Servant Leadership Training: Learning to serve, serving to learn

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) Student Development Services (SDS) initiated the Servant Leadership Training Programme (SLTP) with the objective of developing a positive attitude and a service-driven mindset in students. Participants received training in the core principles of servant leadership, according to Robert Greenleaf, that “puts others first” in everyday practice.

 

160725-1_SLTP_L.jpg The SLTP provides a platform for participants to develop planning, organisational and leadership skills in the service of others and to learn to work with teammates from various academic disciplines and collaborate with people from all walks of life.

 

The students were divided into three groups after they signed up for the SLTP, namely “Walkie Talkers”, like Cheung Wing-ki, a Year 1 student from the College of Business, who conducted cultural and eco tours for non-local students; “Wellness Transformers”, like Tong Yee-hang, a Year 4 student studying surveying, who ran fitness and wellness training for low-income primary school students or disadvantaged groups; and “Web Makers”, like Lee See-wai, a Year 4 student in translation and interpretation, who provided webpage design and production services for NGOs and various university programmes. Nearly 100 students contributed over 2,000 service hours for 350 beneficiaries from 10 NGOs from November 2015, when the programme started.

 

“I was really captivated by the content of SLTP, and I benefitted a lot,” said See-wai at a party to celebrate the end of the first SLTP period of activity.

 

Also at the party was Yee-hang, who said learning how to volunteer was a vital part of learning how to serve. “I did a lot of work with primary school kids through SLTP. The most valuable lessons I learned had to do with patience and teamwork.”

 

Another participant, Wing-ki, said she and her teammates learned how to deal with adversity, because they had to redo their proposed trip at the very last minute. “It was quite exhausting, but hurrying the work with my teammates was a remarkable experience,” said Wing-ki.

 

Guests at the party included Professor Horace Ip Ho-shing, Vice-President (Student Affairs), and Mrs Roslyn Li Hung Wai-yee, Associate Director of SDS.

 

The STLP will recruit new members in August and will offer three more service projects in addition to the existing ones.