Wisdom as a Pillar for Servant Leadership

Abstract

This chapter describes how Robert K. Greenleaf’s accumulated wisdom from multiple disciplines and extraordinary people prepared him to write his servant series of essays. The chapter defines wisdom, contrasts it with mere knowledge, and outlines Greenleaf’s four steps to acquiring wisdom: Experience, Reflection, Insight, and Action. Each is illustrated by writings from Greenleaf and others. All four are demonstrated in the story of “The Heroine’s Journey” traveled by a remarkable woman who sought wisdom and then created servant-leader communities and a nonprofit foundation. Finally, three examples of core servant-leader capacities—listening, foresight, and persuasion—demonstrate how Greenleaf used a lifetime of wisdom-building to bring fresh understanding to skills that most people thought they already understood.