership roles, effective followership provides an opportunity to observe, learn, and gradually develop leadership skills.
• Autocratic Leadership Style : Under an autocratic leadership style, followership can be more suitable as decisions are typically made by the leader, and followers are expected to execute them.
• High-Paced Environments : In fast-paced environments where quick decision-making is necessary, a strong followership might be more effective to promptly implement decisions.
• Large Organizations : In large organizations with established processes and hierarchies, followership may be more effective and necessary for maintaining order and efficiency.
• Crisis Management : In crisis situations, where decisive action is needed, having effective followers who can quickly execute instructions can be invaluable.

Servant leadership vs followership summary

Throughout this exploration of servant leadership and followership, we’ve seen that both play significant roles within a team or an organization. While they differ in their approach, responsibilities, and expectations, they share a common goal: contributing to the success of their teams. Understanding the key differences, similarities, benefits, and drawbacks of servant leadership vs followership can help individuals better navigate their roles, whether they’re leading or following. Remember, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach – it’s about choosing and adapting the style that best suits you and your organization’s unique needs and goals. As we’ve discovered, both servant leadership and followership have their time and place, and recognizing this can lead to more effective, harmonious, and productive teams.

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Hidayat Rizvi

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ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Voice for the army - support for the soldier, lessons in followership: good leaders aren’t always out front.

According to the Army People Strategy, the Army’s center of gravity is its people, and leaders must commit to innovation and thoughtful leadership. As military leaders progress and lead throughout their careers at different levels within the military, they often learn about leadership in professional development courses and on-the-job experiences.

Leaders also learn about management based on their requirements to oversee completion of important workplace projects. However, they may not be provided training on how being a better follower is critical to successful leadership and how to better lead and manage followers. They also may not be accustomed to interacting with a civilian workforce, where the concept of this is different.

  Most of their experiences come from leading soldiers, where subordinates are often forced to do tasks using positional power because the leaders outrank them based on paygrade and position.

In order to be a well-rounded leader, military leaders must know how to be better followers and know how to best lead and manage followers. If there are leaders and managers, there must be followers.

To best articulate the dynamics between the leader, manager and follower, let’s define what these words mean, based on their roles and the processes:

• Follower: A person who accepts guidance, command or leadership to assist in achieving goals and accomplishing tasks.
• Manager : A person charged with impersonally enabling task execution or subsets of an organization.
• Leader: Anyone who by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility inspires and influences people by providing purpose.
• Followership: A reciprocal process of leadership. This term refers to the capacity or willingness to follow within a team or organization.
• Management: An impersonal functioning process that controls and synchronizes internal structures, processes, procedures and systems.
• Leadership: The activity of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.

Power and Influence

A follower is a person who accepts guidance, command or leadership to assist in achieving goals and accomplishing tasks. Followership is a reciprocal process of leadership that refers to the willingness to follow within a team or organization. The follower accepts their role in followership based on two types of power from the leader or manager: positional power and personal power. Without power, there is no influence.

Leaders or managers use two types of power: positional power and personal power. Managers use more of the positional power, while leaders use more personal power.

Positional power is based on appointment, office held and hierarchical placement. Usually, managers have this positional power. They get things done based on compliance and resistance. They use expert, referent and information power to apply soft application through ingratiation, peer pressure, personal appeal, inspirational appeal, participation, consultation and coalition.

There is personal power based on charisma, knowledge, experience and performance. Usually, leaders have this personal power. They get things done based on engagement and commitment with the follower. Positional power, on the other hand, is based on legitimate reward information and coercive power that uses hard application through punishment pressure, legitimate requests, imposed stress and direct oversight.

Know Your People

In the Army’s This is My Squad initiative, its major component is found in Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston’s message: We must understand the people around us. In order to be a better follower, individuals must understand and realize the influence and power of their leaders and managers. Being a better follower means being proactive and knowing how and what leaders and managers need to lead. This means anticipating future organizational needs and ensuring you are supporting leaders’ and managers’ support or information requirements. Being a better follower is also a form of so-called servant leadership.

Robert Greenleaf, who coined the term “servant leadership” and is the founder of the modern servant leadership movement and the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, said true leaders are chosen by their followers. Servant leadership is understanding the needs of others, up and down a chain in the organization, being available at the right level and being mentally prepared to serve all others. Servant leaders exist at all levels, but one must be able to follow first. The better a follower can anticipate a need, before it is even asked, the more successful that leader and led relationship remains.

Being a great follower is having appropriate situational awareness of priorities and how to best support those efforts. The follower must be able to collaborate and have the ability to maintain good relationships with others up and down the leadership chain.

Strategist, management consultant, executive coach and international speaker Terina Allen’s November 2018 article in Fast Company , “Want to be a good leader? Learn to follow,” states that followership is a key component to leadership and that followers are not inferior to leaders. The article also notes that we do not give enough credit to those who have excelled in followership. It also states that the best followers make the best leaders because they view others as equals, teach others as humans with similar struggles and shortcomings, and value everyone’s contributions to achieve goals.

Follower to Leader

In the long run, being a better follower will help everyone be better leaders and managers. Individuals can take their experiences as followers to optimize their leadership and managerial roles.

To that end, military leaders must know how to develop followers. The concept of transformational leadership described by leadership and organizational behavior scholar Bernard Bass in 1985 provides insight into how to develop followers. In his book Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations , Bass outlined the four I’s: idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and inspirational motivation. The four I’s can be used in developing and empowering followers to also become leaders. Everyone can be improved as a follower, and to optimize having the best followers, organizations must engage in follower development. This is in line with the Army Talent Management initiatives nested in the Army People Strategy.

According to author and researcher Tom Rath and leadership consultant Barry Conchie in their 2009 book, Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow , followers have four basic needs: trust, compassion, stability and hope. There must be a basic level of trust between the leader and the follower, and the best way to build this trust is to be candid even when delivering difficult news. Compassion is based on the leader truly caring for their followers. This requires being genuinely concerned for the well-being of followers and assuming responsibility for them. Stability can be improved by leaders providing a solid foundation and knowing their followers’ core values. This equates to followers feeling secure about their position. Hope is how the leader has the ability to instill enthusiasm about the future for their followers.

Military leaders are often taught how to become better leaders and managers; absent is the discussion about the importance of effective followership and how to be better followers. It is important for leaders to foster a sense of responsibility of how to be a better follower in order to improve the follower’s leadership and management skills as well. Leaders need to self-reflect on how they can improve on being a follower and how they can support their leaders and managers.

The best followers understand how their leader makes decisions, are aware of critical challenges their leader faces and have a complete set of personal leadership skills that enable confident responses to what that leader or organization needs. A critical part of being a good follower is practicing servant leadership. When acting with the intent to serve others, natural followership emerges and further builds the organizational team at every level.

Lt. Col. Amelia Duran-Stanton is chief of the Ready and Resilient Integration Branch and deputy surgeon at Headquarters, U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. She has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. She holds a doctor of philosophy degree in postsecondary/adult education and a doctor of science degree in physician assistant studies (orthopedics).

Col. Alicia “Ali” Masson  is commander of the U.S. Army Environmental Command stationed with Headquarters, U.S. Army Installation Management Command. She has deployed to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military Essay

Generally, high performance requires an appropriate leadership style that values the interest of followers. For instance, in the military, the leaders must have an unselfish mindset to enable them to encourage the aspect of diversity within the camp. Following the demanding nature of military operations, soldiers should be able to work in harmony to support the goals of the intended mission. Therefore, it is important for leaders to comprehend the facets of followership and servant leadership to integrate the teams effectively into the organization.

The term ‘followership’ refers to the ability of the followers to be active team members, take required direction, and show their commitment towards the management. In other words, the juniors are capable of executing the assigned responsibilities as stated by the leader. On the other hand, servant leadership is a headship style that describes the interaction between the supervisor and the subordinates. The approach allows the frontrunner to address the needs of staff to enhance their commitment towards achieving the set objectives.

Servant leadership and followership have some key aspects in common. For instance, in the approaches, the followers and servant leaders value commitment. The soldiers in the military are dedicated to serving and executing the commands given by their supervisors (Barry et al., 2021). Similarly, the supervisors are devoted to ensuring the officers obtain what they need to keep them active throughout their missions. Furthermore, there is an element of loyalty whereby the armed forces are dependable and willing to perform any activity that meets their objective set by the commander. In addition, in both cases, there is mutual respect and trust between the leaders and their juniors. For instance, when supervisors are giving orders and guidance, the officers are confident and ready to follow their directives given. Similarly, the Generals always believe in the capabilities of the soldiers and accord the necessary respect. Moreover, followership and servant leadership portrays the tendency of wiliness to take action. In the military, leaders and juniors are ever ready to undertake any mission despite their situation. They are driven by the need to serve the people and achieve their goals.

Despite having similar attributes, followership and servant leadership still differ significantly from each other. For instance, the responsibilities of leaders are more unlike the ones of followers. The Generals in the military must ensure the operations are successful by coordinating and inspiring the junior officers to concentrate and deliver the required services (Lee et al., 2020). The subordinate has less commitment since they are not much concerned and do not need much awareness and conceptualization of the whole operation processes in the camp. Furthermore, servant leaders are known for giving orders and performing other necessary operations to enable the subordinates to comply effectively. On the other hand, followership embraces the culture of following instructions and strictly executing the commands from the commander.

In the military, followership and servant leadership are crucial approaches for ensuring effective performance to achieve objectives. Soldiers portray a high level of loyalty by following the orders given by their leaders without questioning the commanders’ actions. Similarly, the supervisors trust the activities of the officers and assigned them duties knowing that they will deliver. However, on the basis of responsibilities, servant leaders have several tasks to perform that demand more attention from them as compared to the junior officers.

Barry, E. S., Bader-Larsen, K. S., Meyer, H. S., Durning, S. J., & Varpio, L. (2021). Leadership and Followership in military interprofessional health care teams. Military Medicine , 186 (Supplement_3), 7-15.

Lee, A., Lyubovnikova, J., Tian, A. W., & Knight, C. (2020). Servant leadership: A meta‐analytic examination of incremental contribution, moderation, and mediation. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology , 93 (1), 1-44.

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IvyPanda. (2023, August 26). Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military. https://ivypanda.com/essays/followership-and-servant-leadership-in-the-military/

"Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military." IvyPanda , 26 Aug. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/followership-and-servant-leadership-in-the-military/.

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IvyPanda . 2023. "Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military." August 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/followership-and-servant-leadership-in-the-military/.

1. IvyPanda . "Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military." August 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/followership-and-servant-leadership-in-the-military/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military." August 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/followership-and-servant-leadership-in-the-military/.

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Servant Leadership Vs. Followership: Compare and Contrast Essay Example

In this essay, I will define, compare, and contrast followership and servant leadership. Followership and servant leadership are like two sides of the same coin. They exist separately but share plenty of attributes from the Army’s Leadership Requirements Model. 

The phrase ‘servant leadership’ is credited to Robert K. Greenleaf. It is a form of leadership where the leader places the needs and wellbeing of his/her subordinates first. In Greenleaf’s words, “The servant leader is servant first …” Alternatively, followership is the active pursuit of a leader’s goal for the organization by a follower. However, both terminologies have similarities.

For instance, trust and respect. Servant leaders need to trust and respect their followers’ methods and will to accomplish tasks assigned to them. Trust comes from understanding team dynamics and building personal relationships with their subordinates. On the same token, effective followers need to trust and respect their leader’s guidance when tackling the organization’s missions. Furthermore, both positions need to employ critical thinking and confidence when going about their tasks. Confidence in their decisions and actions is a result of critical thinking. This displays competence to the rest of the team members and further strengthens the cohesiveness of the team. These are just but a few of the similarities.

The main difference between servant leadership and followership lies in the tasks and level of accountability for each position. Servant leaders are leaders still. Meaning they must maintain individual and team accountability. They focus on current tasks and future missions for the organization. Whereas in followership, followers focus individual accountability and current tasks. Followership holds less responsibility.

In conclusion, we can see that servant leadership and followership have minor differences but a lot of similarities. In fact, both are subject to the Army’s Leadership Requirement’s Model. Be, know, and do.

FM 6-22 Leader Development – United States Army. (n.d). Retrieved from https://rdl.train.army.mil/catalog-ws/view/FM6-22Supplement

“Army Profession and Leadership Policy.” Https://Armypubs.army.mil, armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN3758_AR_600-100_FINAL_WEB_.pdf. 

Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant Leadership: a Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Paulist Press.

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• Followership in the Army A Servant Leadership Essay

Followership in the Army: A Servant Leadership Essay

Pages: 4 (1470 words)

Subject: Government

Topic: Army

Document Type: Essay

Document: #576909

Download this document in word format (.doc)

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Introduction

Have you heard about servant leadership in the army? What about followership in the army? Have you been asked to write an essay about these topics? Many students in the military will be asked to write about leadership.

This article will show you how to write an essay about a specific topic of leadership as it pertains to the army or the military more generally. For one, this article shows you how to broach the topic of servant leadership and followership in the army, which is a common concept in the field of leadership studies.

Another topic this article covers is followership in the army. Follwership is a concept that focuses more on followers and their behaviors, which create all the overt features of an organization’s culture. Followership is especially salient in military organizational behavior , military leadership, and military management because of the organizational structure and culture of the army.

Also, this article will relate the concept of followership to servant leadership, especially as it applies to the army. A common assignment for students in the military would be to write about both followership and servant leadership.

With the tips outlined in this article, you will learn how to craft an essay that will make you proud.

To Begin: An Outline

Making an outline first helps your essay become more organized and easy to read.

I. Introduction

A. The concept of servant leadership can actually be traced back to ancient China but the term “servant leadership” was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 (Wesson, 2017).

B. Servant leadership refers to placing the needs of others (such as other members of the organization or its stakeholders) first, with ethical principles and people coming before other goals like profit.

C. Followership refers to the attitudes of subordinates within a hierarchical organization like the army.

D. Thesis: Servant leadership and followership are interrelated concepts, with each depending on the other.

II. Topic sentence: Servant leadership is built into the core values of the army.

A. Army leadership is practically based on the concept of servant leadership because of the nature of the organization.

B. Individual needs are secondary if not outright irrelevant, as leaders serve the common goals of the army.

C. Servant leadership in the army also ensures ascription to ethical values and principles.

III. Topic sentence: Followership refers to the stance taken by subordinates in a hierarchical organization like the army.

A. Followership is built into army organizational culture .

B. With only few exceptions, all individuals in the army are subordinate to at least one other person.

C. Followership creates order and maintains the organizational hierarchy.

IV. Topic sentence: Servant leadership and followership go hand in hand in the Army.

A. Servant leadership places the needs of the organization and the people it serves, like the American public, ahead of other concerns.

B. Followership refers to the way all members of the army report to their immediate commander or supervisor in a chain of command.

C. Followership signifies the humble attitude required for servant leaders to properly perform their duties in the army.

V. Conclusion

A. Thesis: Servant leadership depends on followership, and creates a cohesive organizational culture with strong ethics and values.

B. Taken together, servant leadership and followership can be applied to many different organizational structures and cultures.

C. Future research might investigate formal means by which to empirically test whether or not followership and servant leadership combine to create more effective leaders or to promote measurable outcomes.

Followership in the Army Servant Leadership Essay: Example Paper

Research on leadership flourished in the middle of the twentieth century, giving rise to a number of theories that have informed subsequent organizational behavior. Several of the prevailing theories of leadership trace their roots to ancient civilizations and their models of governance. For example, the concept of servant leadership can actually be traced back to ancient China even though the term “servant leadership” was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 (Wesson, 2017). Servant leadership refers to placing the needs of the followers first. This model of leadership has become popular in multiple sectors, even those that are bureaucratic and hierarchical like government agencies. Servant leadership is, for example, applicable to the military. In the military, ethical principles, national security policy goals, and the interests of the American people come before other goals like profit. Followership is another leadership theory that can be incorporated into military settings. Like servant leadership, followership is focused more on the followers and their needs than on leader traits and behaviors. Followership refers more specifically to the attitudes of subordinates within a hierarchical organization like the army. Servant leadership and followership are interrelated concepts, each depending on…

Sample Source(s) Used

Citroen, L. (n.d.). What is servant leadership? military.com. Retrieved from: https://www.military.com/hiring-veterans/resources/understanding-military-servant-leadership-for-civilian-employers.html

“Followership,” (n.d.). Citadel. Retrieved from: http://www.citadel.edu/root/images/commandant/followership%20presentation%20%20recognition%20day.pdf

Jenkins, M.A. (n.d.). Compare and contrast servant leadership with followership. Retrieved from: https://get2fiu.com/compare-and-contrast-servant-leadership-and-followership-spc-jenkins/

Wesson, C. (2017). The NCO. Army University Press. Retrieved from: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2017/March/THE-NCO-ARMY-LEADER/

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Followership vs Servant Leadership in the US Army

Servant and follower leadership are the two primary types of administration in the military, and the essay’s purpose is to compare and contrast them. Military commanders often resort to using one type to manage their subordinates effectively. On the one hand, on some level, the two concepts share common goals and patterns. However, at the same time, certain traits, responsibilities, and values differ. Thus, servant leadership and follower leadership are two distinct concepts, each of which has a specificity of interaction and involvement of people.

Above all, it should be noted that both leadership styles follow the goal of actively involving soldiers in their work and managing them effectively. Both leaders share the character traits of responsibility, honesty, initiative, reliability, and loyalty (Davis, 2017). They strive to listen to their subordinates actively and are capable of critically analyzing situations to find quick solutions. Leaders seek accountability and are assertive, versatile, and flexible (Davis, 2017). The goal of effective management unites the two styles and directs the nature of leadership in a particular direction. Although followers have much in common with servant leaders, their function varies in the aspect of commitment, as they have fewer responsibilities (US Army Sergeants Major Academy). The follower is the leader who likewise works for the interest of the organization but mentoring and commitment to personal and professional growth are not their key characteristics. At the same time, the servant leader is the person who devotes all resources to build the closest possible relationship with soldiers (Davis, 2017). A servant leader strives for the growth of soldiers and helps develop both professional and personal aspects, and at the heart of such leadership lies selflessness and complete trust.

Thus, it can be concluded that servant leadership and follower leadership have different traits, although they follow the same goal. Both leaders share some character traits but, at the same time, differ in their essence and vision. The servant is always ready to be there for the soldiers and be their primary support and mentor. At the same time, the follower has a different mindset toward the organization as a whole, rather than working with each group member in a trusting way.

Davis, C. (2017). Servant leadership and followership. Palgrave Macmillan.

US Army Sergeants Major Academy. (n.d.). Leadership [Class reading]. US Army Sergeants Major Academy.

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The Importance of Followership and Servant Leadership in the Army

• Category: Government , Business
• Topic: Army , Leadership Styles

Pages: 1 (421 words)

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