Because at the intersection of a persons' greatest talents and passion is where anyone can excel beyond what is possible in any other area of their lives. A development leader, a servant leader in any educational institution must see that as their mission in life; helping students find those core strengths and helping the students align them with their passions. That is how any student is given the foundation of excelling in their lives.
A servant leader then is one who looks out for that intersection of talent and passion in others and helps them get to that point. As a result of this focus, servant leaders also have a unique set of traits as well. First, they are highly transparent; people know what their true motives are, and as a result they are highly trusted in many organizations. Second, they are known for having excellent listening skills, empathy, a keen sense of awareness of the organization, and the ability to quickly conceptualize situations and problems. Finally the best servant leaders know how to counsel and solve complex problems both for their organizations and for the individuals they are responsible for. As a result of all these attributes, servant leaders are also seen as very strong at stewardship...
This foresight is what makes them also very valuable to organizations in an advisory role. As a result of all these attributes, servant leaders are highly prized by the subordinates who work for them, and often servant leaders have unswerving loyalty from their subordinates.
In the context of an academic environment where volunteerism is critical for keeping many organizations alive, the servant leader is one who accepts the responsibility of being the one who seeks out the opportunity to lead by providing the critical support needed by members of the organization themselves. A servant leader is also one that takes into account the unique strengths of their team and creates strategies to attain goals that capitalize on those strengths of individuals. Yet the greatest contribution of all from any servant leader is the unleashing of the greatest talents each subordinate has and the aligning of those talents to a person's passion. When this happens, high achievers are made and their lives will never be the same. Servant leaders have the potential to significantly impact lives and organizations for the better around them.
