Servant Leadership Series
Building a community of readers for the common good.
Series Editor: Dr. Richard Kyte, Director of the
D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership and
Endowed Professor of Ethics at Viterbo University
What is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership stems from the conviction that the best leaders are those who have a deep personal commitment to the common good—that is, to the well-being of all and not just a few—and out of that commitment comes the desire to lead.
What this means is that good leadership cannot be defined merely in terms of principles, techniques, or strategies; it is primarily a matter of character, originating in love and culminating in effective action. The foundational insight of servant leadership is that all leadership, properly understood, is an exercise of virtue and can be evaluated according to whether it leads to a flourishing life for individuals and communities.
The practice of servant leadership seeks to inspire and engage people to work for the greater good every day.
Since 1999, the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University has brought people together in fruitful conversation about ethical ideas and issues, inspiring people to lead ethical lives while at the same time helping to develop leadership abilities to further the common good in communities and organizations.
