Foreword

In the foreword I wrote for The Serving Leader when the book was first published in 2003, I called it “the most practical guide available to implementing servant leadership in your life and work.” My passion for the book came from the deeply moving story and rock-solid action steps the authors laid out for men and women who wanted to uplift people with their leadership.

So I’m delighted to write the foreword to the second edition of The Serving Leader, which has become an international bestseller and changed countless lives around the world. When they wrote this book, Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert not only captured the essential leadership practices that are foundational to all extraordinary leaders but also provided a practical pathway for learning and growth that we can follow to improve our day-to-day leadership.

The years that separate the first and second editions of this book have been marked by the burgeoning field of servant leadership. Thankfully, the world is coming to recognize the need for Serving Leaders.

What I love about this updated second edition is the way it shows how the authors have continued to learn and grow over these past twelve years. They’ve travelled the globe in their service to owners, executives, senior leaders, and aspiring up-and-comers. They’ve crawled down into the organizations of some of the world’s greatest companies and have validated their findings many times over. By spending thousands of hours in the presence of exceptional business and organizational leaders, they’ve enriched their understanding of how great leadership works.

Those who have already read The Serving Leader will find in these pages the story they loved so well, along with the bonus of a completely new chapter that brings the story right up to the present.

Those picking up this book for the very first time can look forward to the joy of encountering a touching story filled with rich teaching about the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact.

Today’s marketplace is hungry for books and guides that can support leaders with practical advice on how to grow their influence, engage their people, drive superior results, and add greater value. What sets John Stahl-Wert and Ken Jennings’s book apart is that it shows how to achieve all the above—and at the same time serve the highest good.

KEN BLANCHARD
January 2016