Motivation to Serve

Abstract

The motivation to serve others is deeply embedded in the philosophy of servant leadership. As seen from the quote above, Robert Greenleaf articulated the core essence of a servant-leader as having the desire to serve others. It is this desire that precipitates actions taken by the servant–leader to ensure that others’ critical needs are met (Greenleaf, 1970). In a time where abuse of power and unethical leadership practices are increasingly common, it is not surprising that servant leadership, which emphasizes the leader’s genuine desire and moral responsibility to meet the needs of the subordinates, is gaining more appeal with organizations.

It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first … The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant – first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.

( Robert Greenleaf, 1970, p. 4)