GIVE YOURSELF A TEMPERAMENT TEST

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. RELAX, GET IN A QUIET PLACE, AND READ THE ENTIRE TEST BEFORE MAKING ANY MARKINGS.
2. BEFORE EACH WORD ON THE TEST BELOW, PLACE A NUMBER THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU, 5 BEING MOST LIKE YOU AND 1 BEING LEAST
LIKE YOU. TRY TO BE OBJECTIVE.
3. TURN THE PAGE OVER FOR INSTRUTCTIONS ON SCORING ONLY AFTER COMPLETING THE TEST.
CHOLERIC
___ OPTIMISTIC
___GOAL-ORIENTED
___SELF-CONFIDENT
___ACTIVIST
___DOMINEERING
___AGGRESSIVE
___LEADERSHIP ABILITY
___STICK-TO-IT-IVENESS
___STRONG-WILLED
___HOT-TEMPERED
___INSENSITIVE
___UNSYMPATHETIC
___DETERMINED
___DECISIVE
___SARCASTIC
___PRACTICAL
___OUTGOING
___SELF-SUFFICIENT

PHLEGMATIC

MELANCHOLY

SANGUINE

___ VERY QUIET

___PESSIMISTC
___INTROVERT
___NOT AGGRESSIVE
___INDECISIVE
___SLOW & LAZY
___EASY GOING
___CALM & COOL
___EFFICIENT
___DEPENDABLE
___WITTY, DRY HUMOR
___TEASES
___SELFISH
___ORDERLY HABITS
___STINGY
___STUBBORN
___SPECTATOR IN LIFE
___WORKS WELL UNDER

___ DEEP FEELING

___SENSITIVE
___SELF-CENTERED
___EASILY OFFENDED
___FAITHFUL FRIEND
___SELF-SACRIFICING
___LIKES BEHIND THE SCENES
___SUSPICIOUS
___INTROSPECTIVE
___PERFECTIONIST
___HARBORS RESENTMENT
___CREATIVE
___MOODY
___CRITICAL
___INDECISIVE
___PESSIMISTIC
___IDEALISTIC
___INTROVERT

___ EMOTIONAL
___DIFFICULTY KEEPING RESOLUTIONS
___COMPASSIONATE
___IMPRACTICAL
___EASILY DISCOURAGED
___UNDISCIPLINED
___WEAK -WILLED
___TALKATIVE
___ENJOYABLE
___FRIENDLY
___RESTLESS
___DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING
___LIVES IN PRESENT
___EGTISTICAL
___IMPULSIVE
___DIFFICULTY WITH APPOINTMENT
___OPTIMISTIC
___OUTGOING

PRESSURE

TOTAL SCORES (SEE SCORING INSTRUCTIONS ON REVERSE SIDE)

CHOLERIC
SELF
FRIEND
FRIEND

__________
__________
__________

PHLEGMATIC

__________
__________
__________

MELANCHOLY

_____________
_____________
_____________

SANGUINE

___________
___________
___________

ADD ONLY THE 3-5 NUMBERS LISTED ON THE REVERSE (OMIT THE 1S AND 2S THEY ARE
THE AREAS PROVIDED.

OF SUCH LOW INTENSITY.

PLACE THE TOTALS

IN

WHAT TEMPERAMENT ARE YOU?

ASSESSING THE RESULTS: YOUR SUMMARY OF THE TOTALS NOW CONTAINS SELF AND FRIENDS SCORES. IN MOST CASES THERE WILL BE
SOME VARIATION. HOWEVER, YOUR PRIMARY TEMPERAMENT SHOULD STAND OUT AS THE LARGER SCORE. HOPEFULLY YOUR SELF SCORE AND

FRIEND SCORE WILL BE SIMILAR. IF THEY ARENOT, SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS, DO MY FRIENDS SEE ME AS I SEE MYSELF? OR
IS THERE A GREAT DIFFERENCE? IF TWO OF YOUR FRIENDS SCORES WERE QUITE SIMILAR TO YOUR OWN, THEN DISREGARD THE THIRD
SCORE ALTOGETHER. SOME PEOPLE READ TOO MUCH INTO A SIMPLE TEST LIKE THIS. CONSEQUENTLY, THEIR EXCESSIVE SCORES WILL
COMPLETELY ALSTER THE AVERAGES OF YOUR OTHER FRIENDS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOUR SCORE AND THAT OF YOUR FRIENDS IS IN MARKED CONTRAST, THEN IT MAY MEAN YOUR ARE TRYING TO MAKE
YOURSELF SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT IN WHICH CASE YOU NEED TO REALISTICALLY FACE YOURSELF AS YOU REALLY ARE AND BE YOURSELF.
FURTHER TESTS TO GIVE YOURSELF: IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE ACCURACY OF THE TEMPERAMENT SCORE, HERE ARE SOME
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF TO AT LEAST IDENTIFY YOUR PRIMARY TEMPERAMENT.
1. ARE YOU AN EXTROVERT? IF SO, YOU ARE PREDOMINANTLY SANGUINS OR CHOLERIC.
2. IF YES TO 1, ASK YOURSELF. DO I LEAN TOWARD BEING A SUPER EXTROVERT? THAT IS, ARE YOU GENERALLY THE FIRST TO SPEAK?
IF SO YOU ARE A SANGUINE.
3. IF YES TO 1, ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE A GOOD SALESMAN TYPE. IF SO, YOU ARE PREDOMINANTLY SANGUINE.
4. IF YES TO 1, BUT NO TO 2 AND 3, ASK, AM I A STONG NATURAL LEADER? IF SO YOU ARE PROBABLY A CHOLERIC.
5. IF YOU ANSWERED NO TO 1 THAT IS, YOU ARE NOT AN EXTROVERT THEN ASK YOURSELF, AM I A PERFECTIONIST, ANALYTICAL , AND
SOMEWHAT CRITICAL? IF SO, YOU ARE PROBABLY PREDOMINANTLY MELANCHOLY.
6. IF YOU ANSWER NO TO 1, ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE KNOWN BY OTHERS AS VERY QUIET. DO YOU RARELY GET ANGRY BUT
EXPERIENCE MANY FEARS AND WORRIES? IF SO, YOU ARE PROBALBY PHLEGMATIC.
THE ABOVE IS A VERY CASUAL

ANALYSIS, UT IT CAN SERVE AS AN INTERESTING CHECK ON THE ACCURACY OF THE PREDOMINANT

TEMPERAMENT IN YOUR SUMMARY FOR SELF AND FRIEND.
TAKEN FROM YOUR TEMPERAMENT: DISCOVER ITS POTENTIAL BY TIM LAHAYE .

TEMPERAMENT OVERVIEW
CHOLERIC
MOTIVE
NEEDS

WANTS

POWER
TO LOOK GOOD
(ACADEMICALLY)
TO BE RIGHT
TO BE RESPECTED
APPROVAL
TO HIDE INSECURITIES
(TIGHTLY)
TO PLEASE SELF
LEADERSHIP
CHALLENGING ADVENTURE

MELANCHOLY
INTIMACY
TO BE GOOD
(MORALLY)
TO BE UNDERSTOOD
TO BE APPRECIATED
ACCEPTANCE
TO REVEAL INSECURITIES

TO PLEASE
AUTONOMY
SECURITY

OTHERS

PHLEGMATIC
PEACE
TO FEEL GOOD
(INSIDE)
TO BE UNDERSTOOD
TO BE RESPECTED
ACCEPTANCE
TO REVEAL INSECURITIES
TO PLEASE OTHERS
PROTECTION
CONTENTMENT

SANGUINE
FUN
TO LOOK FOOD
(SOCIALLY)
TO BE POPULAR
TO BE PRAISED
APPROVAL
TO HIDE INSECURITIES
(LOOSELY)
TO BE NOTICED
FREEDOM
PLAYFUL ADVENTURE

Reference: Hartman Personality Profile

ROCKY CHOLERIC
POSITIVES
INDEPENDENT
HAVE GOALS
KNOW HOW THEY WANT PROBLEMS SOVLED
DECISIVE - KNOW WHATS RIGH AND WRONG.
ORGANIZER RUN THINGS WELL.
VISIONARY
STRICT WITH KIDS KNOW WHAT THEY EXPECT

FLIP PHILEGMATIC
POSITIVES
PEACE MAKERS
QUIET
DONT EXPRESS SELVES OR GIVE INFO UNLESS ASKED.
PERFECTIONIST
CONTROL THEIR ANGER WELL
CALM IN TENSE SITUATION MEDIATE & SETTLE ARGUMENTS
IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT EVERYONE FEELS FOOD
EFFIECIENT
SUTTLE HUMOR
QUIETLY OBSERVE SITUATIONS
GOOD LISTENERS GOOD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

MAESTRO MELANCHOLY
POSITIVE
GIFTED
SELF SACRIFICING
HELP OTHERS
THOUGHTFUL
BEHIND THE SCEENS WORKER
LIKE TO SEE OTHERS SUCEED
LIKE QUIET AWAY FROM PEOPLE
FAITHFUL
DEVOTED
INDUSTIOUS

EXAMPLE:
SPARDY

NEGATIVES
UNPOPULAR
THINK THEY ARE PERFECT
COLD
UNEMOTIONAL
DOMINEERING
UNFORGIVING
ANGRY

CRUEL
WONT GIVE UP A FIGHT
DEMAND LOYALTY FROM RANKS
HAS LITTLE NEEDS FOR FRIENDS
IS USSUALLY RIGHT
MUST CORRECT WRONGS
COMPULSIVE NEED FOR CHANGE

NEGATIVE
UNMOTIVATED
PROCRASTINATOR
UNDECISIVE
SELFISH (STINGY)
FEARFUL
WORRIER
DAMPENS ENTHUSIASUM
WOULD RATHER WATCH OR DO BEHIND THE SCEENS WORK
CLEAN UP AFTER EVERYONE GOES HOME
FINDS THE EASY WAY OUT
KEEPS EMOTIONS HIDDEN

NEGATIVE
PRAISE CHILDREN SPARINGLY
MOODY
SELF-CENTERED
CRITICAL OF OTHERS
NEGATIVE
DEEP NEED FOR APPROVAL
HOLD BACK AFFECTION
CARRY RESENTMENT FOR YEARS
INSECURE SOCIALLY
SUSPICIOUS OF PEOPLE

WORRY AND WORRY ABOUT BILLS

SANGUINE
POSITIVE

ENTERTAINER
OUTGOING
RESPONSIVE

NEGATIVE
UNDEPENDABLE
FICKEL ABOUT FRIENDS
FORGETFUL

WARM
FRIENDLY
COMPASSIONATE
DOESNT HOLD GRUDGES
FEELINGS DONT GET HURT
LIFE OF THE PARTY
FUN AT HOME
CREATIVE

UNDISCIPLINED
EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE
UN PRODUCTIVE
EGOSTISTICAL
EXAGERATE
COMPULSIVE TALKERS
DECIDE WITH FEELINGS NOT HEAD
HATES TO BE ALONE

THE JOHARI WINDOW

Leading others requires leading yourself. And leading yourself begins by knowing yourself. True leadership can happen only as we allow our own
authenticity to show through. Our authenticity is at the core of our strength as a leader. Knowing ourselves makes it possible for that authenticity to take
shape.
Here are three questions to consider.
1. Do you know what VALUES are most important to you, as a leader and as an individual?
2. How would you describe your working STYLE? How would others describe your STYLE?
3. What would you say are your top STRENGTHS? What are the talents, qualities, or gifts that you posses that most enable you to lead?
Answering these questions gets you closer to knowing yourself.
Lets take a look at The Johari window. The Johari Window is a model that was first introduced way back in 1955. It will help us to see why knowing
ourselves is so important. Youll notice that The Johari Window is broken into four quadrants:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Public Arena. This includes those things that we know about ourselves and that others know about us.
Blind Spot. Those things that others know about us, but we dont know about ourselves.
Faade or Private Arena. Those things that we know about ourselves, but others dont know about us.
Unknown to All. Those things that we dont know about ourselves and others dont know either.

The key is to expand our Public Arena by sharing more of ourselves with others and, at the same time, learning more about ourselves.

Here are some simple steps to take to gain a closer look at yourself by looking at your personal values, your own working style, and your unique leadership
strengths. As you look at yourself, as you strive to know yourself better, consider these three steps. Each step should help you gain a deeper understanding
of who you really are.
Step 1: Assess.
Take the time to assess your values, style, and strengths. This might involve taking surveys and completing inventories on yourself. It may also involve
asking others for feedback. There are a myriad of tools and instruments available to help you assess yourself. No single one is a silver bullet. Take several.
Use them as tools to understand yourself better, but not as the final word as to who you are. If you would like, contact us and we will provide you with
meaningful assessment tools.
Step 2: Discuss.
This step involves actually sitting down and discussing yourself with those in your life that know you well. This is not always an easy thing to do. It takes
time. It also takes a certain level of trust. The discussion however can give you invaluable information about yourself. The key is to identify a few trusted
associates, who care about your success. Then put some trust in them and allow them to help you gain a better picture of you. Thank them for the gift of
feedback that they are giving you. Then do something meaningful with that feedback.
Step 3: Reflect.
Reflect on your lifes experiences. Our experiences are great teachers. They can tell us a great deal about ourselves if we will allow them to. Every day we
are presented with new challenges and situations. Most of us have experienced significant successes and failures. Each of these experiences gives us an
opportunity to learn more about who we are, what we can do, where we are comfortable, and where we are not. If we will make the effort to learn from
them, we will know ourselves at a much deeper level.
As we develop the discipline to look at ourselves and to coach ourselves, we should ask ourselves three key questions:
What can I learn from that experience?
What did I do well in that experience?
What should I do differently next time?
These three steps will be helpful to keep in mind as you look at your values, your working style, and your strengths. Knowing your values, working style,
and strengths will not give you everything you need to know about yourself; but it is a great place to start.
Hopefully, they will become second nature as you continually grow as leader.

TO LEAD OTHERS, FIRST LEAD YOURSELF

BY DR. JOHN C. MAXWELL
FREE CHURCH LEADER TELECONFERENCE

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Learning to LEAD YOURSELF well is one of the most important things youll ever do as a leader.
The point of leading is not to cross the finish line first; its to TAKE PEOPLE ACROSS THE FINISH line with you.
Leading yourself well means that you hold yourself to a HIGHER STANDARD of accountability than others do.

During a Q&A session at a conference, someone asked, What has been your greatest challenge as a leader?
Leading me! I answered. That has always been my greatest challenge as a leader. Some in the audience were surprised by my response. The more
experienced leaders were not. Like me, they could trace many of their failures to their own personal leadership mismanagement. Isnt that also true for
you? If I could kick the person responsible for my problems, I wouldnt be able to sit down for a week!

LOOK IN THE MIRROR

Learning to lead yourself well is one of the most important things youll ever do as a leader. For almost forty years Ive served others as a leader, and for
more than two and a half decades of that time I was the senior pastor of a church. My years working with people have taught me an important truth: people
seldom see themselves realistically. Human nature seems to endow us with the ability to size up everybody in the world except ourselves. Thats why my
book Winning with People begins with the Mirror Principle: The first person we must examine is ourselves. If you dont look at yourself realistically, you will
never understand where your personal difficulties are coming from.
John
John
John
John

Maxwell's article on Postmodernism and Church Leadership

Maxwell's article on Spiritual Reproduction
Maxwell on Stewardship: It's a Matter of Trust
Maxwell's Sermon Series on Fruit That is Never Out of Season

Most people use two totally different sets of criteria for judging themselves and judging others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. Its very
cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook if we believe our intentions are
good. Thats part of the reason we allow ourselves to make the same mistakes over and over again before we are willing to make real changes.
Take
Action
How clearly do you see yourself? To get a more objective look at yourself, review your performance from the last year. List all of your major goals and
objectives, then mark each as either achieved or not achieved. Now show the list to someone you know and respect, and tell the person you are
evaluating a candidate for a job. Ask them what they think based on the candidates achievements and failures. How does that persons evaluation jive with
your own? This will tell you a lot about your self-perception.

KEYS TO LEADING YOURSELF

Why is leading yourself well so important? Because there is a lot riding on it. God has given each of us things to do. I want to complete them during my
brief time here on earth, dont you? And I dont want to fail because I wasnt willing to put in the hard work when no one else was looking. The Apostle Paul
understood this. In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, he writes, Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not
last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat
my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. In other words, Paul worked hard at
leading
himself
so
that
he
could
effectively
lead
others.
If that is your goal, there are things you can do to improve your self-leadership. Here are four. I have tried to practice them as a prerequisite for leading
others:
1.

Learn Followership

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen remarked, Civilization is always in danger when those who have never learned to obey are given the right to command. Only a
leader who has followed well knows how to lead others well. Good leadership requires an understanding of the world that followers live in. Connecting with
your congregation and your staff becomes possible because you have walked in their shoes. You know what it means to be under authority and thus have a
better sense of how authority should be exercised.
In contrast, leaders who have never followed well or submitted to authority tend to be prideful, unrealistic, rigid and autocratic. They lord their position and
power over others. Jesus warned against this (Matt 20:24). No, instead we are to Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). If
we desire to make an impact, we must first learn to follow under the authority of others.

2.

Develop Self-Discipline

Its said that one day, Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered a very old man walking ramrod-straight in
the
opposite
direction.
Who
are
you?
Frederick
asked
his
subject.
I
am
a
king,
replied
the
old
man.
A
king!
laughed
Frederick.
Over
what
kingdom
do
you
reign?
Over myself, was the proud old mans reply.
Each of us is monarch over our own lives. We are responsible for ruling our actions and decisions. To make consistently good decisions, to take the right
action at the right time and to refrain from the wrong actions requires character and self-discipline. To do otherwise is to lose control of ourselvesto do or
say things we regret, to miss opportunities we are given, to spend ourselves into debt. As Solomon remarked, The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower
is servant to the lender (Prov 22:7).
When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. This begins when we do what we should, no matter
how we feel about it.
3.

Practice Patience

Leaders are often impatient people. The leaders I know look ahead, think ahead and want to move ahead. This can be good; being one step ahead makes
you a leader. However, impatience can also lead to trouble. Some of my greatest leadership gaffes have come because I tried to take a shortcut instead of
respecting the leadership process.
Few worthwhile things in life come quickly. There is no such thing as instant greatness or instant maturitynot for you, and not for your staff or the members
of your congregation. We are used to instant oatmeal, instant coffee and microwave popcorn. But becoming a leader doesnt happen overnight. Microwave
leaders dont have any staying power. Leadership is more of a Crock-Pot proposition. It takes time, but the end product is worth the wait.
Leaders need to remember that the point of leading is not to cross the finish line first; its to take people across the finish line with you. Isnt this why God
called us to ministryfor the sake of others? God is in the people business, and so are we.
If you are moving too fast, you must deliberately slow your pace. Stay connected to your people, enlist them to help fulfill the vision, and motivate them to
persevere. You cant do this if youre running too far ahead of your people.
Take
Action
In which of the three preceding areasfollowership, self-discipline, or patiencedo you most need to grow? What new task or practice could you take on to
develop in that area? Give yourself a concrete goal and a deadline.
4.

Seek Accountability

Few things are more disheartening or harmful than seeing Christian leaders fail in their trust because of an ethical failure. People who lead themselves well
know a secret: they cannot trust themselves. Good leaders know that power can be seductive, and they understand their own fallibility. To deny it is to put
yourself in danger.
Over the years, Ive read about many leaders who failed ethically in their leadership. Can you guess what they had in common? They all thought it could
never
happen
to
them.
They
had
a
false
sense
of
security.

This was a sobering realization for me, and it led me to make two commitments that I hope you will make for your own sake, for the sake of your family, and
for the sake of your church: First, I will not trust myself. Second, I will become accountable to others.
Accountability isnt just the willingness to explain your actions to others. It begins long before we act. It starts with seeking and accepting advice from others.
Most wrong actions come about because people are not held accountable early enough.
Take
How well do you take advice? Ask five to ten friends, colleagues and family members to evaluate you according to this scale:
1.

You dont want advice.

2.

You dont object to advice.

3.

You welcome advice.

4.

You actively seek advice.

5.

You often follow the advice given to you.

Action

Average your scores. If you average is below a 4, you need to improve in this area. Begin enlisting others in your information-gathering process before you
make decisions. If you are married, begin with your spouse.

A HIGHER STANDARD
Leading yourself well means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do. Why? Because God holds you responsible not only
for your own actions, but also for those of the people you lead. Leadership is a trust, not a right. For that reason, you must fix yourself earlier than others
may be required to.
Thomas J. Watson, the former chairman of IBM, said, Nothing so conclusively proves a mans ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead
himself. Leaders receive very little fanfare for quietly leading themselves well day in and day out. Most people are unaware of the disciplines their leaders
practice or the sacrifices they make outside of the spotlight. However, they dont do it for recognition; they do it for results. What leaders do day-to-day
always pays off in the long run. Success or failure isnt an event, but a process.
The bottom line is that the smallest crowd you will ever lead is youbut its the most important one. If you do that well, then you will earn the right to lead
even bigger crowds. And on the days that you find it difficult to lead yourself well and youre tempted to give up, remember the Parable of the Minas. To the
servants who managed their affairs well, their master gave them greater leadership responsibilities; He put them in charge of cities (Luke 19:17). Whats
more, he told them, Well done.
Lead yourself well, and God will reward your faithfulness.

This article is adapted from Dr. Maxwells newest book, Leadership Gold: Lessons Ive Learned from a Lifetime of Leading.

Go For Gold is a companion volume offering inspiration to increase leadership impact.

Related Sermons | Related Illustrations | Related Media

Dr. John Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than two million leaders
worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of INJOY Stewardship Services and the Catalyst pastors conference. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government
leaders, and organizations as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point and the National Football League. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-

selling author, Dr. Maxwell was one of 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing
the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies. His most recent book, Leadership Gold, summarizes the lessons hes learned
from a lifetime of leading.

While the idea of servant leadership goes back at least two thousand years, the modern servant leadership movement was launched by
Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 with the publication of his classic essay, The Servant as Leader. It was in that essay that he coined the
words "servant-leader" and "servant leadership." Greenleaf defined the servant-leader as follows:
"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice
brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an
unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them
there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."
"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being
served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier,
wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society?
Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"
Greenleaf said that "the servant-leader is servant first." By that he meant that that the desire to serve, the "servant's heart," is a
fundamental characteristic of a servant-leader. It is not about being servile, it is about wanting to help others. It is about identifying
and meeting the needs of colleagues, customers, and communities.
Robert Greenleaf's concept of the servant-leader was stimulated by his reading of Journey to the East by Herman Hesse. It is the story
of a group of travelers who were served by Leo, who did their menial chores and lifted them with his spirit and song. All went well until
Leo disappeared one day. The travelers fell into disarray and could go no farther. The journey was over. Years later, one of the travelers
saw Leo againas the revered head of the Order that sponsored the journey. Leo, who had been their servant, was the titular head of
the Order, a great and noble leader. In The Servant as Leader, Greenleaf said:
...this story clearly saysthe great leader is seen as servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his greatness. Leo was actually the
leader all of the time, but he was servant first because that was what he was, deep down inside. Leadership was bestowed upon a man
who was by nature a servant. It was something given, or assumed, that could be taken away. His servant nature was the real man, not
bestowed, not assumed, and not to be taken away. He was servant first.
If there is a single characteristic of the servant-leader that stands out in Greenleaf's essay, it is the desire to serve. A walk through The
Servant as Leader provides a fairly long list of additional characteristics that Greenleaf considered important. They include listening and
understanding; acceptance and empathy; foresight; awareness and perception; persuasion; conceptualization; self-healing; and

rebuilding community. Greenleaf describes servant-leaders as people who initiate action, are goal-oriented, are dreamers of great
dreams, are good communicators, are able to withdraw and re-orient themselves, and are dependable, trusted, creative, intuitive, and
situational.
Scholars are identifying characteristics of servant leadership in order to develop and test theories about the impact of servant
leadership. For example, Robert C. Liden and his colleagues identified nine dimensions of servant leadership that they used in their
research: emotional healing, creating value for the community, conceptual skills, empowering, helping subordinates grow and succeed,
putting subordinates first, behaving ethically, relationships, and servanthood. Dirk van Dierendonck reviewed the scholarly literature
and identified six key characteristics of servant-leader behavior: empowering and developing people, humility, authenticity,
interpersonal acceptance, providing direction, and stewardship.
Greenleaf described a philosophy, not a theory. However, based on the views of a number of scholars, the elements that are most
unique to servant leadership compared with other theories are:
(1) the moral component, not only in terms of the personal morality and integrity of the servant-leader, but also in terms of the way in
which a servant-leader encourages enhanced moral reasoning among his or her followers, who can therefore test the moral basis of the
servant-leader's visions and organizational goals;
(2) the focus on serving followers for their own good, not just the good of the organization, and forming long-term relationships with
followers, encouraging their growth and development so that over time they may reach their fullest potential;
(3) concern with the success of all stakeholders, broadly definedemployees, customers, business partners, communities, and society
as a wholeincluding those who are the least privileged; and
(4) self-reflection, as a counter to the leader's hubris.