ERIC Number: EJ1132028
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1552-9045
EISSN: N/A
Servant Leadership: Teaching the Helping Professional
Fields, Joyce W.; Thompson, Karen C.; Hawkins, Julie R.
Journal of Leadership Education, v14 n4 spec iss p92-105 2015
Robert Greenleaf's principles of servant leadership are relevant to the helping professions, including empowerment and development of others, service to others, and open and participatory leadership. The study of servant leadership was infused into an undergraduate senior capstone experience (an internship) for emerging helping professionals (social work and child and family studies majors). Students read and discussed Greenleaf's work and applied it to their internship experiences through weekly written reflections. Analysis of student reflections revealed an internalization of servant leadership principles and an understanding of their application within a professional context. Field supervisor evaluations of students indicated professional development consistent with servant leadership ideals. Analysis of servant leadership self-evaluations by students recorded at the beginning and end of the capstone experience revealed increases in empowering and developing others and serving others. These findings support the value of servant leadership education in the training of future leaders within the helping professions.
Descriptors: Leadership Styles, Social Work, Helping Relationship, Social Justice, Undergraduate Students, Majors (Students), Student Attitudes, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Leadership Qualities, Correlation, Empowerment, Pretests Posttests, Curriculum
Association of Leadership Educators. e-mail: Jole@aged.tamu.edu; Web site: http://leadershipeducators.org/page-1014283
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A