Interview with Servant Leader speaker Tom Thibodeau
Monday, October 17, 2016 - Joe Kiedinger
We invite you to join us at the upcoming FREE Quarterly Servant Leaders of Wisconsin event to hear Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University and TedX Speaker, Tom Thibodeau, speak on “The Good Work of Servant Leadership.” We had the opportunity to ask Tom for his thoughts on Servant Leadership, here is what he had to say:
Q: You can choose one value based word associated with Servant Leadership (not Serve or Lead) to describe what Servant Leadership is. What word do you choose and why?
A: Service is love made visible. Servant leadership is rooted in love, humility and joy. This language needs to be reclaimed in conversations in our homes, our workplaces and our communities.
Q: Reflecting on the servant leaders you’ve met along the way, does it take a certain kind of person to be a servant leader, or can anyone do this?
A: Dr. Martin Luther King said “everyone can be great because everyone can serve”. He was a visionary. He concludes with all you need is a heart full of grace and a soul generated with love.
Q: If you could have one wish for new students entering the Master of Arts in Servant Leadership at Viterbo, what would it be?
Self serving initiatives never last, selfless service touches eternity and we have all experienced this. My hope is that our Master’s students develop the disciplines of contemplation and conversation to build strong friendships and loving communities. These disciplines are what have lasting positive impact.
Thank you Tom for sharing your thoughts! Tom says, “Servant Leadership is both timely and timeless. The practice of servant leadership can be found in all cultures, nations, and religions and is finding expression in our contemporary institutions. All of us can practice servant leadership because we all serve. The positive power of servant leadership is expressed every day through our words, our presence and our commitment to the common good.” See more about Tom’s thoughts on Servant Leadership in his TedX Talk: The Positive Power of Servant Leadership.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, November 8th to hear Tom speak! FREE to attend, but seating is limited so please RSVP here.
Curious about past speakers? Read these inteviews:
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