International Journal of Servant-Leadership
Abstract
The image of the leader as servant has come to exercise a profound influence within secular organizations (Spears, 1995, p. 3). Yet one can argue that its antecedents are in the religious world. Servant-leadership is a major theme in the Judea-Christian tradition, from the weeping Joseph embracing his brothers (Genesis 45:15, New Oxford Annotated Bible) to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:5). The image also figures in Islam, Zen and Taoism (Vanourek, 1995, p. 300). Robert K. Greenleaf (1977), whose writings brought the image of the servant-leader into the public imagination, was a Quaker; his seminal essay on servant-leadership was inspired by Herman Hesse's Journey to the East, in which the hero is ultimately revealed as head of a religious order (Spears, 1995, p. 3). The image of the leader as servant also resonates for people who are not visibly connected to any religious tradition. ...
Recommended Citation
Finch, Karen Petersen
(2007)
"The Image of God, Servant-Leadership and Forgiveness,"
International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 3, Article 14.
DOI: 10.33972/ijsl.266
Available at:
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol3/iss1/14
Copyright Information
Copyright 2007 The author(s). All Rights reserved