Leadership of a High Performance Department

Abstract

In a service profession, such as the field of strength and conditioning, in the management of the athlete as well as the administration of the high performance sport development staff, servant leadership is necessary to effectively motivate performance through the wearisome day to day work load, which is of utmost importance for executing short term tasks, mid-range goals and in long-term mission completion.  Dierendonck (2011), describes servant leadership as displayed in the empowerment and the development of people, conveyed by authentically providing direction, demonstrating stewardship with the act of taking care of your staff and the organization, by being humble with the understanding that no work within the organization is beneath you, and through interpersonal acceptance, established by taking ownership of anything that will eventually go wrong.  A servant leader understands there is reciprocity in the strong affiliation with individuals within the organization and builds the relationship through trust and fairness.