Servant leadership. At first blush, it may seem like a contradiction, a misnomer. How can one both lead and be a servant simultaneously?
More often than not, leadership is thought of in terms of a career, and the image of that stereotypical, type A, take-charge individual comes to mind. But leadership can go much beyond that. Leaders are needed in the workplace, yes, but we also need leaders in our communities, our schools, our places of worship, our homes. Consequently, leadership can manifest itself in many different forms.
Servant leadership is an approach to affecting change that focuses more on the greater good, with shared power. A servant leader can assess the needs of a group and works to ensure that each individual’s needs are met so that they can reach their full potential.
The philosophy of servant leadership is exactly what the Multicultural Leadership Program instills in each participant. With every learning event, community project, and presentation, participants use those experiences to shape and hone their leadership skills.
MCLP is equipping its participants with tools and a self-awareness that can bring immediate benefit to an employer. Servant leaders foster more creativity among team members, encourage coworkers to meet their full potential and increase their efficiency, create a culture of teamwork and collaboration and more. The value-add of MCLP alumni is immeasurable for their respective employers.
While servant leadership may be contrary to a traditional view of leadership, servant leaders are necessary in our world to create a more inclusive culture. MCLP develops diverse leaders through its intensive program and sends them out into their workplaces and communities to be those agents of change as servant leaders.
Whether it’s in finding solutions to problems at work, encouraging and lifting up friends in trying times, giving back to the community through volunteer work, or serving family at home, MCLP participants are making a difference by engaging the power of diverse perspectives to improve our world.
“At its core, servant leadership is about the greater good,” said Linda Bollivar, MCLP Executive Director. “Servant leaders are not focused on gaining power or their own advancement, but rather leaving the world a better place than they found it.”
If you know the value of servant leadership in our community and want to help develop the next generation of diverse servant leaders, make a gift to MCLP today.