Sigma Alpha Lambda

What is servant leadership?
“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….the difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant- first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is 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?" - The Servant as Leader by Robert K. Greenleaf

Earlier this spring, members of the Berkeley and San Jose State University Chapter were treated to a day-long event to help them discover the meaning of servant-leadership and how it can have a significant impact on themselves and those around them. The event was sponsored by Sigma Alpha Lambda and hosted by the Berkeley Chapter. Participants came away with a variety of valuable insights from the event:

“I learned the importance of how to treat people; empowering others; and gained valuable insights of being mindful of body language and making others feel valued.” Julie Tu – San Jose State University Chapter

“I learned that Leadership has to be a horizontal process, instead of top down. The leader has to constantly see to it that his team members are happy.” Swathi Sampanga – Berkeley Chapter

“It was very interesting to learn about the characteristics that make a good leader. It helped me better understand what I'd need to develop in myself in order to be a better leader.” Nancy Luc – San Jose State University Chapter

If you would like to learn more about the service model of leadership or the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, contact the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Office or visit www.greenleaf.org.