Servant Leadership for Non-Managers

The traditional command-and-control approach to leadership is inflexible and obsolete. Author Kenneth Hunter explains that servant leadership, a supportive and trusting approach in which leaders serve the needs of the people they lead, is the leadership mode of tomorrow. While somewhat repetitive, Hunter explains the basics of servant leadership and details its benefits for leaders and followers, comparing its rewards favorably against other styles. He aims to convince the reader that, with effort and devotion, anyone can become a servant leader. Hunter takes an unusual and helpful approach by writing not for existing leaders – as do most authors exploring this arena – but for those who want to lead.

Responsibility and Burden

Hunter provides a primer – a basic lesson. He starts as any good teacher does, with the historical basis of his argument. He teaches that the concept of leadership goes back to ancient Greece and Rome. The word “leader,” Hunter explains, corresponds with “load,” which implies a burden or a responsibility.