Benchmark Research Assignment: Servant Leadership Analysis
Analyze your volunteer experience by writing a 1,000-1,250 word reflection focused on your volunteer experience. Examine how volunteering enabled you to practice the principles of servant leadership. Reference and address the following in the paper.
1. Summarize your servant leadership volunteer opportunity by sharing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the experience.
WHO = Contact information for the organizational leader is Mr. Ambrose Amoakoh, Part-time Pastoral Associate and coordinator
WHAT = Packaging and distributing food twice each month to the needy and registered clients living in Newark, New Jersey.
WHEN = Twice every month, two last week Saturdays of every month
WHERE = Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry- St. Mary's Church, 528 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102. Telephone number - (973) 792-5790. )
WHY = "?
2. Which of Greenleaf's principles of servant leadership did you implement and learn the most about through completing the servant leadership experience? Provide examples in your discussion.
3. Both Greenleaf and the biblical passages referenced in the various Topic Materials focus on the idea that power comes from giving it away and that taking the role of a servant can make one a leader. Discuss whether or not your servant leadership volunteer opportunity helped you to find yourself as a leader in this way. Provide supporting examples.
4.. Use examples from your servant leadership volunteer opportunity to discuss the idea that serving others as a leader might influence change or produce a positive impact for the greater good.
5. Think about your personal leadership skills and style and discuss what your learned about yourself as a servant leader from completing the volunteer opportunity.
6. Looking forward, how will you use what you have learned about the principles of servant leadership in your workplace, organizations with which you are involved, and in your personal life?
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Servant Leadership
Name
Institution
Introduction
Although the idea of servant leadership might have been in existence about two thousand years ago, the currently used was discovered by Robert K. Greenleaf in the year 1970. Robert was the Chief Executive Officer of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. His idea of servant leadership was first heard of when he published his classical essay entitled The Leader as a Servant. According to Robert, being a servant leader is an in-born desire to serve others that is why he said that a leader who considers him or herself as a leader should be servant first. Greenleaf suggested that before anyone becomes a servant leader; he or she should be ready to see him or herself as a servant first. A servant leader must first consider that if the people being served are healthier, are becoming wiser, are having freedom, are more autonomous and they themselves are likely to become servants. When I got servant leadership volunteer opportunity at Pirre Toussaint Food Pantry, which is situated at St. Mary`s Church in Newark, NJ, I had to use some of the Greenleaf’s principles to enable perform as expected (Spears, 2010).
This essay examines some of the experiences I had when I volunteered as a servant leader.
Summary of my Servant Leadership Volunteer
According to Black (2008), servant leadership is defined as a set of practices and philosophy which enhances the lifestyle for different people, building better organizations and eventually develop a more caring and a just world. When I volunteered at Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry as a servant leader, I had to first report to Mr. Ambrose Amoakoh who was the leader of the organization, and who was a part-time Pastoral and Coordinator. My duty was to package and distribute food twice every month to the needy and to the registered clients living in Newark, New Jersey. The food was supposed to be distributed twice every month on the last Saturdays of the month.
Greenleaf’s Principles
According to Robert Greenleaf both organizations and individuals can be servant leaders with equal measures. He had a strong belief that organizations with servant leaders can change the world greatly and in a big way. Mr. Robert Greenleaf came up with some principles that have been used by most of the leaders that care about serving others have adopted Greenleaf’s principles. One of the characteristics that I adopted was the desire to serve people, my desire to serve people is one of the reasons one I chose to volunteer in this organization. Another characteristic of Greenleaf’s principles that I adopted is the desire to participate in those activities that are geared towards building community. Pirre Toussaint Food Pantry has done well in this sector. They have got well laid policies that allow for their workers to participate in those activities that contributes in the development of the surrounding community. Their policy of distributing food to the needy in the society as well as to other individuals that are suffering individuals in Newark, New Jersey was a good sign that they cared about the characteristic of community development. I wanted to be a leader who is involved in the provision of service to people (Spears, 2010).
Gaining Power by Giving it Away
Greenleaf’s idea of servant leadership borrows largely from some of the biblical teachings. For instance, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show that he was a servant leader. He did not put himself above his disciples. During the volunteer opportunity I got a chance to practice a servant leadership. For instance, whenever I distributed the food to the needy in Newark, New Jersey I could find my...