Communication is crucial in routine human interactions since it builds trust and contributes to a community’s success. Various communities have a defined set of values that dictate their interactions. Effective communication helps establish a friendly environment that accommodates all individuals in a society. Servant leadership is significant when exercising communication since it expresses trust, caring, and humility. The Indian culture integrates verbal and non-verbal communications exhibiting authority rather than power. Meanwhile, the Islam religious communication revolves around the Quran and expresses the Islamic culture by reinforcing humility and kindness. The Indian culture and Islam religion have integrated servant leadership in their communication styles despite the difference in values and culture.
Servant Leadership
Communication is done to achieve various purposes, including showing authority and power over others. Leaders play a significant role in society since they give a sense of direction and help in problem-solving within a society (Brière et al., 2021). Servant leadership involves interactions among individuals in different capacities to express authority and not power (Marizza, 2022). The leadership style is centered around five primary characteristics: valuing people, humility, listening, giving trust to others, and caring (Brière et al., 2021). Consequently, servant leadership operates on creating a culture of trust, encouraging diversity, and having an unselfish mindset (Marizza, 2022). Therefore, there is collaboration, commitment, and greater societal agility in a servant-led society.
India Culture Communication
Culture is significant in communication since it sets the values and principles observed during interactions. The Indian culture is guided by various philosophies that express trust, honesty, and appreciation, among other values acceptable. Harmony and unity are highly regarded in the Indian community (Rao & Thombre, 2021). Indian verbal communication tends to be indirect and polite, and direct refusals such as ‘no’ are considered harsh (Vijay et al., 2021). Meanwhile, Indian non-verbal communication involves direct eye content, avoiding physical touch, and avoiding gestures such as pointing with the index finger, which is considered accusatory (Rao & Thombre, 2021). Consequently, Indians prefer polite, indirect communication that avoids gestures and physical contact.
Servant Leadership in the Indian Culture Communication
Indian culture is dominated by Hinduism, the common religion among Indians. Hinduism exhibits servant leadership in various dimensions, including tone, words, and body language. Hinduism encourages putting others first, being sensitive to other people’s needs, and caring for others. The Indians perceive the direct communication style as blunt and avoid direct answers like ‘no.’ Moreover, in expressing care, Indians prefer knowing the person’s well-being before discussing any other business (Rao & Thombre, 2021). Consequently, they prefer face-to-face communication to formal communications like e-mails and faxes. Some gestures are considered accusatory and encumber social cohesion (Vijay et al., 2021). Therefore, Indians detest pointing the index finger when communicating since it signals indictment (Nair, 2022). Servant leadership principles like caring and social cohesion are evident in the Indian communication culture.
Islam Religion Communication
Islam’s communication is guided by the values and principles set in the Holy Quran, the holy book. The Islamic religion fosters peace, respect, and obedience to the Quran. Moreover, the religion prohibits telling lies, distorting information, and delivering a defamatory speech (Nasir, 2019). Muslims avoid physical contact in their routine communication, especially between people of different genders and among married persons (Mirchandani, 2018). Communication in Islam is based on the desire to read the Holy Quran and spread the gospel (Nasir, 2019). Unlike the Indians, Muslims are guided by ethical and moral communication behaviors as advised in the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) (Nasir, 2019). The use of gestures is common in Islam, especially when condemning evils in the society and warning people against disrespecting the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
Servant Leadership in Islam Religion
The Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammed’s teachings focus on servant leadership. As stated in hadeeth, the Prophet Mohammed decreed that the leader of the people was their servant (Gazi, 2020). Therefore, Muslims exhibit servant leadership in their communication styles. Servant leadership involves embracing harmony and peace among society members. Muslims express their quest for peace through their greetings, “As-Salaam-Alaikum,” which is an Arabic translation of “peace be unto you” (Prickett, 2021). The greeting is the standard salutation among Muslims, and it is routinely deployed whenever and wherever Muslims gather and interact (Gazi, 2020). In Islam religion, leaders must treat their people fairly and reasonably. Consequently, their communication involves the use of language that shows unity and togetherness in consensus-seeking. Servant leadership is expressed in the Islamic religion communication through the integration of caring, peacekeeping, and the leadership moral ethics as decreed by Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
Servant Leadership Versus Indian Culture
Although the Indian culture expresses servant leadership qualities, it has different values and principles that are similar and different from servant leadership philosophies. The Indian culture emphasizes on values such as modesty and dignity that are consistent with servant leadership philosophies. However, servant leadership differs from the Indian culture regarding leadership hierarchy. Moreover, the two communication styles are historically different since, unlike the Indian culture that borrows its concepts from Hinduism, servant leadership is a timeless concept. While the Indian culture integrates servant leadership in its communication styles, it expresses similar and different values from the servant leadership concept.
Similarities and Differences
Servant leadership and the Indian culture share many leadership values. Servant leadership philosophies propound that leaders should exhibit fairness, create a culture of trust, listen to their subjects, and create trust among the community members. Similarly, the Indian culture encourages harmony, fairness, and togetherness in the community. Consequently, there is continued trust among the members of the Indian community. Furthermore, like servant leadership, Hindus are encouraged to prioritize other people’s needs and be sensitive to them (Mulinge, 2020). Servant leaders in various organizations exhibit caring for others and being there in case they are needed to help. Although servant leadership philosophies are similar to the Indian culture, some principles of the Indian culture are inconsistent with servant leadership.
Servant leadership differs from the Indian cultural context in terms of societal structure. Servant leadership philosophy dictates that the leadership authority should come from a decentralized system. Consequently, the leaders interact with their servants, making decisions based on what the majority decides and not the ‘leader’ (Marizza, 2022). The leaders are encouraged to understand their people’s problems since they interact with them at grassroots levels. Meanwhile, there is a definitive role of community leaders in the Indian cultural context (Rao & Thombre, 2021). The leaders in the Indian cultural context do not have to interact with society members at grassroots levels. The Indian leaders understand the community’s problems based on their historical background. While the Indian culture integrates elements of servant leadership, it encourages a different leadership structure from the servant leadership philosophies.
Servant Leadership Versus Islam Religion
Islam religion exhibits some values and principles congruent with servant leadership philosophies. The values of dedication and honesty in serving others as taught by Prophet Mohammed are consistent with servant leadership philosophies. Moreover, humility, ethics, and inspiring vision are expressed in the Holy Quran. However, unlike servant leadership, Muslims seek authority from the Holy Quran and the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Therefore, although Muslims manifest servant leadership philosophies, they are guided by the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Mohammed.
Similarities and Differences
The main similarities between servant leadership philosophies and Islam religion are the emphasis on dedication, humility, fairness, and honesty among leaders. The Holy Quran encourages the Muslims to follow the example of Prophet Mohammed, who was a servant leader. Moreover, like servant leadership philosophies, Islam encourages fairness and discourages false accusations among Muslims (Gazi, 2020). However, servant leadership encourages the society or an organization to exercise authority from a decentralized structure. Meanwhile, the Islam religion encourages the use of teachings from Quran and Prophet Mohammed’s decrees when exercising authority. Moreover, unlike servant leadership, the Islam religion has a well-defined and structured leadership system.
Conclusion
Leadership is the exercise of authority over others and is influenced by social factors like culture and religion. Servant leadership philosophy encourages the exercise of authority rather than power among community members. The Indian culture and Islamic religion communication styles embrace servant leadership. However, the servant leadership style differs from the Indian and Islam religion since it encourages the exercise of authority from a decentralized system. Indian culture, Islam religion, and servant leadership share some values and principles but differ in various ways.
References
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