Testing a Servant Leadership Theory Among United States Military Members

Servant leadership, first proposed by Greenleaf (1970), is an emergent leadership theory postulating a leader must serve first. Patterson (2003), building on transformational and previous servant leadership research, developed a model of servant leading based on the following: (a) agapao love, (b) humility, (c) altruism, (d) vision, (e) trust, (f) empowerment, and (g) service. This study tests Patterson’s theory of servant leadership in a military context by investigating the relationship between the seven constructs in Patterson’s servant leadership model. Multi-rank and service military members’ perception of servant leaders was assessed using the servant leadership instrument developed by Dennis and Bocarnea (2005). Patterson’s servant leadership model was supported by the study. The study pioneers servant leadership research in the military.