Measuring Servant Leadership through the DEEP BHC Behaviours

Measuring Servant Leadership Behaviours

All of us have heard the cliché “ What can be measured can be improved”. One of the several myths associated with Servant Leadership was that it is a nebulous concept which cannot be quantified and/ or measured. This myth was strengthened by the views of the early proponents of Servant Leadership who were not in favour of “measuring” Servant leadership attributes. The focus was on experiential understanding of the concept. Don Frick who wrote about Robert Greenleaf, was probably referring to the father of the term himself when he said that it was believed that if servant leadership was reduced to a collection of admirable qualities and learned skills that were displayed in organisational settings, it was all too easy to forget that servant leadership was, first about deep identity.  Another apprehension was that we may feel guilty and frustrated for not measuring up to this set of leadership ideals and that we may even project these ideals onto others; expecting them to do what we could not attain ourselves. Due to this, most of the early writings on Servant leadership have been based on anecdotal observations, personal testimonies and reflections.

However, a body of researchers argued against this view and attempted measuring Servant leadership attributes. In the early 2000’s many researchers came up with scales that measure Servant Leadership behaviours.

Picking up on this research, and banking on a scale that was developed and validated by Dr. Robert C Liden, I developed a scale called the Menorah Servant Leadership Assessment (MSLA) , as part of my doctoral studies. Making it part of the doctoral studies ensured that the scale went through rigorous validations tests and can relied upon.

So, the good news is that Servant Leadership behaviour can be measured. The MSLA measures Servant Leadership against seven distinct behaviours we call as the DEEP BHC behaviours. Let us look at them briefly

MSLA measures these seven behaviours as a 360 degree assessment. It gives an opportunity for the leader to compare own perception with what others actually see. It also gives an idea of how the  leader stands with respect to a global population and/or his/her organisation.

MSLA is a great tool for self-awareness for all leaders.

You can get more details about the MSLA here.

Come, take the MSLA assessment and be a great Servant Leader. Your Servant Leadership journey starts with a 360 degree assessment.

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This Article is written by Dr. Madana Kumar, PhD, who is the Servant Leadership Evangelist at UST. You can contact him here . You can connect with him here