Our findings elucidate how servant leaders leverage NVC to resolve conflict and build peace through three interconnected capabilities: observational capability (deep listening), relational capability (strategic patience), and systemic capability (collaborative problem-solving). These capacities not only enable leaders to cultivate trust and navigate complexity but also serve as foundational pillars for reimagining a new generation of peace leadership—one that is grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and sustainable transformation.

Deep Listening

A key factor in the success of inspirational community leaders who embody servant leadership is their capacity for 'deep listening’. This involves more than simply hearing what people say; it requires attuning to the underlying needs, emotions, and tensions within a community. This approach of deep listening is a core part of nonviolent communication, which encourages us to listen with an open mind and heart to understand people's feelings and needs without judgment. For a servant leader, deep listening is essential, as their primary goal is to understand and serve their community—not to impose directives upon it. We contend that deep listening functions as a form of observational capability, enabling leaders to recognize underlying needs and tensions before they escalate into violence, thereby transforming potential conflicts into opportunities for dialogue and mutual understanding. An illustrative example from our study is a tense standoff in Pangani, a suburb in Nairobi, Kenya, where Chief Johnson Amimo successfully averted conflict during the planned eviction of informal traders from a road reserve by engaging in a three-hour dialogue with the affected traders. This example, among several others, highlights that deep listening is a critical capacity emerging leaders must cultivate. It enables them to address community challenges and foster peace and development by championing nonviolence in thought, word, and deed (ahimsa), and by approaching struggles with the force of truth and love (Satyagraha)—the foundational principles of the Gandhian model of nonviolent communication.

Strategic Patience

Impactful community leaders demonstrate a strategic sense of patience, which in turn strengthens their relational capability. Our analysis shows that building meaningful relationships takes time and that lasting change cannot be rushed. For instance, in Uganda, Nantongo Teddy spent several months patiently building a relationship with a married couple experiencing marital difficulties. She voluntarily dedicated time to visit them, listened to both partners without judgment, and helped clarify the root causes of their challenges. Through gentle persuasion and encouragement, she fostered mutual respect between them, ultimately strengthening their relationship. Similarly, in Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul Mohammad Lawal facilitated multiple community dialogues to prevent outbreaks of mob violence. In one instance, he intervened when a thief was about to be lynched by an angry crowd. Drawing on his communication skills and deep patience, he appealed to the crowd’s moral conscience, urging them to respect the dignity of human life and uphold the principles of due legal process—successfully de-escalating a potentially violent situation. This relational capability is not simply about waiting—it involves the intentional cultivation of trust through consistent, respectful engagement that honors the natural pace of genuine transformation. Such patience ensures that all voices are heard and respected, leading to solutions that are truly owned by the community. This approach aligns closely with the principles of nonviolent communication, which emphasize addressing issues through an understanding of underlying needs and always seeking nonviolent alternatives.

Collaborative Problem-Solving

Our analysis also highlights the transformative power of collaborative problem-solving in cultivating ‘systemic capability’: the ability of leaders to unite diverse stakeholders to co-create solutions that are effective, inclusive, and enduring. Dr Zumra Nuru, founder of the Awra Amba community in Ethiopia, exemplifies this approach. His leadership, grounded in dialogue and mutual respect, prioritized collective voices over traditional authority. Rather than imposing decisions, he fostered open discussions, encouraging the exchange of ideas and resolution of differences. As a selfless servant leader, his patient listening and inclusive engagement enabled the community to dismantle harmful traditions, address gender inequality, and eliminate child exploitation. Today, men and women share responsibilities equally, and the community thrives on values such as ‘treat others the way you want to be treated’. This inclusive model, built on social justice and care for the vulnerable, including elders and those unable to work, has empowered Awra Amba to endure external hostility, displacement, and poverty. It stands as a testament to how systemic capability, rooted in servant leadership and nonviolent communication, can foster a resilient culture of peace and development. Such capability depends on holistic communication—empathetic listening and cooperative engagement. By nurturing shared understanding and collective action, leaders help communities redefine norms for resolving conflict and making decisions. In this context, conflict becomes an opportunity to surface and address unmet needs, reinforcing the idea that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of communication practices that uphold human dignity and respond to deeper concerns. Thereby, servant leaders who leverage nonviolent communication embed peacebuilding into the very fabric of community life. Rather than positioning themselves as indispensable problem-solvers, they foster collective capacity for self-governance and mutual care—ensuring that peace becomes a shared, sustainable responsibility rather than a top-down directive.

Conclusion

Our research demonstrates that servant leadership and nonviolent communication are foundational to reimagining a new generation of peace leadership. When integrated, these approaches have the power to transform communities, strengthen relationships, and build lasting capacities for peace, coexistence, and development. The thirty-one case studies co-created in our study, some of which are presented in this article, demonstrate that leaders who embody these principles engage constructively with stakeholders, foster trust, and catalyze meaningful change. Our findings indicate that servant leaders who prioritise listening to their communities not only gain a deeper understanding of their needs but also cultivate meaningful relationships that enable the co-creation of effective, sustainable solutions. These solutions are not quick fixes; they require ongoing engagement and patience in order to foster long-term transformation. In some cases,