Servant Leadership: Responding the Challenges for Change in Higher Education

Abstract

This study aims to describe servant leadership characteristics possessed by leaders of higher education institutions. This is important because higher education institutions as the center of excellence are required to answer the challenges for change demanded by the market, and servant leadership is the most suitable leadership characteristics to do so. The present study employed qualitative method. The primary data was collected through in-depth interview with the head of tarbiyah faculty of Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung, as well as via observation and documentation. In addition, questionnaires were administered to 11 heads of programs at tarbiyah faculty of the university to collect secondary data. The findings of this study show that servant leadership should possess the characteristics of organizational stewardship, wisdom, service, humility, vision, persuasive mapping, altruistic, and emotional healing.