Gender and Servant Leadership: Exploring Intersections and Dynamics

This chapter explores the intricate relationship between gender and servant leadership, emphasizing servant leadership’s potential to address gender disparities in leadership roles and foster a more inclusive workplace. It begins with an overview of gender and leadership, highlighting traditional norms that have limited women’s access to leadership positions. Through the lens of theories such as Role Congruity, Social Role, and Social Identity theories, the chapter examines how servant leadership aligns with communal attributes often associated with female leaders, thus challenging conventional gender biases. The literature reveals mixed results regarding gender differences in servant leadership behaviors, suggesting that men and women can effectively exhibit servant leadership traits. The chapter also discusses how followers’ perceptions of leaders’ effectiveness are influenced by gender, with female leaders often facing unique challenges and higher scrutiny. Servant leadership can foster a more gender-inclusive workplace by promoting empathy, collaboration, and personal growth. The chapter concludes with future research directions, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of evaluation tools and a deeper exploration of gender dynamics in servant leadership contexts. This chapter also provides insights on how servant leadership can contribute to gender equity and inclusive organizational cultures.