Servant-Leadership in the Military: An Investigation of Servant-Leadership among Technical Sergeants in the United States Air Force

Abstract

Servant-Leadership, developed by Greenleaf (1970), is a leadership theory which prioritizes the follower. Greenleaf contended that putting others first as leaders could lead to a change in society. Patterson (2003) developed a model from Greenleaf’s theory which identified several attributes of the Servant-Leadership model including agapao love, humility, altruism, vision, trust, empowerment, and service. In the military, researchers have used Patterson’s construct to conclude that Servant-Leadership does exist in the military. Though some research involving Servant-Leadership and the military has been conducted, there is a dearth in the literature. In the United States Air Force, leadership development for Non-Commissioned Officers specifically focuses on teaching leadership theories aligning with the Air Force Core Values.  Servant-Leadership theory is not currently taught in Air Force Core Values or connected to leadership training. Therefore, the current study links Servant-Leadership and Air Force Core Values and advocates for inclusion of Servant-Leadership in military training.