We will be studying Servant Leadership throughout this semester, and you will come to learn that
Servant Leadership is an approach to serving with and for a community so as to enact the transformation
of society for the greater common good. Servant Leadership is a method of leadership that fits nicely
within the guiding principles of Saint Louis University. In fact, the Mission of Saint Louis University is,
âthe pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity. The University seeks
excellence in the fulfillment of its corporate purposes of teaching, research, health care and service to the
community.â (http://www.slu.edu/missionstatement)
In the spirit of that mission, this course includes a 9hour
servicelearning
commitment (outside of class)
on your part. Although you will be participating as a volunteer, rather than a leader, this assignment will
give you a chance to experience how you can use your influence to impact the community in a positive
way. It is my wish for you that you will use this assignment as a way to envision how you can use your
personal talents and gifts to further the pursuit of social justice. We all have different career aspirations,
but within all of those different career paths there exist opportunities to go beyond the pursuit of financial
business goals and consider how our businesses can “do good and do well”.
SLU is already deeply engaged in the community and has numerous ongoing projects and partnerships
that you can get involved in. For more information on these opportunities, check out the SLU Center for
Service and Community Engagement (http://www.slu.edu/service). In the Quicklinks area you can find a
service interest form, listings of onetime
volunteer opportunities, and a database of community
organizations that partner with SLU to provide service to community. Many of these are within walking
distance of campus, so even if you do not have transportation you can still find potential matches for your
service hours. Alternately, you can contact the Center for Service and Community Engagement
([email protected]), and they will assist you in identifying the ideal use of your service hours.
Many of you may already be involved in philanthropy through a Greek organization (fraternity or
sorority), you may already volunteer through a religious or other civic organization. If so, feel free to
count those as your service hours.
The point of this assignment is to connect the tenets of a Jesuit education (Experience, Reflection, Action)
to your study of business leadership. After your service experience, I invite you to reflect on what you
saw, what you heard, and what you felt. Upon reflecting, you will then prepare a short paper (~1200
words) describing the experience, and what you learned about leadership. Servant leaders come to the role
of leader through a desire to serve and improve the conditions of their followers, not out of a pursuit of
personal power. I invite you to consider how you can integrate this experience into your vocational
pursuits, and how through seeking to serve, you may take on the mantle of leadership in the pursuit of
social good.
