Greenleaf's theory emphasized that an effective leader is one who places the needs of servants above his own in an effort to help the individual grow and develop as a human being. Jones notes that organizations that practice servant leadership in difficult economic times will have a healthy workforce that will increase organizational performance and employee job satisfaction leading to increased morale. Trust and honesty are at the heart of servant leadership, as followers view servant leaders as moral and not rising above subordinates within the organization Jones, (2012). Southwest Airlines practices servant leadership and has enjoyed 37 years of profitability and low employee turnover, which are associated with increased morale levels Jones, (2012). Southwest believes that creating a culture of servant leadership and having a committee that enforces it at all levels of the organization has led to success within the organization because employees have a high sense of belonging and are more happy to do their job.
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