Seton Hall Selected as New Home for Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

On Jun 27, 2019

Following a national search, the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, the leading international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the awareness, understanding and practice of servant leadership, has selected Seton Hall University in South Orange as its new home. The Center’s programs include workshops, online learning, speakers and an international conference that connects, educates and inspires servant leaders from around the globe.

A prominent thought leader in leadership, education, religion, nonprofits and management circles, the late Robert K. Greenleaf founded the Greenleaf Center, originally known as The Center for Applied Ethics, in 1964. His landmark essay, “The Servant as Leader,” and his book Servant Leadership: A Journey Into Legitimate Power and Greatness launched the modern servant leadership movement.

Institutional trailblazers such as Stephen Covey, Peter Drucker, Peter Senge, Warren Bennis and Margaret Wheatly have praised his servant-leadership model, which promotes the ethical use of power and people-centered, values-based organizations. The 10 characteristics of servant leadership include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community.

The Greenleaf Center will relocate from Atlanta, GA, to Seton Hall’s South Orange campus on July 1 and will be housed in Presidents Hall. The Center’s decision to be based at Seton Hall followed a highly competitive national search and selection process.

“The University and the Greenleaf Center share a commitment to the fostering of servant leadership throughout the nation and the world. By associating the Center’s research and advocacy with Seton Hall’s culture of service and leadership, we will create a powerful alliance for spreading Robert Greenleaf’s transformative ideas,” said Interim Seton Hall President Mary J. Meehan, who serves as a board member and former chair of the Greenleaf Center.

Seton Hall’s commitment to servant leadership is an integral aspect of its mission and in keeping with the University’s Catholic values to cultivate students as servant leaders and to inspire all University constituents with a dedication to servant leadership. The University supports these efforts with its Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership, Servant Leader Scholars program and an annual Servant Leadership Day.

Joseph Patrnchak, Greenleaf Center board chairman and a national pioneer in the field of servant leadership, recently addressed the University community on “Servant Leadership and the Engaged Enterprise,” during Seton Hall’s eighth annual Servant Leadership Day. “The Greenleaf Center considers it a privilege to be here at Seton Hall. We recognize that the qualities of servant leadership have permeated the University for many years, and that Seton Hall has fully committed to servant leadership and forming students as servant leaders,” said Patrnchak.

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