Servant$-$ Leadership is commonly presented as an upside$-$down pyramid of organizational hierarchy where the tip of the pyramid $($at the bottom$)$ represents top management, and the base $($on top$)$ represents the employees. The leaders of this upside$-$down pyramid work in service of the employees through humility, active listening, empathy, direct engagement, and feedback loops. The outcomes of such a leadership framework are touted to enhance higher employee morale, empowerment, productivity, and team collaboration leading to higher financial returns.

In a recent NY Times article on CEO Howard Shultz of Starbucks, whose leadership process is considered servant leadership. He was surprised and emotionally taken aback by current demands in the employee ranks towards labor unionization.

Howard Schultz.pdf

Analyze this outcome through your learning of the servant$-$leadership model.

Was the leadership of Starbucks following a servant$-$leadership model? If you agree or disagree, make your case based on learning the servant$-$leadership model.

Was this a reflection of the failure of the servant$-$leadership model?

What drawbacks of the servant$-$leadership model do you detect in the case?

How does the servant$-$leadership model handle the business and financial stresses of the COVID pandemic when all parties are required to make sacrifices?