Servant Leadership

At University of the Southwest, we believe that education is more than earning a degree – it’s also about developing the knowledge and skills to create positive change within yourself and others. At USW, we’re dedicated to developing men and women to be leaders who motivate, who create positive change, who make an impact on the world. We’re preparing them for a lifetime of servant leadership. 

What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a philosophy coined by management expert Robert Greenleaf in 1970 that supports the idea that the best leaders must also serve. He wrote:

"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…”

How is servant leadership practiced at University of the Southwest?
The servant leadership philosophy permeates our entire university - in the classroom, on the playing field, and in our communities.  

Some ways our students and athletes have extended our servant leadership philosophy to the community:

  • Youth mentoring
  • Campus and roadside cleanup
  • Food and clothing drives

University of the Southwest also supports a Servant Leadership Scholarship Program.

How will you make your impact on the world? Start here at University of the Southwest.