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Here are some additional research to describe servant leadership:

• Robert K. Greenleaf: Greenleaf is the author of the book “The Servant as Leader”, which is considered to be the seminal work on servant leadership. Greenleaf defines servant leadership as “the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. The best test is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
• Spears Model of Servant Leadership: Spears developed a model of servant leadership that identifies ten characteristics of servant leaders. These characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community.

Here is a work-related example of how servant leadership would or should apply to the workplace:

• A team leader is responsible for a team of software engineers who are developing a new product. The team leader is using servant leadership to lead the team. The team leader is listening to the team members’ ideas and concerns, and is empowering them to make decisions and take ownership of their work. The team leader is also creating a positive and productive work environment where team members feel valued and respected. As a result, the team is highly motivated and productive, and they are on track to deliver the new product on time and within budget.