Posted: February 1st, 2023

Is Servant Leadership an Effective Project Management

The concept of leadership has been studied extensively in the field of project management. This researcher then would want to highlight that the key aspect to project successes is the importance of project leadership. Previous studies and researches found out that a strong demand in market condition necessitate a firm focus on leadership, skills and knowledge to make sure of the success of a project. These studies also suggest that successful project outcome requires focus on the human aspects and organizational aspects on the field of project management.
Yet, despite the voluminous researches and studies, project managers still continue to experience many hurdles and challenges that concerns leadership, style of leadership, uncertainty, stress, teamwork, learning and motivation (Berg and Karlsen, 2007). According to Hauschildt et al, (2000), the success of a project is dependent more on than anything else but human factors like leadership, project team, and top management support as compared with technical aspects. Hauschildt et al. (2000) also found out that human factors gets even more important when the project becomes more complex, risky and innovative. This team of researchers concluded that the role of the leader has a direct correlation to the outcome of the project.
According to the Chaos Report as presented by Standish Group (2009), it is suggestive that the challenges and problems that can have relation to the success of the project outcome and solutions in order to achieve stakeholder’s expectations, comes from procedures adapted by project managers and from leadership roles. Based on the research done by the Cambridge University School of Business and Economics it was found out that eighty percent of all projects being launched suffer in failure due to poor leadership. According to Zhang and Faerman (2007), these failures suggests poor leadeship as reflected by inadequate communication, limited teamwork, and inability to address conflict and other human inefficiencies.
Considering that the factor of leadership is crucial to the outcome of a project, this paper proposes a look at servant leadership style in this regards. Servant leadership represent a style of leadership wherein the leader plays a role of supportive and service-oriented towards the stakeholders and his followers. In this style of leadership, the leader serves by developing his follower’s skills, encouraging innovation, removing obstacles, and supporting problem solving skills. Moreover, some of the attributes of this style of leadership are active listening, awareness, persuasion, foresight, conceptualization, community building, healing, and growth of people. It is the seen that a closer investigation on the servant leadership in relation to project management can give project managers valuable information in terms of improving their leadership acumen as well as producing a positive project outcome. The proposed research study then would want to investigate the relation between servant leadership and project outcomes.
Research Question
The research questions for this study are:
1. Is there a relationship, if any, between servant leadership style and successful project outcomes
2. What are the effects of project manager experience on successful project outcomes
3. Does leadership training has an effect to successful project outcome
4. Can a servant leadership style provide a successful project outcome
Literature Review
There are an abundance of studies and literature that concerns leadership in an attempt to analyze and define the term. It must be known that leadership is a complex and complicated subject that is influenced by many factors like different roles taken by leaders and other variables that affect this role. The complexity inherent then in this subject gives way for a comprehensive and full understanding on what really make an effective or good leadership (Skipper and Bell, 2006).
According to Freiberg and Freiberg (1996), leadership is a dynamic and complex relationship founded on mutual influence and common goal between the leader and his followers, both of whom are motivated and influencing others to accomplish a goal. Another definition as suggested by Bass (1990) stated that leadership is the ability to influence others to achieve objectives and goals. On the other hand, Pierce & Newstrom (2006) tried to give definition to leaders as those who exercise intentional authority over others in pursuit of achieving and accomplishing mutual goals.
In an organizational setting, the leader is required to interact with his followers regularly and at the same time directing and listening to them as they are lead to success (Lapp, 1999). Dvir et al. (2002) also suggested that good leaders ought to earn trust from their followers whom the leader gives a sense of autonomy. Moreover, it is also expected that leaders should envision possible challenges and problems before it can happen to the organization (Gehring, 2007).
Theories on Leadership
According to Pierce and Newstrom (2006), the studies on leadership and its processes stems from social psychology, organizational behavior, psychology, and sociology. For the past several decades it has been reported that there have been as many as 65 types of leadership. In regards to this study, leadership is viewed from two perspectives, namely: the ability to make strategic decisions through utilization of communication; and skills on interpersonal motivation, relationship, emotional maturity and decision making. Yet, it is also seen that there are many types of leadership that maybe applicable when dealing with many problems, challenges and issues concerning project management. In this regards, this paper will focus on servant leadership exclusive in investigating its relationship with project management.
Servant Leadership
There are many literature and studies that exist that give focus on servant leadership by describing it and comparing it to other types of leaderships, discussing its merits in terms of its efficacy, and persuading others to emulate it in practice to address different challenges in the organizational setting. Yet, it can also be seen that studies done on it lack on the subject of project management. On the other hand, there is an increased in the number of theorists that suggest that servant leadership can help give major contribution in giving solution to many leadership challenges experienced by organizational leaders.
Given that servant leadership is becoming a popular concept, it must also be understood that throughout its history, it is largely undefined and without empirical support. Russell & Stone (2002) suggested a practical model for this kind of leadership and identified its accompanying and functional attributes. On the other hand, Patterson (2003) suggested and defined values from which servant leadership is based.
According to Patterson (2003), servant leadership has characteristics of total quality, empowerment, participatory and team building management, and insert service ethics in its philosophy. In terms of operational level, servant leadership is characterized by 10 points, namely: empathy, listening, awareness, healing, conceptualization, persuasion, stewardship, foresight, community building and commitment to growth. This leadership model focuses on the development of others. According to Greenleaf (1977), the principle in servant leadership is that leaders must ensure that the followers need is being served.
According to Greenleaf (1977), the servant leader should not be motivated by self-interest but rather should go up on a higher level of motivation. Servant leaders build and develop people in order for them to strive and flourish. More than this, servant leaders gives vision, earn credibility and trust from their followers and also are able to influence others. Greenleaf (1977) also suggested that servant leaders serve with the main focus on the result but rather gives his focus on the service itself. Based on the definition of Patterson (2003), servant leaders are those who give service with a focus on his follower as his followers are the main concern and that the organizational concern stand at the peripheral.
Research Methodology 2
Research Process
Data Collection and Analysis Method
Research Outcome
Gantt Chart
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