Servant Leadership vs. Transformational Leadership: How Great Leaders Empower and Inspire

Leaders shape their employees’ and their organization’s performance, whether they work for a large corporation or a small business. Each leader has their own style and personality, which influences how they guide their teams. While there are many leadership styles, two common ones are servant leadership and transformational leadership. Both of these approaches focus more on collaboration and support rather than on a strict top-down structure.

A comparison of servant leadership and transformational leadership reveals differences and similarities between the two, with research pointing to the key benefits for each:

• A study published in Scientific Reports found that servant leaders encourage their staff to innovate and enable them to feel psychologically empowered.
• Research published in Current Psychology found that transformational leaders help organizations handle challenges, spot problems early, bounce back from setbacks, and boost employees’ motivation and team growth.

By comparing servant leadership and transformational leadership, current and future leaders can determine which one fits their goals best. Earning a Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership is an excellent way for professionals to learn how to lead ethically and effectively, and how to use both servant and transformational leadership.

What Is Servant Leadership?

Servant leaders focus on the growth of individuals and teams and bring shared authority to the forefront. They do this by prioritizing the needs of their teams and concentrating on team members’ well-being and development. This approach can often lead to a stronger culture, higher team morale, and more engaged employees.

Servant leaders often are concerned with:

• Strengthening relationships among team members and helping teams and individuals feel appreciated
• Valuing individuals over products or immediate business goals
• Trusting team members to act in ways that serve the organization
• Emphasizing simplicity and humanity in the workplace

Servant Leadership Traits

Common traits servant leaders share include listening skills, empathy, awareness, and big-picture thinking. They are also committed to collaboration, the personal and professional growth of their team members, and community building. These qualities can appear in their daily work in the following ways:

• Listening attentively and allowing everyone to be heard
• Demonstrating empathy and care for people beyond their work output
• Respectfully resolving conflicts and providing the resources a team needs to succeed
• Using persuasion and consensus-building instead of dictating
• Helping the team see how their duties align with the organization’s long-term goals
• Creating opportunities for professional development

Servant Leadership Examples

Servant leaders can encourage employees to be more innovative by creating an environment where people feel safe trying new ideas, according to a study in Scientific Reports. Another study, in the Academy of Management Proceedings, showed that servant leaders can help their team members rely less on their leader and individuals feel more authentic.

Examples of servant leaders in the workplace include:

• A sales supervisor leading by example by working in the trenches with a struggling team
• A call center manager promoting collaboration and gathering ideas through regular meetings
• A medical office supervisor prioritizing patients’ needs while supporting employees’ health through a wellness program

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational leaders, like servant leaders, want to empower their team members. Instead of giving orders from above, they promote a shared vision and aim to create real, positive change.

Transformational leadership differs from transactional leadership, which uses rewards and penalties and relies on close supervision and monitoring of employees. Instead, transformational leaders focus on:

• Giving employees a strong sense of purpose and inspiring them to care about the organization’s goals
• Recognizing each employee’s individual needs, most effective mentoring style, and contributions
• Providing coaching and guidance while empowering individuals to own their work

Transformational Leadership Traits

Transformational leaders are often described by four main behaviors: being a role model, encouraging new ideas, motivating others, and treating each person as an individual. These qualities show up in their work in the following ways:

• Setting a positive example for their employees to follow
• Challenging old ideas to encourage creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving
• Promoting an ethical atmosphere through clear values, authenticity, collaboration, and open communication

Transformational Leadership Examples

According to a Russell Reynolds Associates report, 79% of leaders think transformation is very important to their organization’s long-term growth and stability, yet only 29% say their organization is very successful at it. Transformational leaders can help teams work toward a common goal amid change.

Examples of transformational leaders in the workplace include:

• A department head setting a good example by holding themselves to the same standards they expect of their team members
• A project leader encouraging their team to challenge assumptions and find creative solutions to setbacks
• A manager connecting employees’ daily work to a shared vision, fostering the employees’ commitment to the organization’s overall mission

Servant Leadership vs. Transformational Leadership: Similarities and Differences

Individuals investigating servant leadership vs. transformational leadership often find that these two styles have a lot in common, though they do have some differences as well.

Similarities

Both servant leaders and transformational leaders would rather promote authenticity, ethical standards, and open communication than manage through fear-based, top-down control. They both also foster individual development and prioritize staff growth through personalized investment, including coaching and mentorship. Servant leaders and transformational leaders are often flexible when leading as well, which creates an atmosphere of enhanced team engagement.

Differences

The main differences between servant leaders and transformational leaders lie primarily in what they each choose to focus on. Servant leaders prioritize individuals’ well-being and growth, sometimes even more than the organization’s goals. Transformational leaders are more concerned with encouraging a shared vision that will drive change and commitment. Additionally, servant leaders tend to concentrate on what the team needs, while transformational leaders think about the organization’s direction and how to inspire the team to move in alignment with it.

Comparing servant leadership vs. transformational leadership reveals there are key benefits to each style, which apply in any industry. For example, a study in BMJ Leader examined both styles among physicians and found that each offered benefits specific to burnout but in different ways. The study revealed that the most influential factor for servant leaders was that they helped team members find meaning in their work. Transformational leaders, by acting on their ideals and leading by example, more often were able to mitigate burnout-related issues instead.

Prepare to Become a Leader

Every organization is different, and each organization’s culture plays a key role in determining which leadership approach to use. However, it’s also common for good leaders to use both servant leadership and transformational leadership to guide their teams.

Drawing on the ideas behind servant leadership and transformational leadership, Belmont Abbey College’s fully online MA in Leadership program helps students learn to lead ethically and effectively across many fields. The program includes courses such as Leading in a Data-Driven Organization, Organizational Change Management, and Leadership and Innovation. These classes provide students with a deep understanding of leadership theory and practice, preparing them to succeed as strong, respected leaders in any industry.

If you’re interested in building your leadership skills, explore Belmont Abbey’s MA in Leadership program today.

Recommended Readings

How to Make Your Organization a Data-Driven Organization
How to Successfully Lead Through Change
What Can You Do With a Leadership Degree?

Sources:

Academy of Management Proceedings, “The Two Faces of Servant Leadership: Independency and Authenticity”
BMJ Leader, “Physician Burn-Out, Transformational and Servant Leadership”
CIO, “What Is Transformational Leadership? A Model for Motivating Innovation”
Current Psychology, “Transformational Leadership, Dual Innovation, and Organizational Resilience”
Indeed, “What Is Servant Leadership? (With Examples)”
Investopedia, “Servant Leadership: Characteristics, Pros and Cons, Example”
Russell Reynolds Associates, “Transformational Leadership Study”
Scientific Reports, “Effect of Servant Leadership on Employees’ Innovative Behavior With the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment and Moderating Role of Core Self-Evaluation”
Scientific Reports, “How and When Servant Leadership Affect Public Employees’ Innovative Behavior”
Verywell Mind, “How Transformational Leadership Can Inspire Others”