Robert Greenleaf developed the theory of servant leadership after a long career at AT&T. Servant leadership positions serving others as the primary function of leadership. Greenleaf argued that successful leaders are driven first by a desire to serve rather than by a desire for power or material wealth. He believed that when institutions view their primary function as serving customers and employees, they build a better society. The Greenleaf Center was established to promote servant leadership principles in organizations.

1. Servant Leadership:
The Theories of Robert Greenleaf
Fawn Russell
LIBR 282
Fall 2012

2. Who Was Robert Greenleaf?

Born on July 14th, 1904 in Terre
Haute, Indiana.

Family was involved in local
politics; father was a maschinist
and eventually ran the practice
shops at Rose Polytechnic (where
Robert ended up going to school).

After graduating at Minnesota
State went to work at AT&T for 35
years as the Director of
Management, in which he retired
early in 1964.

3. A Second Career

Became a consultant and
speaker on the role of leaders
throughout the 1960's; spoke at
several universities/Nonprofits
including M.I.T., Dartmouth and
Harvard business schools.

Developed his radical theory of
Servant Leadership and began
promoting it in 1970 with his
first book “The Servant as
Leader”

4. What is Servant Leadership?

1960's mainstream leadership as a pyramid, with the
bosses at the top and employees/volunteers underneath,
following instructions given from above; Greenleaf flipped
the model of power-oriented management style.

"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the
natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then
conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is
sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps
because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or
to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the
servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there
are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety
of human nature.” (Greenleaf Center website)

5. What is Servant Leadership?

In Greenleaf's next essay, “The Institute as Servant”, Greenleaf
shows how it is not just up to the individual but organizations as a
whole to serve the customer; instead of viewing them simply as
cash flow.

“This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the
less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good
society is built. Whereas, until recently, caring was largely
person to person, now most of it is mediated through institutions
- often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always
competent; sometimes corrupt. If a better society is to be built,
one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater
creative opportunity for its people, then the most open course is
to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as
servant of existing major institutions by new regenerative forces
operating within them.” (Robert Greenleaf, from “Servant
Leadership” page 62)

6. The Greenleaf Center

A nonprofit organization
established originally in 1964 as the
Center for Applied Ethics.

Greenleaf served as the President
until 1985.

Now known as The Greenleaf
Center, the organization promotes
the theories of Robert Greenleaf and
compassionate ways of leading which
empower all.

The mission of the center's service
is that it “promotes the awareness,
understanding, and practice of
servant leadership by individuals
and organizations.” (Greenleaf
Center Mission)

7. What is most valuable to us, as practicing
leaders/managers, from Robert K. Greenleaf's work?
Seeing the potential for growth professionally and personally is
a huge benefit in adapting this managing philosophy.
It promotes community ethics, a sense of self and individuality
without being ego-centered, and shared empowerment.
Over-arching theme of empathy: “The ability to mentally
project one’s own consciousness into that of another
individual. Greenleaf wrote, 'The servant always accepts
and empathizes, never rejects' (1970, p. 12), and 'Men grow
taller when those who lead themempathize, and when they
are accepted for who they are…' (1970, p. 14)”. (Smith)

8. References
Greenleaf, Robert K. & Spears, Larry C. (1977 & 2002).
Servant leadership: a journey into the nature of
legitimate power and greatness. New Jersey: Paulist
Press.
Greenleaf center for servant leadership. Retrieved
9/19/2012 from www.Greenleaf.org
Smith, Carol. (2005). Servant leadership: the
leadership theory of Robert K. Greenleaf. Retrieved
9/19/2012 from
www.carolsmith.us/downloads/640greenleaf.pdf