Measuring Servant Leadership: Tests of Discriminant and Convergent Validity of the Servant Leadership Survey

The purpose of this study was to analyze the internal reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS). Exploratory factor analysis of the SLS found that 5 of the 9 servant leadership scales were supported. Additional exploratory factor and correlational analyses were performed using the Servant Leadership Survey, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ). The participants in this study consisted of 128 graduate students enrolled in a leadership program in San Antonio, Houston, and Harlingen, Texas who completed the MLQ, LBDQ and the SLS. All participants were employed full time in a variety of organizations including for profit, non-profit and government organizations. Overall findings indicate that although all three instruments likely share an overarching leadership factor, the courage, forgiveness, humility and authenticity scales from the SLS are likely measuring a different aspect of leadership than those of the MLQ and LBDQ.