SHAWN MATTHIJETZ | Collegiate DECA Vice President
LEADERSHIP IS NOTHING NEW. The concept of leadership has been around since the days of Aristotle and Plato and has evolved countless times throughout the centuries. But in 1970, a new theory emerged. Developed by Robert Greenleaf, servant leadership is the idea that empowered leaders serve their followers and to enable them to live and work to their full potential. For more insight, I turned to the President and CEO of Concordia University Texas, Dr. Donald Christian, to get his thoughts on the topic. A servant leader himself, Dr. Christian has had a significant influence on my leadership journey.
“Servant leadership is leading in such a way that, by giving ownership, freedom and power to others, provides the opportunity for them to become servant leaders themselves.” Servant leadership is the belief that there is a natural feeling for someone to serve others first. One individual serving will inspire others to serve as well, and this movement should grow as long as the servant-leader is focused on the growth and well-being of their followers. 28
“Servant leadership is one of the hardest things we have to do – empowering others to lead does not come naturally. By practicing it, we can develop a habit to think this way, learn why it is more or less natural for some and understand what our blind spots are.” Like all DECA members, I love a challenge. Hearing Dr. Christian’s words was empowering for me. As emerging leaders, we strive not just to be “good”, but to be the best. Knowing that something is one of the “hardest things we have to do,” serves as a call to action for us to step up to the challenge of servant leadership.
