The Advisor as Servant: The Theoretical and Philosophical Relevance of Servant Leadership to Academic Advising

Abstract

In 1979, Robert Greenleaf published Teacher as Servant. This novel actively portrays Greenleaf's concept of servant leadership by describing the extracurricular work of a university professor. Consequently, some scholars have demonstrated the relevance of servant leadership to classroom instruction (Powers & Moore, 2005). However, it was not as an instructor, but as an advisor that the fictional Mr. Billings engaged in servant leadership and deeply transformed his students' lives. By explaining the philosophy and practice of servant leadership, I demonstrate how it can contribute to the theory and practice of academic advising. The characteristics of servant leadership are discussed as a theoretical-philosophical construct relevant to academic advisement.Relative Emphasis: theory, practice, research