Transformational versus servant leadership: a difference in leader focus

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. Transformational versus servant leadership – a difference in leader focus Transformational leadership, initiated by James MacGregor Burns (1978) and Bernard M. Bass (1985a), has become a very popular concept in recent years. Both researchers and practitioners have gravitated to the theory and have employed it in a variety of organizational settings. Similarly, the concept of servant leadership, which Robert Greenleaf (1977) formulated in the modern era, has received substantial attention in the contemporary leadership field. A cursory glimpse of transformational leadership and servant leadership leaves the perception that the concepts are rather similar. In fact, some individuals question whether there is any real difference between the concepts. This article first examines the theoretical framework, characteristics, and focus of both transformational leadership and servant leadership to determine what similarities and differences exist between the two leadership concepts. Thereafter, the article differentiates the concepts along the dimension of leader focus. The primary premise of the article is that transformational leaders tend to focus more on organizational objectives while servant leaders focus more on the people who are their followers. This tendency of the servant leader to focus on followers appears to be the primary factor that distinguishes servant leadership from transformational leadership. Otherwise, The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-7739.htm Transformational versus servant leadership