The Servant Leadership of David Yonggi Cho

Abstract

David Yonggi Cho is one of the most effective church leaders of the twentieth century. While his leadership style has been characterized as charismatic, transcendent, and spiritual, Cho understands himself to be a servant leader emulating the example of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Servant leadership posits that service to followers is the primary responsibility of leaders and the essence of ethical leadership. Servant leadership can be effective because it inspires followers to engage in servant leadership and to work for the good of the organization. The distinctive construct of servant leadership consists of a natural inclination to serve, having the priorities of followers first, organizations second, and leader last, having spirituality as the source of motivation, and engaging in self-sacrificial behavior. This can be conceptualized in six dimensions of behavior: voluntary subordination; authentic self; covenantal relationship; responsible morality; transcendental spirituality; and transforming influence. When examined through this lens Cho is a servant leader. His servant leadership and his effectiveness as a leader are likely to be enhanced by grounding his self-concept and his methodology in Christian thinking regarding the leadership example of Jesus and the implications of the relational nature of the triune God.