Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership

When the concept of servant leadership is to be analyzed no other person fits in this category is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa began her pursuit for a religious life at the age of 18 years. Her perspective in life was to leave all the worldly possession and just ensure that she the most basic necessities for life. Her possessions included three similar outfits, a pair of sandal and a washing pail. She left her country to serve the poorest people in remote parts of Calcutta in India (Calhoun, 2013).

The concept of servant leader denotes a leader who is driven by the urge and need to serve others perform better or even acquire their basic resources. Such leaders do not first move to attain their personal needs but rather endeavor to have the lives of people they are serving improve. This is what Mother Teresa had perfected on. She spent 45 of her years helping the poor, sick, orphaned, and the dying. She established the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata that spread over one hundred and twenty country established missions to assist people suffering from TB, HIV, and leprosy. Her efforts as a servant leader were rewarded when she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa’s actions have been an inspiration to others to engage in charity work. Her legacy is still strong and her vision is continued by the Missionaries of Charity Organization that had grown and attracted new members (Calhoun, 2013).

Personal Servant Leadership Volunteer Experience

I have had an opportunity to offer my practice the art of servant leadership through the voluntary outreach program that I am engaged in. before the commencement of the volunteer service, I created a saving account dedicated to this where I aimed to hit a target of $10,000. I had to cut down my living expenses, and concentrate on attain my goal. Through our association at school, we had an aim of starting a program to offer lunch and other necessities to the homeless in the streets. 

Through my savings and contributions from friends and family, I managed to acquire $100000. This was channeled to the program. During the summer holiday, we served in different part of the city and run the program. We have been seeking donors to fund the project and ensure its sustainability. I may not have been a great leader but I am confident that I touched a live through my action.

References

Calhoun, A. (2013). The New York Times. Rooting for Mother Teresa. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/opinion/rooting-for-mother-teresa.html?_r=0