Why is Servant-Leadership becoming more signifcant?

In the same article as my previous post, Larry Spears, CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, says that out of the many reasons why servant-leadership is becoming more significant, two are foremost:

1. Over the past 30 years, there has been a rising level of dissatisfaction at the workplace, with employees expecting much more of their companies in terms of care and encouraging attitudes. While the old hierarchical model still exists, many organizations are becoming flatter with decision-making increasingly made by teams rather than by a single individual.

2. Higher expectations are now demanded of organizations when it comes to customers and communities, on both the service side and the leadership side of the equation. Hence, more and more organizations committed to servant-leadership are rising or staying at the top of their specific industries.

Let me add a little bit more to Larry's 2nd point: Higher expectations are indeed demanded. And more than ever organizations must make sure that they do not become too focused on customers at the detriment of their employees and shareholders. Servant-Leadership can help in creating a model so that all three (customers, employees, and shareholders) are held in tension with one another. And that is why servant-leadership organizations are so successful.