Servant Leaders for the 21st Century

Today there is universal acknowledgement that we face a leadership crisis. We are surrounded by a world of opportunities and challenges but the current educational system is failing to develop students into quality leaders.

The answer is found in the simple phrase “Servant Leadership,” as exemplified in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as in the lives of his greatest followers. Executive and researcher Robert Greenleaf coined the term “servant leadership” over 30 years ago and devoted his life to promoting the development and practice of servant leadership. In fact, he wrote a book entitled Servant Leadership to promote the principles he came to believe in.

Interestingly, Greenleaf was no fan of the modern university system. He wrote, “By extending education for so many so far into the adult years, normal participation in society is effectively denied when young people are ready for it.”

Greenleaf believed that college education should be be reconnected with the experiences of real life, with the daily practice of serving. “Students who are potential bearers of responsibility should see their college years as being as real as anything they will ever experience. Therefore, they should conduct themselves in the college environment in a way that develops to the full their capacity for responsible behavior.”

Through CollegePlus! we are seeking to reform college education by enabling students to spend their time and money pursuing internships, mentoring opportunities, real work, and a life of service. Herein lies the true preparation needed for developing the servant leaders our society desperately needs.

Posted by Brad Voeller