Abstract
Social identity is the concept that an individual's sense of self is comprised of group memberships and communities as well as individual traits. Research shows that there is a correlation between a common shared social identity and high team performance. Servant leadership, a leadership style characterized by the willingness of a leader to serve his followers, has the potential to bridge the gap between the development of social identity and increased team performance. Servant leaders are perceived as part of team rather than separate and are able to quickly build trust with their team members due to their nurturing leadership style. Also, servant leaders are more likely to seek to understand team members' needs, which will ensure that they are modeling behavior that team members want to follow. Because of these inherent traits, servant leaders are uniquely able to influence the social identity of their team, thereby fostering high performance.
