Abstract:
In the contemporary landscape of the IT sector, leadership paradigms have
witnessed a notable evolution, particularly with the advent of servant leadership—an ethos
that places primacy on prioritizing the needs of the team over individual interests.
Supervisors in the IT industry have evolved and devised various leadership styles that are
team-focused and involve various techniques to improve team satisfaction and productivity
and in turn, facilitate in achieving organizational goals.
This study sought to examine the collective impact of servant leadership,
intellectual stimulation, and perceived supervisor support on team effectiveness. A cohort
comprising 327 IT professionals across various cities in Pakistan was engaged through
structured survey instruments to gauge their perceptions regarding these leadership
dimensions and their consequential effects on team effectiveness.
The findings present servant leadership as a pivotal driver of team effectiveness,
exerting a statistically significant positive influence. Moreover, this effect was found to be
reinforced by the presence of intellectual stimulation and perceived supervisor support,
thereby contributing to fostering optimal team performance within the Agile IT sector.
This study harbors significant implications for practitioners and stakeholders
within the Pakistani IT domain. It underscores the efficacy of servant leadership as a
catalyst for enhancing team cohesion and productivity, thereby advocating for its
widespread adoption within organizational contexts. Furthermore, the reinforcement of
servant leadership with elements of intellectual stimulation and supervisor support
elucidates the nuanced dynamics underpinning effective leadership within the IT sector.
The findings of this research underscore the imperative for organizational leaders
to adopt a servant leadership style, one characterized by a profound commitment to the
holistic well-being and professional development of their teams. By fostering a culture of
servant leadership alongside intellectual stimulation and robust supervisor support,
organizations can engender a climate conducive to innovation, collaboration, and sustained
performance.
