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International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Abstract

"Top line," used by researchers in the field of leadership and creativity (Freeman, Isaksen, & Dorval, 2001), proposes that servant-leadership is a driving force of organizations focused on questions of why and for whom, as opposed to the bottom-line what (pp. 265-267). Higher education could improve with leadership development efforts to "reclaim intangible resources, including people's talents that increase innovative capacity by focusing on relationships, perceptions, and attitudes" (p. 264). Because public education does not have, per se, a dollar-driven, "bottom line" focus, its institutions can be wholly about service. Robert K. Greenleaf (2002), the leading figure in servant-leadership theory and practice, wrote extensively about this topic, most notably in "Servant Leadership in Education" (pp. 176-214) and "Teacher as Servant: A Parable" (Greenleaf, Beazley, Beggs, & Spears, 2003, pp. 75-239). Greenleaf believed that institutions should serve people and not the other way around. He felt strongly that his famous "best test" (2002, p. 27) should apply to colleges and universities. His "best test," which he admitted is hard to apply, is stated like this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? [italics original] (p. 27) While many leaders intuitively work in ways that further these goals, developments in higher education of servant-leadership might be institutionalized through conscious growth, study, and choice.

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