Hannah
Am I a servant leader?
I chose to complete the servant leadership self-assessment, drawing on my one-year experience as a
vice-president of a student association. My main responsibilities included internal communication
and organising our events from start to end. I had to supervise 12 people in total. Since my primary
goal in that role was to inspire members of the board and support them in maximising their
productivity, I found this assessment to be especially relevant.
The servant leadership test I completed is based on a summated scale that measures a latent
construct; in this case, servant leadership. I scored a 55 on the assessment, with an average score of
4 out of 5. Meaning that I consider myself a servant leader, although there is still room for
improvement. I scored particularly high on statements related to honesty, personal integrity and
complex problem solving. I believe these statements match with the leadership I aspired to: one
about honesty, structure and with a human-centred approach.
2. I take the time to talk to my employees on a personal level 4
6. I can solve work problems with new or creative ideas 4
11. I put the interest of my employees first 4
1. My employees seek my help if they have a personal problem 3
7. I give my employees the responsibility to make important decisions about their job 3
Reflections from practice
During my time as a vice-president, I made it a priority to speak with board members on a personal
level. I did so by consistently organising one-on-one meetings so people could talk honestly about
how they thought things were going, and also so they would feel supported. This is something I
learned at my previous working space; while meeting every 3-4 weeks seems much, I felt very
supported and truly appreciated that our team leader took the time to listen.
In my team, there were remarkably many people with either ADHD or autism, or both. This posed an
extra challenge for me as I had to adapt my communication. It is not enough for someone with ADHD
to say “Clean up”. It is better to give them a very concrete task, such as “Can you clean the tables
with this duster?”. I also made sure a message was sent at the same time and in a consistent format
every week, to create a sense of routine for team members with autism.
Am I a servant leader?
I chose to complete the servant leadership self-assessment, drawing on my one-year experience as a
vice-president of a student association. My main responsibilities included internal communication
and organising our events from start to end. I had to supervise 12 people in total. Since my primary
goal in that role was to inspire members of the board and support them in maximising their
productivity, I found this assessment to be especially relevant.
The servant leadership test I completed is based on a summated scale that measures a latent
construct; in this case, servant leadership. I scored a 55 on the assessment, with an average score of
4 out of 5. Meaning that I consider myself a servant leader, although there is still room for
improvement. I scored particularly high on statements related to honesty, personal integrity and
complex problem solving. I believe these statements match with the leadership I aspired to: one
about honesty, structure and with a human-centred approach.
2. I take the time to talk to my employees on a personal level 4
6. I can solve work problems with new or creative ideas 4
11. I put the interest of my employees first 4
1. My employees seek my help if they have a personal problem 3
7. I give my employees the responsibility to make important decisions about their job 3
Reflections from practice
During my time as a vice-president, I made it a priority to speak with board members on a personal
level. I did so by consistently organising one-on-one meetings so people could talk honestly about
how they thought things were going, and also so they would feel supported. This is something I
learned at my previous working space; while meeting every 3-4 weeks seems much, I felt very
supported and truly appreciated that our team leader took the time to listen.
In my team, there were remarkably many people with either ADHD or autism, or both. This posed an
extra challenge for me as I had to adapt my communication. It is not enough for someone with ADHD
to say “Clean up”. It is better to give them a very concrete task, such as “Can you clean the tables
with this duster?”. I also made sure a message was sent at the same time and in a consistent format
every week, to create a sense of routine for team members with autism.
