Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India

Servant Leadership is a contemporary philosophy of leadership suggesting that the most effective leaders serve those around them. It is a philosophy emphasising the prioritisation of serving others over oneself and is particularly aligned with non-Western traditions, especially in India. Servant lea...

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Main Authors: Dipanwita Biswas, Seema Singh, Sunil K. Verma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo 2025-06-01
Series:Colombo Business Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://mgmt.cmb.ac.lk/cbj/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/7.-CBJ-V16I1-Servant-Leadership-in-India.pdf
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author Dipanwita Biswas
Seema Singh
Sunil K. Verma
author_facet Dipanwita Biswas
Seema Singh
Sunil K. Verma
author_sort Dipanwita Biswas
collection DOAJ
description Servant Leadership is a contemporary philosophy of leadership suggesting that the most effective leaders serve those around them. It is a philosophy emphasising the prioritisation of serving others over oneself and is particularly aligned with non-Western traditions, especially in India. Servant leadership is interpreted and practised variably in Western and non-Western contexts, mirroring the cultural values and philosophical traditions inherent to these countries. This paper aims to illustrate the presence of a non-Western perspective of servant leadership within the religious doctrines and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism in India. In contrast to Western models that prioritise individual empowerment and organisational achievement, the Indian perspective is profoundly rooted in the nation’s spiritual, religious, and cultural heritage, offering significant insights for global leadership practices in an increasingly interconnected world. Future studies may investigate the integration of indigenous leadership concepts into modern global leadership frameworks.
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publisher Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo
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spelling doaj-art-d30e8a90cc6f43dc9e053dd4c4a6aca12025-08-20T03:32:41ZengFaculty of Management & Finance, University of ColomboColombo Business Journal1800-363X2579-22102025-06-0116116017810.4038/cbj.v16i1.208Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in IndiaDipanwita Biswas0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0468-6081Seema Singh1Sunil K. Verma2Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, IndiaAmity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, IndiaVivekananda College, University of Delhi, IndiaServant Leadership is a contemporary philosophy of leadership suggesting that the most effective leaders serve those around them. It is a philosophy emphasising the prioritisation of serving others over oneself and is particularly aligned with non-Western traditions, especially in India. Servant leadership is interpreted and practised variably in Western and non-Western contexts, mirroring the cultural values and philosophical traditions inherent to these countries. This paper aims to illustrate the presence of a non-Western perspective of servant leadership within the religious doctrines and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism in India. In contrast to Western models that prioritise individual empowerment and organisational achievement, the Indian perspective is profoundly rooted in the nation’s spiritual, religious, and cultural heritage, offering significant insights for global leadership practices in an increasingly interconnected world. Future studies may investigate the integration of indigenous leadership concepts into modern global leadership frameworks.https://mgmt.cmb.ac.lk/cbj/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/7.-CBJ-V16I1-Servant-Leadership-in-India.pdfcultural lineageleadershipreligious lineageservant leadershipservant leadership in india
spellingShingle Dipanwita Biswas
Seema Singh
Sunil K. Verma
Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
Colombo Business Journal
cultural lineage
leadership
religious lineage
servant leadership
servant leadership in india
title Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
title_full Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
title_fullStr Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
title_full_unstemmed Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
title_short Perspective Paper – Cultural and Religious Heritage of Servant Leadership in India
title_sort perspective paper cultural and religious heritage of servant leadership in india
topic cultural lineage
leadership
religious lineage
servant leadership
servant leadership in india
url https://mgmt.cmb.ac.lk/cbj/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/7.-CBJ-V16I1-Servant-Leadership-in-India.pdf
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AT sunilkverma perspectivepaperculturalandreligiousheritageofservantleadershipinindia