Antecedents and barriers to developing servant leaders

Ineffective leadership is a global concern that affects businesses and societies significantly. Servant leadership may be an alternative approach to solving this dilemma. However, research on the development of servant leadership is scarce. Limited information is available on which factors promote or hinder servant leadership development and whether these factors are similar or different than developing other forms of leadership. The application of servant leadership in the construction industry is furthermore scarce. The purpose of this study was thus to identify the personal and organizational antecedents and barriers to servant leadership development in the construction industry. A qualitative research design was used in the form of focus groups. A convenience sample of 39 managers was drawn from a multi-national construction company with international operations. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that servant leadership development was promoted by personal antecedents such as personal attributes, competence, life experiences, and commitment and by organizational antecedents such as development opportunities, leadership support, performance management, 360 surveys, communication, strategic alignment, and organizational culture. Servant leadership development was furthermore hindered by personal barriers such as personal attributes and life experiences and organizational barriers such as organizational demands, lack of leadership support, and constant changes. This study made theoretical contributions in affirming generic antecedents and barriers applicable to both servant leadership development and developing other forms of leadership, and by identifying the antecedents and barriers unique to servant leadership development in the construction industry. The study also revealed new insights that introversion and constant changes may limit servant leadership development. The study furthermore offers new insights into the practical application of servant leadership within the construction industry. Practitioners can enhance the effectiveness of servant leadership development programs by leveraging the antecedents that promote servant leadership development and addressing the barriers that may limit it.