Servant leadership: the skills of those who serve

Servant leadership was initially conceptualised in the 1970s as an ethical form of leadership, in contrast to the heroic forms of leadership prevalent at the time. The servant leader aims to put the needs of the follower first, empowering them through way of support, guidance and servitude. The field is currently saturated with literature concerning the characteristics, traits and behaviours of servant leaders. However, the research concerning the skills of servant leadership has not yet been subject to thorough examination. The purpose of this research is therefore to identify and develop a conceptual framework concerning the skills necessary for servant leadership, as informed by extensive investigation. A systematic literature review has been conducted in order to identify the relevant themes, alongside qualitative field research. The research is currently in the process of analysing the findings in order to develop the aforementioned framework. The research is conducted in SMEs in Scotland.