International Journal of Business, Management and Commerce (IJBMC)

This paper examines the servant leadership model, including the qualities exhibited by servant leaders. It also describes the impact principals can have upon stakeholders in the educational system through servant leadership. Rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy and Biblical history, servant leadership was resurrected in the 1970s when it was re-popularized by Robert Greenleaf. Greenleaf’s coined the phrase servant leader in The Servant as Leader. Recent research on servant leadership has demonstrated the importance of the model on school climate, student achievement, job satisfaction, and teacher retention—all critical in today’s educational system. The benefits of servant leadership applies to a wide array of organizational units, especially schools. Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, Men’s Wearhouse, and Nordstroms are examples of companies that practice servant leadership (Modern Servant Leader, 2015). It is clear that organizations, especially schools, can become stronger when leaders adopt, practice, and model servant leadership.