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Explaining the Servant Mindset: The OLA Servant Leadership Model

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Leveraging the Power of Servant Leadership

Abstract

The Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) servant leadership model developed by Laub (1999) is introduced along with the creation of the OLA instrument. This is the first model of servant leadership developed through a research-based approach providing an operational and measureable set of constructs to describe what servant leadership looks like in practice. The six disciplines of servant leadership (Values People, Develops People, Builds Community, Provides Leadership, Shares Leadership, and Displays Authenticity) are described along with three descriptors for each discipline. The OLA model of servant leadership provides a practical and usable framework for understanding the unique mindset a servant leader possesses and how this mindset is lived out through the servant leader’s behavior. A clear and usable definition of servant leadership forms the foundation for understanding servant leadership as a mindset rather than merely another style of leadership.

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Laub, J. (2018). Explaining the Servant Mindset: The OLA Servant Leadership Model. In: Leveraging the Power of Servant Leadership. Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77143-4_4

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