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This institution seeks to instill and develop in our students a specific leadership style known as authentic servant leadership, which we define as “serving and influencing as an engaged citizen grounded in civility and respect for others.”

The students of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, whether referring to leadership in families, communities, businesses, schools, government, or simply practicing personal leadership, we believe that our shared future can be improved with more authentic servant leaders who exhibit the characteristics detailed on the following slides.

For more information and advice on displaying authenticity, visit the page linked below (also linked in the “Important Class Resources” section above week 1):

How Do You ‘Display Authenticity?’ 2

Authentic Servant Leadership Skills:

 Humility  Civility  Emotional intelligence  Empathy  Critical thinking  Ethical thinking  Effective Communication

An Authentic Servant Leader…

 desires to serve something greater than him/herself

 demonstrates ethical and moral integrity  shows empathy towards others  exhibits self-awareness and self-discipline  demonstrates civility in civil discourse  builds relationships on trust and mutual

respect  empowers others to grow, succeed, and

develop personal courage  creates value for the organization and gives

back to the community

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Simply put, humility is the quality of being humble. Exercising humility frees us from arrogance; we admit when we don’t know something and acknowledge that we can always improve. This allows us to be better aware of our weaknesses and faults. Authentic servant leaders display genuine gratitude and a lack of pride.

Consider some of the fictional characters you may have read about over the years. Can you think of any who provide positive examples of humility? Alternately, can you think of any characters who provide poor examples of humility? How did their lack of humility affect them or the people around them? Finally, what might you do to more consistently show humility in your own life?

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One of the most important traits of an authentic servant leader is civility- the ability to remain respectful and conduct oneself with decorum even in difficult circumstances. Authentic servant leaders confront uncomfortable situations in a way that maintains the dignity of both their position as well as the people around them. Civility means practicing courtesy, politeness, mutual respect, fairness, good manners, and a willingness to peacefully engage with the perspectives of others- even and especially when one disagrees with them. We don’t always have to agree, but as leaders, we must listen- and that starts by giving others the opportunity to be heard.

Discussion forums and live sessions are great ways for English students to practice civility in online courses. When discussing ideas and opinions with classmates or the professor, students should never belittle opposing views or disrespect the people who said them. It can be more constructive and beneficial to engage ideas or opinions with which you disagree- opposing views aren’t always best left ignored- but when doing so, remain polite and respectful.

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Emotional intelligence is defined as one’s ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s emotions. The ability to regulate emotions and avoid impulsive decisions is a critical component of leadership.

More specifically, a key element of emotional intelligence is empathy: the ability to be aware of and sensitive to the needs of others. While we can’t always control how others feel or behave, we are better able to understand others when we imagine ourselves in their position. The ability to validate others’ emotions and experience is a vital aspect of authentic servant leadership.

Display empathy in your interactions with faculty, staff, and students, whether in email, over the phone, or during live sessions. Remember, empathy should not be something we turn on or off depending on the situation, or only when we are clearly aware that empathy is warranted; it should be the default approach when interacting with others in personal and professional situations.

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Critical thinking allows leaders to make informed decisions and sound judgments based on available and reliable information. It involves the ability to question, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the things one reads, hears, says, and writes. It is crucial that authentic servant leaders make clear, rational decisions based on evidence, and that they are able to carefully question their own thought process for things like bias or a lack of information. If we only approach ideas or challenges in terms of our existing assumptions, beliefs, and conclusions, we do not effectively learn or grow as leaders.

English courses are ideal for building critical thinking skills because they involve writing arguments, locating reliable sources, and drawing inferences and conclusions from ambiguous texts. As you read assigned literature during the quarter, ask yourself not just what certain characters are doing, but why and how they do these things– and how your own experiences may inform why you think about these characters or themes the way you do.

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Ethical thinking is a type of critical thinking that uses ethical principles to make informed decisions. Ethics guides us to tell the truth, keep our promises, and act with honor. Educator and author Peter Drucker, whose work was highly influential in modern management, once wrote, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing.” Similarly, one way we might better understand these concepts is that critical thinking leads us to think about things the right way, while ethical thinking compels us to do the right things.

One ideal way to practice ethics as a student is to avoid plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty in your coursework, and to always observe the Honor Code: “I shall not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Review the “Ethics” section in the Course Syllabus for more information.

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Effective communication is at the center of successful servant leadership. Leaders must be aware of what they want to achieve and how they are communicating their goals and ideas to others. Communication is most effective when leaders understand the people with whom they are talking, to whom they are listening, and for whom they are speaking– but this type of communication cannot happen unless they are authentically practicing the other servant leadership skills mentioned in the previous slides.

As you know, a key goal in English courses is to help students communicate more effectively. However, effective communication isn’t just about grammar/ mechanics, MLA format, or the ability to analyze texts– it’s also about sharing your ideas and opinions clearly and respectfully, and writing with a specific audience in mind. 9

Works Cited Entry Structure:

“Title of Presentation.” Website Name, Date of Access (the day/month/year you most recently accessed

this material), URL.

In-Text Citation Structure:

(“Title,” slide #)

Quoting Material in This PowerPoint:

If quoting any of the explanatory content on these slides, quote normally and cite the slide # of the quote in your in-text citation. If borrowing one of the specific quotes provided by authors or historical figures, you should give credit to the actual person who originally said those words. Then, provide the source title and slide # in your in-text citation after the quote, but add “quoted in” or “qtd. in” in parentheses to show that your quotation was included within a larger source not written by the author of the quote.

Examples:

Empathy is a vital aspect of leadership because “we are better able to understand others when we imagine ourselves in their position” (“Authentic Servant Leadership,” slide 6).

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The time is always right to do what is right” (quoted in “Authentic Servant Leadership,” slide 8).

At left are templates and examples that help explain MLA quotations, in-text citations, and works cited entry formats for this source.

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