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Practicing Servant-Leadership by Spears — book cover

Practicing Servant-Leadership

by Spears, Larry C. Spears (Editor), Warren G. Bennis
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Overview

VOICES OF SERVANT-LEADERSHIP

"Servant-leadership has never been more applicable to the world of leadership than it is today."
—Ken Blanchard, author, The Heart of Leadership

"We are each indebted to Greenleaf for bringing spirit and values into the workplace."
—Peter Block, author, Stewardship

"I congratulate the Greenleaf Center for its invaluable service to society and for carrying the torch of servant-leadership over the years."
—Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"Robert Greenleaf takes us beyond cynicism and cheap tricks and simplified techniques into the heart of the matter, into the spiritual lives of those who lead."
—Parker Palmer, author, The Courage to Teach

"Servant-leadership is more than a concept. As far as I’m concerned, it is a fact. I would simply define it by saying that any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself primarily as a servant of that group and will act accordingly."
—M. Scott Peck, author, The Road Less Traveled

"No one in the past thirty years has had a more profound impact on thinking about leadership than Robert Greenleaf. If we sought an objective measure of the quality of leadership available to society, there would be none better than the number of people reading and studying his writings."
—Peter M. Senge, author, The Fifth Discipline

Contributors include James A. Autry, John C. Bogle, Richard R. Broholm, John C. Burkhardt, John Carver, Don DeGraaf, Shann R. Ferch, Robert K. Greenleaf, Daniel H. Kim, Larry Neal, Larry C. Spears, David L. Specht, Colin Tilley, Wendell J. Walls, and Margaret J. Wheatley, with Foreword by Warren Bennis.

Synopsis

VOICES OF SERVANT-LEADERSHIP

"Servant-leadership has never been more applicable to the world of leadership than it is today."
—Ken Blanchard, author, The Heart of Leadership

"We are each indebted to Greenleaf for bringing spirit and values into the workplace."
—Peter Block, author, Stewardship

"I congratulate the Greenleaf Center for its invaluable service to society and for carrying the torch of servant-leadership over the years."
—Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"Robert Greenleaf takes us beyond cynicism and cheap tricks and simplified techniques into the heart of the matter, into the spiritual lives of those who lead."
—Parker Palmer, author, The Courage to Teach

"Servant-leadership is more than a concept. As far as I’m concerned, it is a fact. I would simply define it by saying that any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself primarily as a servant of that group and will act accordingly."
—M. Scott Peck, author, The Road Less Traveled

"No one in the past thirty years has had a more profound impact on thinking about leadership than Robert Greenleaf. If we sought an objective measure of the quality of leadership available to society, there would be none better than the number of people reading and studying his writings."
—Peter M. Senge, author, The Fifth Discipline

Contributors include
James A. Autry, John C. Bogle, Richard R. Broholm, John C. Burkhardt, John Carver, Don DeGraaf, Shann R. Ferch, Robert K. Greenleaf, Daniel H. Kim, Larry Neal, Larry C. Spears, David L. Specht, Colin Tilley, Wendell J. Walls, and Margaret J. Wheatley, with Foreword by Warren Bennis.

"Servant and leader—can these two roles be fused in one real person, no matter what the calling or level of status? If so, can such a person live and be productive in the real world of the present?" Robert K. Greenleaf said the answer is "Yes."

Practicing Servant-Leadership brings together a group of exceptional thinkers who offer a compendium of thought on the topic of bringing servant-leadership into the daily lives of leaders. Each contributor focuses on his or her area of expertise, exploring how servant-leadership works in the real world, using examples from a variety of organizations such as businesses, nonprofits, churches, schools, foundations, and leadership organizations. Highlights of the book’s twelve essays include

  • How the idealistic vision of the servant as leader works even in the competitive world of business
  • Encouraging leaders to begin by looking at what they themselves want to become and then to bring this knowledge into their daily leadership
  • How the principles of servant-leadership can enhance our understanding and practice of philanthropy
  • Examining the board chairperson’s especially vital role as a servant- leader
  • Revealing the important role that religious congregations and seminaries can play in helping to hold organizations in trust around the exercise of their power and prerogative
  • Exploring what leaders learn from being followers

Those new to servant-leadership will find Practicing Servant-Leadership a practical guide to the model, and those already familiar with the model will find new practical application and inspiration.

About the Author, Spears

Larry C. Spears is president and CEO of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership. Spears is the former managing director of the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium, a cooperative association of twelve colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including On Becoming a Servant-Leader, Reflections on Leadership, and Seeker and Servant from Jossey-Bass.

Michele Lawrence directs the annual international conference for the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership and acts as editor of the quarterly newsletter, The Servant-Leader. Together with Spears, she is coeditor of Focus on Leadership from John Wiley & Sons.

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Book Details

Published
September 1, 2004
Publisher
Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Pages
336
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780787974558

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