Spears points out something very interesting the idea of servant leadership is very new. This was intriguing to me as it is now a fairly widespread idea that a leader should possess Spear’s 10 characteristics of a good leader. All the characteristics are something I see that everyone should strive for, leader’s especially. But looking to leaders, at least the ones in the limelight today, I’m not sure how many of them actually embody these characteristics. It seems like Trump and Pelosi among others do not personify these characteristics but tend to lean toward how Machiavelli says to portray them: through appearance.
Robert Greenleaf does a very good job framing the servant leader as well. He makes a great distinction by saying that a servant leader focuses on putting others needs before his own. This is a quintessential part of being a leader. To help and grow those who put them in that position. It should not be their goal to only profit from it as a leader but to be a servant leader and better the community around them.
I also found the fact that servant leadership is relatively new very intriguing. I think that leaders today, especially the two you specifically mentioned, should strive to be more of the 10 characteristics that they do not possess. And though I think having leaders who put people’s needs before their own are quite rare, they are the best leaders because they are the best people.
I agree with your viewpoint and I found it interesting how you mentioned current leaders who do not possess the characteristics of servant leaders because you would think that people would elect people that want to help their followers, not act in their own interests. Also, it’s crazy how we think that servant leaders are the best leaders and that servant leadership is the ideal way of leading, yet we elect people who do not portray these characteristics.
I agree with your statement that we tend to look at leaders based on appearance now. This connects to the humility discussion because just like humility, the ten characteristics are not visual but are extremely important.