ACC's Servant-Leadership Initiative

ACC President Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow launched the Servant-Leadership initiative in 2005 as a means of expressing the institution’s values in serving our students, our community, and our colleagues. The Servant- Leadership model fits well in the teaching/learning environment and in the shared governance structure of the college. All employees are expected to embrace the philosophy and integrate the principles into the operations of the college. Workshops and seminars are available to facilitate understanding and the implementation of Servant-Leadership into the ACC culture.

What is Servant-Leadership?

Servant-Leadership is best defined in the words of Robert Greenleaf, who described the concept in his essay, “The Servant as Leader.” Greenleaf discussed the motivation of a Servant-Leader this way:

It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. This is different from the person who is the leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage a power drive or to acquire material possessions. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant—first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being met.

The best test is: do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or at least, not be further deprived?

Servant-Leadership and Teaching

Servant-Leadership is about maximizing the potential of individuals, both those who are served and those who lead. For faculty, there are multiple ways of utilizing Servant-Leadership concepts while working with students and colleagues. Indeed, Greenleaf’s test of the Servant- Leadership principles is embodied in the following questions, which are relevant to the role of faculty: “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants?”

Servant-Leadership and Support Staff

Support staff are often the first point of contact for students and the general public. Their treatment of others is often the defining image of ACC. Everyone at ACC has a role in creating a welcoming and effective college atmosphere, from maintaining a quality teaching/learning environment, to efficiently procuring instructional equipment and supplies, to maintaining effective communication systems, to delivering support services to our constituents in an efficient and polite manner. The concepts and philosophies that are a part of Servant- Leadership therefore are an important part of the work life of every employee at ACC. Indeed, both the core concepts and the core characteristics of Servant-Leadership underscore ACC’s goal of contributing to something larger than ourselves.

Servant-Leadership and Administrators

Servant-Leadership includes recognition that no single group is solely responsible for ACC’s success in carrying out its core mission. Everyone has a role in advancing the institution and in creating an environment of high quality teaching, strong support services, and high student expectations.

Administrators have a fundamental responsibility to serve others, and that is expected to be a central motivation for being in an authoritative role (as opposed to wanting to tell people what to do). Individuals who serve as administrators should especially understand the critical importance of fostering and practicing good communication skills (sharing information, collaborating with others, listening to others, and explaining the rationale for decisions which are made) and the importance of open communication in developing high performance teams.

Seven Concepts Underlying Servant-Leadership

1. Choose to be a servant first, and out of that desire to serve, choose to lead.
2. Lead as first among equals, honoring the ideas, viewpoints and concerns of others.
3. Be fully servant, fully leader—leading as an act of serving and following as an act of leading.
4. While serving, be served by others, humbly accepting help when needed.
5. Maintain the integrity of self, safeguarding your autonomy, integrity, and freedom while serving.
6. Use power appropriately and beneficially, leading by modeling, example, and persuasion.
7. Create a more caring and just society, helping others to fulfill their potential.

For more information about Servant-Leadership at ACC and a list of Servant-Leadership Resources, please visit the Human Resources website at www.austincc.edu/hr and choose ACC Servant-Leadership. Opportunities to receive training in the Servant-Leadership concept are listed in the Workshop & Event Registration Database at https://www3.austincc.edu/it/workshops/.