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Compassionate Love as a Cornerstone of Servant Leadership: An Integration of Previous Theorizing and Research

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  • Dirk Dierendonck

  • Kathleen Patterson

Abstract

Servant leadership is increasingly gaining interest inside and outside academia. This article builds and extends current theorizing by describing the process that introduces compassionate love as a practical translation for the need to serve, which was positioned by Greenleaf (Servant leadership: a journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness, Paulist Press, New York, 1977 ) as the core of servant leadership. This article takes a virtues perspective and shows how servant leadership may encourage a more meaningful and optimal human functioning with a strong sense of community to current-day organizations. In essence, we propose that a leader’s propensity for compassionate love will encourage a virtuous attitude in terms of humility, gratitude, forgiveness and altruism. This virtuous attitude will give rise to servant leadership behavior in terms of empowerment, authenticity, stewardship and providing direction. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk Dierendonck & Kathleen Patterson, 2015. "Compassionate Love as a Cornerstone of Servant Leadership: An Integration of Previous Theorizing and Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 119-131, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:128:y:2015:i:1:p:119-131
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2085-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lora Reed & Deborah Vidaver-Cohen & Scott Colwell, 2011. "Erratum to: A New Scale to Measure Executive Servant Leadership: Development, Analysis, and Implications for Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 507-508, July.
    2. Brown, Michael E. & Trevino, Linda K. & Harrison, David A., 2005. "Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 117-134, July.
    3. Antonio Argandoña, 2011. "Beyond Contracts: Love in Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(1), pages 77-85, March.
    4. Lynne Andersson & Robert Giacalone & Carole Jurkiewicz, 2007. "On the relationship of hope and gratitude to corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 401-409, February.
    5. Dirk van Dierendonck & Laurens Rook, 2010. "Enhancing Innovation and Creativity through Servant Leadership," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Dirk van Dierendonck & Kathleen Patterson (ed.), Servant Leadership, chapter 13, pages 155-165, Palgrave Macmillan.
    6. Lora Reed & Deborah Vidaver-Cohen & Scott Colwell, 2011. "A New Scale to Measure Executive Servant Leadership: Development, Analysis, and Implications for Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 415-434, July.
    7. Kathleen Patterson, 2010. "Servant Leadership and Love," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Dirk van Dierendonck & Kathleen Patterson (ed.), Servant Leadership, chapter 6, pages 67-76, Palgrave Macmillan.
    8. Hannah, Sean T. & Avolio, Bruce J. & Walumbwa, Fred O., 2011. "Relationships between Authentic Leadership, Moral Courage, and Ethical and Pro-Social Behaviors," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(4), pages 555-578, October.
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