Servant Leadership Style Analysis

When I think of the leaders, I think of heroes. Those who think not only of themselves but of others, their family, friends, co-workers, fellow man or woman. They valued something beyond the obvious and are willing to make sacrifices for what they value. A characteristic of Servant Leaders is the commitment to values and beliefs, ethics and a “commitment to the growth of people.” (Northouse, 2013, p. 222). Transformational Leaders like Servant Leaders are also concerned with their follower’s values and ethics. However the literature makes a difference in the styles, suggesting that transformational leaders possess charisma and exceptional vision. Previously I thought my style was transformational. However, by reading and discussing leadership styles I have determined that Servant Leadership is more descriptive of who I am and Transformational Leadership is descriptive of the style of leadership
(2013, p. 229) When writing this paper I uncovered an article that was written about me in 2002. It confirmed for me that I am truly a Servant Leader instead of a Transformational Leader. My giving back to the community in 2002 was designing and producing interview clothing for plus size women and women with disfigurement problems. The Pittsburgh Tribune published an article after the organization I volunteered for received so many compliments from the women. (Markowitz, 2002) I continue to volunteer for similar non-profit organizations and just recently one of my sewing students launched her own clothing line on the Internet.
In summary, my leadership philosophy is about empowering the marginalized through access to information, resources and services. I acknowledge that my primary vehicle for doing this is through my employment as a librarian, however, I realize it is not the only way I can