Servant Leadership Posted on October 9th, 2009 by Barb Larson Taylor

Recommendation from the Faith Task Force:

Weave the philosophy and practice of servant leadership into the ethos of Gustavus so that it becomes the regional center for servant leadership among colleges and universities.

Additional explanation:

This builds upon the College’s history of developing church leaders and a broader practice of developing servant leaders. A planning team should be created by the end of 2011 academic year to develop an implementation strategy. We would like to suggest the following as relevant ideas for consideration by the Leadership Workgroup:
• Collaborate with organizations such as Greenleaf or the Spears Foundation to become one of their collegiate centers for Servant Leadership.
• Provide opportunities to explore life purpose and meaning and the interconnectedness of who a person is with what a person does. This includes deep reflection and questioning for those with a desire to honor God with their labors.
• Sponsor an annual Servant Leadership conference for practitioners to network, witness, and model best practices.
• Actively participate in the broader dialogue of the ongoing evolution of Servant Leadership as it connects with the needs of the world.

Outcomes for the Gustavus community include but are not limited to:
• Strengthened purpose of the College
• Promotion of Gustavus as a national Servant Leadership Resource
• Graduating responsible young people who live with a sense of purpose and an increased interest in honoring God with their labors
• Enhanced collaborative work with outside institutions to promote increased learning opportunities for students, staff, alumni, and friends of the College.
• Increased alumni interest, connection, and engagement with Gustavus by giving back to an institution that supports life values.

This recommendation was placed in the Quality-Enhancing and Innovative Initiatives Strategic Framework Substantive Category using the language:

Weave the philosophy and practice of servant leadership into the ethos of Gustavus so that Gustavus becomes a regional center for servant leadership.

This recommendation was placed is Tier 2 and is being monitored by the Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs.