Servant Leadership Practices in a Volunteer-Led Organization

Abstract

Recent research on the leadership behavior of leaders in a large, volunteer-led community service organization uncovered several leadership practices that are consistent with those of servant leadership. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight volunteer leaders whose scores on the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) indicated they engaged in the five practices of exemplary leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. During the course of the interviews, evidence of servant leadership behavior emerged. This chapter identifies the specific leadership behavior described, connects these findings to other research on servant leadership, and provides initial conclusions, implications for practice, and possible avenues for further research.