Can leadership rest exclusively on voluntary followership?

Servant leaders put the needs, interests and aspirations of other people above their own. And they primarily aim to serve rather than to lead (Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002). Moreover, their altruistic intentions lead them to seek to improve their followers in every possible way, whether it is to make them more autonomous, wiser, freer, healthier, etc.; hence, compelling them to be all they can be and thus move in a certain direction at their own free will. In other words, such a leader leads by raising other people to a higher level of motivation and morality (Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002).

Servant leadership is related to charismatic leadership. In fact, managers who are seen as charismatic are often perceived by their subordinates to be engaging in altruistic acts (Conger, Kanungo, & Menon, 2000). Also, “when subordinates perceive that their manager is exhibiting leadership behaviors, they will not only attribute charisma to him or her but also change their attitudes, values, and behavior consistent with what the manager wants from them” (Conger, Kanungo, & Menon, 2000).

Certain “field studies of charismatic leaders in business [found] that subordinates often described their attraction to the leader’s qualities of self-confidence, strong convictions in the mission, a willingness to undertake personal risks, and a history of prior accomplishment.” Consequently, meeting the high expectations of such a leader gave the subordinates a sense of fulfilling their own potential (Conger & Kanungo, 1998, p. 20). Also, to the subordinates, the attractive outcomes offered by the leader’s vision were motivating in themselves; while a key measure of a subordinate’s self-worth started to stem from the personal approval given by the charismatic leader. This led to a dependency on the leader, as in the eyes of the subordinate the leader now defined the subordinate’s level of performance and ability (Conger & Kanungo, 1998, p. 20). Consequently, the standards of performance and approval for subordinates began to be set by the leader’s expression of high expectations, while the subordinates’ motivation was further heightened by a continual sense of urgency created by the leader and his/her capacity to make subordinates feel unique. “Taken together, these actions promoted a sense of obligation in followers to continually live up to their leader’s expectations” (Conger & Kanungo, 1998, p. 21). This sense of obligation grows with the deepening of the relationship. A sense of duty and responsibility is created by the leader’s expression of confidence in the abilities of his/her subordinates. Consequently, only through great accomplishments can the subordinates validate the leader’s trust in them. Over time, as this process continues, the subordinates’ self-worth ends up being at the mercy of the leader’s affirmation, as without it subordinates start to feel that they are underperforming or even failing (Conger & Kanungo, 1998, p. 21). 

References

Conger, J. A., and Kanungo, R. N. (1998). Charismatic Leadership in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. 

Conger, J. A., Kanungo, R. N. & Menon, S. T. (2000). Charismatic leadership and follower effects. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 747-767. 

Sendjaya, S., and Sarros, J. (2002). Servant leadership: Its origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(2), 57-64. Retrieved from http://www.lead.fju.edu.tw/teacher/Lucia/course/Servant%20Leadership/2002-09-Servant%20leadership%20%20It's%20origin,%20development,%20and%20application%20in%20organizations.pdf.