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Cited by 1,232Leadership and Management in OrganizationsEmployee Performance and LeadershipJob Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Transformational versus servant leadership: a difference in leader focus

Gregory Stone, A., Russell, Robert F., Patterson, Kathleen·2004·Leadership & Organization Development Journal
DOI 10.1108/01437730410538671
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Abstract

This article examines transformational leadership and servant leadership to determine what similarities and differences exist between the two leadership concepts. The authors posit that the primary difference between transformational leadership and servant leadership is the focus of the leader. The transformational leader's focus is directed toward the organization, and his or her behavior builds follower commitment toward organizational objectives, while the servant leader's focus is on the followers, and the achievement of organizational objectives is a subordinate outcome. The extent to which the leader is able to shift the primary focus of leadership from the organization to the follower is the distinguishing factor in classifying leaders as either transformational or servant leaders. This article also looks at the next stage of developmental issues in servant leadership, such as the challenges facing empirical investigation and measurement, and the changes that are occurring in current thinking about the servant leadership approach. Ultimately, the case is made that although different, both transformational leadership and servant leadership offer the conceptual framework for dynamic leadership.

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Crossref · 10.1108/01437730410538671

Cites

42 of 42 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • A servant leader is genuinely concerned with serving followers, while transformational leaders have a greater concern for the strategic use of followers to reach organizational goals.

    “More particularly, a servant leader is genuinely concerned with serving followers (Greenleaf 1977), while transformational leaders have a greater concern for the strategic use of followers to reach organizational goals (Stone et al. 2004).”

    From The Servant Leadership Survey: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Measure (2011) · cites this paper as Stone et al. 2004

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

4 of the 46 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 12

  1. Bass, B.M. (1985a), Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations, The Free Press, New York, NY.
  2. Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1990), Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Consulting Psychologist Press, Palo Alto, CA.
  3. Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1994), “Introduction”, in Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (Eds), Improving Organizational Effectiveness through Transformational Leadership, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
  4. Braham, J. (1999), “The spiritual side”, Industry Week, Vol. 248 No. 3, pp. 48‐56.
  5. Burns, J.M. (1998), “Transactional and transforming leadership”, in Hickman, G.R. (Ed.), Leading Organizations, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 133‐4.
  6. Etzioni, A. (1961), A Comparative Analysis of Complex Organizations, Free Press, New York, NY.
  7. Greenleaf, R.K. (1969), “Leadership and the individual: the Dartmouth lectures”, in Frick, D.M. and Spears, L.C. (Eds), On Becoming a Servant Leader, Jossey‐Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA, pp. 284‐338.
  8. Harvey, M. (2001), “The hidden force: a critique of normative approaches to business leadership”, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 66 No. 4, pp. 36‐48.
  9. Horsman, J.H. (2001), “Perspectives of servant leadership and spirit in organizations”, Dissertation Abstracts Online, 8936785.
  10. Lubin, K.A. (2001), “Visionary leader behaviors and their congruency with servant leadership characteristics”, Dissertation Abstracts Online, 3022943.
  11. Russell, R.F. (2000), “Exploring the values and attributes of servant leaders”, Doctoral dissertation, 5359435.
  12. Tice, L. (1996), “Traits of limitless leaders”, Association Management, Vol. 48, p. 16.

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Authors
Gregory Stone, A., Russell, R. F., & Patterson, K.
Affiliations
  • Emory and Henry College (US)
  • Regent University (US)
Venue
Leadership & Organization Development Journal
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2004-06-01
Volume
25
Issue
4
Pages
349-361
ISSN
0143-7739 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1108/01437730410538671
OpenAlex
W2169205424
Cited by
1,208
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 95 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 96 · 2019: 88 · 2018: 90 · 2017: 74 · 2016: 75 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 70 · 2013: 63 · 2012: 55
FWCI
37.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.emerald.com/insight/site-policies (tdm)
Locations
Leadership & Organization Development Journal (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Leadership and Management in Organizations
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Employee Performance and Leadership
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
Keywords
transformational leadership, servant leadership, follower commitment, organizational goals, leader-follower relationships, dynamic leadership, leadership assessment

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