The Individual Health Outcomes of Servant Leadership

Abstract

This study explores the personal occupational health implications of servant leadership behavior for individual leaders adopting this style of leadership. The study sample included 156 working professionals from both the United States Department of Defense (including military service members) and the private sector serving in a leadership position. Respondents completed a survey that asked respondents about their leadership styles, as well as their behaviors associated with absenteeism and presenteeism, and psychological well-being associated with engagement and emotional exhaustion. Incorporating self-determination theory and conservation of resources theory, this study examined the extent to which servant leadership behavior would relate with leaders’ behaviors and well-being. In particular, it was expected that self-reported servant leadership style would negatively correlate with absenteeism and positively correlate with presenteeism. Additionally, it was expected that servant leadership would positively correlate with work engagement and negatively correlate with emotional exhaustion. Although the data do not support a relationship between servant leadership and either absenteeism or presenteeism, they do reveal a strong correlation in the hypothesized directions between servant leadership and both work engagement and emotional exhaustion. These findings provide unique insight into the psychological benefits of the servant leadership style as it pertains to the leader. The study also serves as an important integration of established theoretical bases for the domains of individual motivation and occupational health and stress.