Servant Leadership
By Dave Worland
Principal
Cathedral High School
July 5, 2011
Introduction to servant leadership?
• This is an interactive
presentation, so please do
raise comments and
questions anytime during
the presentation.
• This raises many issues, so
questions are always
welcome!
Why is this a topic today?
• Currently is a buzz word in educational
circles
• Many Experts and many books
available on this topic now
– “I am” survey, etc.!
– Horizon League
• Leader – Power, wealth, and fame
• Counter-cultural – media and
upbringing
What terms come to mind?
• “Leadership”
• “Servant”
– Paradox: Servant Leadership does
not mean weak or powerless!
– Proponents:
• John Stahl-Wert – The Serving Leader
• Robert Greenleaf – The Servant as
Leader
• Kent M Keith – The Case for Servant
Leadership
Greenleaf Definition
• Servant Leader is servant first.
• It begins with natural feeling that
one wants to serve, to serve first.
• That person is sharply different from
one who is leader first.
• Leader-first and servant-first are 2
extreme types – between them are
shadings and blends that are part of
the infinite variety of human nature.
My definition of Servant Leadership
is Action
•
•
•
Coach Vince Burpo – Frontier
HS – senior football players
clean up locker room after
home and away varsity games
Benton Central HS –
Sportsmanship banquet – most
recipients were servant leaders
Your examples?
Other experts? See handout
• Stephen Covey – urges people to rise
above our present circumstances
• Peter Drucker – What can I contribute
and mean it?
• Jim Collins – leaders channel their ego
needs away from themselves
• Peter Senge – most singular & useful
statement of leadership in last 20 years
How would servant leaders act when
dealing with difficult situation?
• New Coach named after strong
relationship with former coach
• Injury?
• New teammate who is very
skilled in your position?
• Junior on J.V. Team?
Do Anyway Handout
• People are illogical, unreasonable, & selfcentered. LOVE THEM ANYWAY.
• If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish
ulterior motives. DO GOOD ANYWAY.
• If you are successful, you will win false friends
& true enemies. SUCCEED ANYWAY.
• The good you do today will be forgotten
tomorrow. DO GOOD ANYWAY.
• Honesty & frankness make you vulnerable. BE
HONEST & FRANK ANYWAY.
• The biggest men & women with the biggest
ideas can be shot down by the smallest men
and women with the smallest minds. THINK
BIG ANYWAY.
Do It Anyway (continued)
• People favor underdogs but follow only top
dogs. FIGHT FOR A FEW UNDERDOGS
ANWAY.
• What you spend years building may be
destroyed overnight. BUILD ANYWAY.
• People really need help but may attack you
if you do help them. HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.
• Give the world the best you have and you’ll
get kicked in the teeth. GIVE THE WORLD
THE BEST YOU HAVE ANYWAY.
- Kent M Keith (1968)
Examples of students/adults at your school
with characteristics of a Servant Leader
• A leader who is focused on serving others
• One who listens, has empathy, healing,
awareness, persuasion, conceptualization,
foresight, stewardship, commitment to the
growth of people, and building community
• Common qualities: unconditional love,
brokenness, self-awareness, being real,
foresight, facilitate common vision, builds
community, empowers others, meets needs of
others, removes obstacles, being the
cheerleader.
• See leadership as only worth it if it is helping
others!
The Case for Servant Leadership
• Not about controlling; about caring for
and being resource for
• Not about being boss; is about being
present and building a community at
work
• Not building territory; is about letting
go of ego, bringing your spirit to work,
being your best and most authentic
self
Case for Servant Leadership (cont.)
• Less concerned with pep talks & more
concerned with creating a place where
people can do good work, can find
meaning in their work, and can bring
their spirits to work.
• Leadership, like life, is largely a matter
of paying attention.
• Leadership requires love.
- James Autry
Being Counter-Cultural
• To the world, servant leaders may
seen naïve…and stand alone
without support of their culture.
• The most effective leaders do not
seek power, wealth, or fame – the
seek to make a difference in the
lives of others, they are often
given power, wealth, and
fame…which they treat as tools for
helping others.
-Robert Greenleaf
Power Model vs. Service Model
1. How would you define the power
model of leadership?
2. How would you define the service
model of leadership?
3. Make 2 columns (headings “Power”
& “Service). List words in each that
describe each model. Which words
are the same for both columns?
What are different?
Power Model vs. Service Model (cont.)
4. To what end does Power-oriented leader use
power? To what end does a servant-leader use
power?
5. Which model of leadership have you used most
often? Why?
Questions for Reflection & Discussion
1. How do you serve others in your
family, your school, your
organization, or your community?
2. Name servant-leaders you know
from history, literature, or real life
today. What makes them servantleaders?