A Double Paradox: Servant Leadership and Gender Scripts in the Latin American Context
This present article is an excerpt from one of my recent manuscripts published in the Theology of Leadership Journal. If you are interested in reading about the intersection of Servant Leadership and gender scripts in a Latin American context, I encourage you to access the full article.
A Note on the Title
First, a comment about the title. Servant leadership has been described as a paradox given the popular understanding of what leadership is supposed to be – leading others – rather than what this theory proposes – serving others. This is the first paradox, a leadership theory paradox. The second comes from the added layer of evaluating servant leadership in a Latin American context and specifically looking at gender scripts. In other words, it is a cultural paradox.
The goal of the article is threefold. First, it explores the idea of a servant leader as a leadership paradox. Second, servant leadership is then evaluated from a biblical and theological perspective. Lastly, the theory is evaluated as a cultural paradox through the lens of gender scripts.
The Servant Leader as a Leadership Paradox
Robert Greenleaf coined the term servant leadership in his seminal work The Servant as Leader (1973, 1977). Greenleaf et al. (2003) proposed that servant leadership has ten main characteristics: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (pp. 16-19). The reason it is a leadership paradox is because of its concern for the wellbeing of the people over the wellbeing of the organization. In other words, people over tasks.
Biblical and Theological Underpinnings
The Bible is full of passages that speak about serving (cf. Heb 6:10; Gal 5:13; Rom 12:1; Jn 13:1-17; Mk 10:43). Hence, this leadership approach lends itself well to be interpreted through a biblical and theological perspective. One such passage is John 13:1-17 where the author recapitulates the scene of Jesus leading by example in the institution of serving others. These verses capture the moment Jesus, prior to his las meal, “Jesus disrupts the ordinary course of events by taking up a basin and towel and washing his disciples’ feet” (Thompson, 2015, p. 279). Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is one example, among many, of leading unconventionally – by serving.
Servant Leadership and Gender Scripts in a Latin American Context
We all approach life through our cultural lens. Our culture has socialized us to view the world in a certain way. While some aspects of servant leadership easily fit a Latin American context, such as placing more value on people’s wellbeing than organizational wellbeing, other aspects present a challenge. Gender script in the Latin American context, their technical terms being marianismo and machismo, is one such aspect that servant leadership must intentionally evaluate and address. Bordas (2013) proposes a way forward that acknowledges and affirms the Latin American identity, including gender differences using the concepts of personalismo (personality), conciencia (conscience), and destino (destiny).
Conclusion
It is no oversight on my end that I have ended here. My hope was to have elicited some interest and persuaded you to read the full article. Providing a simple overview of the article does not do justice to its depth and value. We live in a globalized, digital, and interconnected world that requires us to be more mindful of our approach to leadership. This article simply scratches the surface of how we could be more intentional in thinking about the culture(s) we interact with and the people we lead.
Article citation:
Hernández, N. (2019). A double paradox: Servant leadership and gender scripts in the Latin American context. Theology of Leadership Journal, 2(1), 38-55.
References
Bordas, J. (2013). The Power of Latino Leadership: Culture, Inclusion, and Contribution. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Greenleaf, R. K. (1973). The Servant as Leader. Cambridge, MA: Center for Applied Studies.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey Into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New York, NY: Paulist Press.
Greenleaf, R. K., Beazley, H., Beggs, J., & Spears, L. C. (2003). The Servant-Leader Within: A Transformative Path. New York, NY: Paulist Press.