On the first day that participants met for the Servant Leadership Program (SLP), there was an empty chair. Chris Johnson, Director of the Center for Vocational Reflection (CVR), who helps lead SLP, said, “[The empty chair] reminds us we are gathered in that circle on behalf of all of the people who are not able to be there with us, of all the people in the world who are voiceless, and of all the people and causes who need us to be deeply grounded and effective leaders.”
As an additional component of SLP, the thirty-two selected participants receive a stipend after participating in a service learning experience during the summer and committing to a year-long reflection program, which includes workshops and exercises in servant leadership. Examples of the summer activities include: working at Bible camps, working with an ambulance crew, a professional athletic team, a county historical society, the Sierra Club, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Center for the Homeless.
Sophomore Religion Major Ben Hilding said, “When I first heard about the [Servant Leadership Program], I thought of it as a summer scholarship, but then it turned out to be an ideal group.”
Senior Political Science and Communication Studies Major Sid Selvaraj said, “[Johnson and Pehrson] make it appeal to all of us, so we can benefit from the program. Beyond that, they are just fantastic people.”
The title of a servant leader is not easily defined. Senior Psychology Major Alicia Blomquist said, “Everyone has a different idea of what a servant leader is and what they can give and get from the program. There are lots of opportunities for discussion.”
CVR Director Amy Pehrson said servant leadership is about “empowering others to find their gifts, talents and abilities for the common good.” Johnson said, “Since so many Gustavus students are already involved in leadership and service activities and organizations here, this program exists to help them be more intentional about making the connection between their calling in life and how they can most effectively lead and serve in their lives.”
“The purpose of the whole program is to develop students for lives of service and leadership by nurturing reflection on their calling to make a difference in the world. It’s about helping students to lead from within, wherever they are in life, in ways that allow their hearts’ deep gladness to meet the world’s deep hunger,” said Pehrson.
The participants are divided into four pods, with a peer mentor helping to lead each one. These pods are used to build community by trying to spend time every month engaging in recreational activities, eating, volunteering and discussing the curriculum of the SLP. Currently, every pod is working on a film about student leadership at Gustavus.
“With a smaller group of people, you can build trust and rapport, because some of the exercises have you go inside your inner experiences, thoughts and feelings,” Selvaraj said.
“The biggest thing [about SLP] is spending time with the people who are going through the same thing in the pod,” said Pehrson.
Hilding said, “[The program] equips us to grow as servant leaders in more ways than we thought when we entered the program.” But as much as the program fosters growth within, “The focus of the program is not to better the program but to better the Gustavus community,” said Blomquist.
“Servant leadership is a unique experience with leadership programs. SLP has taught me how to do what I want to do while serving the greater community. Normally, you sacrifice yourself to the betterment of the community or you sacrifice the community for the betterment of yourself. This program has taught me that these two things don’t have to be competitive,” said Selvaraj.
In the future, Johnson said, “I’d like to see a wider variety of experiences in the program, including more people who spend their summers in traditional pro-profit settings. I would love [for] leadership on campus to be influenced by how we do it in this program, with an emphasis on reflection, development on vocation and purpose, and focus on leadership for the common good,” said Johnson.
“My hope for the future would be that Gustavus would embrace the values of servant leadership more,” Pehrson said. “There are a lot of people who do servant leadership and they are not aware of it themselves, like people who pick up a pop can in the grass. The humble servant leaders would never consider themselves leaders but, clearly, they are.”
Members of the Servant Leadership Program have exercised their skills and talents in the areas of service, leadership and community during this school year. On May 4, new SLP members will be inducted to the program and former members will be able to show go into the world with newfound insight on what it truly means to be a servant leader.
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