A servant leader serves constituents by working on their behalf to help them achieve their goals, not the leader’s own goals. The idea behind servant leadership, as formulated by Robert K. Greenleaf, is that leadership derives naturally from a commitment to service. Serving others, including employees, customers, and community, is the primary motivation for the servant leader. Servant leadership focuses on ethical behavior and constructive relationships between leader and follower.

True leadership emerges from a deep desire to help others. A servant leader is therefore a moral leader. Servant leadership has been accomplished when group members become wiser, healthier, and more autonomous.