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Servant Leadership Case Study

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*The name of the individual has been changed to protect his privacy When I think of leadership, especially servant leadership, one name stands above the rest from my personal experiences. My dean of students at the university where I received my undergraduate was an exemplary model of a servant-leader. The best leaders put the organization and those working within that organization above their own personal goals and well being. Luke was a walking definition of servant-leadership. According to Northouse (2016), “Servant leaders put followers first, empower them, and help them develop their full personal capacities” (p. 225). Luke made it clear from day one on the campus that the students and their welfare were of utmost importance. He made …show more content…

Groysberg and Sling (2012) state, “True attentiveness signals respect for people of all ranks and roles, a sense of curiosity, and even a degree of humility” (p.5) I remember on the first day of orientation at the university Luke told all the new students that he had an open door policy and that he was there to listen if you needed to talk about school or personal issues. Many times individuals in positions of authority claim that they will listen, but it is an empty promise. Luke was a great listener. I know from talking to other students that he intently listened to their concerns whether it was with a professor, another student, or even the way he had handled a …show more content…

Kouzes and Posner argue, “Good leaders wander the halls, eat in the cafeteria, listen to complaints, go to parties, and attend organizational events. Believability goes up when leaders are personally involved” (2007, p.14). Luke was often seen eating and interacting with students in the cafeteria or student center. He was also at almost every campus event. He made it a priority to memorize students’ names and something important about them. He would often call to check in on students if he knew they had a family member who was ill. This built trust with the students and showed them that he cared about them. Luke invited students over to his house for holidays if he knew they couldn’t travel back home to celebrate. Luke even traveled over five hours to attend my wedding after I graduated. This is just a small sampling of concrete ways that Luke demonstrated his care for students and built community. This dedication made it easy for students to trust him as their dean of

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