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International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Abstract

Robert Greenleaf saw the rock upon which a good society would be built as people caring for and serving one another. While he noted that in previous times this was largely person-to-person, he expanded this thesis and charged large institutions with the task of building a just and loving society-one that would offer greater creative opportunities to its people. A prophetic and compassionate man, Greenleaf saw the underlying power shift being advocated for by social movements of the late twentieth century as having far-reaching implications and changes for leadership. In a prophetic and alarming statement he proposed that today's privileged might best serve by "waiting and listening until the less favored define their own priority needs and how they want to be served." Greenleaf, a White male who spent his career in corporate America, had the foresight and humility to understand that authentic leadership rises from the people and community that are to be served. As can be seen in his writings and teachings, Greenleaf's life is living proof that concepts and ideas inspire people to think and then act in new ways. The hope of this interview is to bring forth the voice of James Joseph, an exceptional African American, a servant-leader, who is "very right for the time and place" in which he lives-a synchronicity Greenleaf identified as critical to great leadership. Dr. Joseph urges Americans to re-embrace the public values on which this country was founded-values heralding common welfare, justice, and equality. Furthermore, he asserts that these values have been kept in trust by the African American community and are the foundation of the South African liberation movement. Joseph challenges Americans to shed the cloak of individualism and the current focus on personal morality, and look instead to re-establishing public values that will hold our society accountable for the welfare of all people. Public values were not a theme highlighted by Greenleaf, yet inherent in his writing is a set of intrinsic values that are the wellspring of servant leadership. In Trustees as Servants (1974), Greenleaf stated, "Perhaps the greatest threat is that we lack the mechanism of consensus, a way of making up our collective minds." It may be that the consensus Greenleaf sought can be found by taking to heart and then acting on Joseph's call to re-establish our public values, and then forging servant-leadership that supports the common welfare. A look at the dynamics of the period that gave rise to the Civil Rights movement provides a framework for understanding the influence and impact of Dr. Joseph's conceptual leadership and his call for social responsibility.

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