The Origins of “Servant Leadership”

The Swiss-German novelist Hermann Hesse published a short story in 1932 called "Journey to the East." In it, a group of men go on a long journey. Throughout their trip, they are accompanied by a servant named Leo. Leo takes care of all the chores—the menial tasks we so often look to avoid. But as he does these chores, there is a distinct sense of joy that fills Leo's life: he "whistles while he works" and lifts the group's spirits. The trip is a success until one day Leo disappears. Very quickly, the trip devolves into chaos, and each…