In 1970 Greenleaf (1977) recognized and wrote about a leadership crisis: “We live at a
time when holders of power are suspect, and actions that stem from authority are questioned” (p.
15). Yet he believed the constructs of power and authority were beginning to be reviewed and
revised. He observed more natural servants challenging injustice and noted that servant
leadership requires leaders to practice ethics, virtues, and morality (Greenleaf, 1977).
Greenleaf’s (1970) words are frequently cited in defining servant leadership, suggesting that
servant leadership