Servant Leadership and Constructive Development Theory: How Servant Leaders Make Meaning of Service

Abstract

A connection between servant leadership and constructive developmental theory is proposed. A theoretical framework is offered that examines the subject and object relationship for servant leaders at progressive stages of meaning making, showing how the way leaders make meaning of service evolves with their constructive development. The framework also proposes a threshold on the ability to adopt servant leadership. This understanding suggests that leadership educators who wish to promote servant leadership should first focus their energies on helping younger students reach the developmental stage required for servant leadership.