27 episodes

Servant leaders work towards the common good, whether they influence businesses, non-profits, schools, government agencies, or other institutions. Join Sam and Rick for thought-provoking conversations with inspiring servant leaders as they discuss character, the common good, and the importance of virtue in the practice of leadership.

Servant Leadership Today Sam Scinta and Rick Kyte

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 10 Ratings

Servant leaders work towards the common good, whether they influence businesses, non-profits, schools, government agencies, or other institutions. Join Sam and Rick for thought-provoking conversations with inspiring servant leaders as they discuss character, the common good, and the importance of virtue in the practice of leadership.

    Colby Brokvist – The Leader: Connecting, Mentoring, Inspiring

    Colby Brokvist – The Leader: Connecting, Mentoring, Inspiring

    In today’s episode, Rick and Sam are joined by professional guide Colby Brokvist.
    While leadership might not be the first thing one thinks about in adventure travel and professional guiding, Colby shares the importance of leadership to any successful professional guide.
    Colby, Sam, and Rick begin the conversation considering the professional guide’s role, or any leader’s role, as a facilitator & connector.
    Another key to leadership they touch on is the influence of those who mentored Colby and his hope to influence guides, of any age and stage of their career, through his forthcoming book THE PROFESSIONAL GUIDE’S HANDBOOK, due out in May.
    Throughout the conversation, Colby shares stories of his travels, advice for leaders, especially professional guides, and some of his favorite places to travel.

    Additional Resources:
    The Guide (https://youtu.be/Io-wNpdNrNM)
    The Professional Guide’s Handbook: How to Lead Adventure Travel Trips and Expeditions (https://www.fulcrumbooks.com//product-page/the-professional-guide-s-handbook-how-to-lead-adventure-trips-and-expeditions)

    Colby Brokvist is a professional guide who leads worldwide expeditions for some of the most acclaimed companies in adventure travel. He was inspired to pursue guiding as a career during a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 2000. Since then, he has led hundreds of adventure travel departures, ranging from backpacking and trekking adventures to mountaineering and rock-climbing trips, sea kayaking and sailing voyages, and wildlife safaris. His expeditions have taken him to destinations as far-flung as Greenland, Antarctica, Africa, and Patagonia, as well as across the United States and Canada. In addition to fieldwork, Colby assumes a variety of managerial, operational, and consulting roles within the adventure travel sphere. His work centers on guide training, guide team management, and itinerary development. He sits on the board of directors for the Polar Tourism Guides Association and is a certified Senior Polar Guide through the same organization. He calls Boulder, Colorado, home.

    Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University.

    Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University.

    Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

    • 48 min
    Dr. Kent M. Keith – ‘Do Good Anyway’

    Dr. Kent M. Keith – ‘Do Good Anyway’

    In today’s episode, Rick and Sam are joined by Dr. Kent M. Keith, author of many books and creator of the Paradoxical Commandments, to discuss Kent’s thoughts and experiences from a life dedicated to servant leadership. Kent starts where it all began, in 1968 when he wrote the Paradoxical Commandments and explores what it looks like to humbly practice these maxims in real life. The conversation shifts to the workplace as Rick, Sam, and Kent discuss what motivates employees and people in general to achieve their best. They also consider the Universal Moral Code and the foundation the code sets for personal and professional ethics.
    We close the conversation with Kent sharing his conviction in the effectiveness of servant leadership and the hope that more leaders act with respect and care for others, regardless of the “servant leadership” label.

    Dr. Kent M. Keith is a dynamic speaker and writer whose mission is to help people find personal meaning in a crazy world. He has been featured on the front page of The New York Times and in People magazine, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Family Circle. He has appeared on dozens of TV shows and more than 100 radio programs in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, and Australia. Over the years, Dr. Keith has given more than 1,000 presentations, conference papers, and seminars on a wide variety of topics in the United States and eleven countries in Europe and Asia. His current presentations and seminars are focused on servant leadership, the Paradoxical Commandments, finding personal meaning at home and at work, and the positive impact of morality in the workplace.

    Dr. Keith was born in New York and raised in Nebraska, California, Virginia, and Rhode Island before arriving in Hawaii in 1962. He earned a B.A. in Government from Harvard University, an M.A. in Philosophy and Politics from Oxford University, a Certificate in Japanese from Waseda University in Tokyo, a J.D. from the University of Hawaii, and an Ed. D. from the University of Southern California. He is a Rhodes Scholar.

    Dr. Keith practiced law for two years as an Associate in the commercial litigation section of Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright. He served for seven years in the State of Hawaii Department of Planning and Economic Development, rising through the ranks to become the Director of the department and a member of the Governor's cabinet. From 2007 to 2012 he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership in the United States, and from 2012 to 2015 he served as CEO of the Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership-Asia based in Singapore. He served from 2015 to 2020 as President of Pacific Rim Christian University in Honolulu. He is now President of his family company, Carlson Keith Corporation.

    Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University.

    Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University.

    Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

    • 58 min
    Trailer: Servant Leadership Today

    Trailer: Servant Leadership Today

    Be inspired to be the best leader you can be. Subscribe to the Servant Leadership Today podcast to get new episodes every month.

    • 1 min
    Tom Thibodeau – Serving the Common Good for the Greater Good

    Tom Thibodeau – Serving the Common Good for the Greater Good

    In today’s episode, Rick and Sam are joined by Tom Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University. Tom shares his wisdom and experiences in servant leadership, inspiring us to serve the common good for the greater good. He defines servant leadership, its qualities, and practical application, noting that servant leadership is not a solitary pursuit but one of community, in which everyone can participate daily through practicing virtues such as hospitality, trust, compassion, and forgiveness. The conversation concludes with a candid discussion about why we should have hope for the future.

    Thomas Thibodeau is the Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University, where he has taught since 1984. He has a Master of Arts in Education from St Mary’s College and a BA from St. John’s University. Tom is a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, and an active community member who has worked during his career to inspire students and change the world. Through the years, his infectious enthusiasm, compassion, and commitment to leadership and service have also inspired countless colleagues, community members and leaders across diverse fields. He is the founder of the Master of Arts in Servant Leadership at Viterbo, the first and only master’s degree of its kind in the nation, and also a founding member of the hospitality and fellowship resource Place of Grace, in La Crosse; he is also the part owner of a country tavern and music hall.

    Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University.

    Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University.

    Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

    • 46 min
    Sara Eskrich – Final-Five Voting & Restoring Faith in Democracy

    Sara Eskrich – Final-Five Voting & Restoring Faith in Democracy

    In today’s episode, Rick and Sam are joined by Sara Eskrich, Executive Director of Democracy Found, to discuss final-five voting and the cross-partisan movement to shift our elections to using final-five voting.
    Sara explains what final-five voting is, how it is different from the current elections process, and how states like Alaska and Maine are already using it. Then Sara, Sam, and Rick consider how final-five voting changes and challenges the current election process, creates accountability and incentives for elected officials, and has support across party lines. The conversation closes with a look at challenges to final-five voting and what comes next for the movement.

    More information on final-five voting and Democracy Found visit: https://democracyfound.org/

    Sara Eskrich is the Executive Director of Democracy Found, a Wisconsin-based nonpartisan initiative committed to revitalizing democracy. By implementing a system of Final-Five Voting, a system wherein the top five candidates are selected from the primary ballot and instant runoff voting is used in the general election, we will ensure politicians are held accountable for delivering results.
    Sara previously served on the Madison Common Council and currently serves as a Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Commissioner. She is a member of the Madison Downtown Rotary and the Hoan Group. Her career includes roles in the public and private sectors, including at Deloitte Consulting, the UW Population Health Institute, Kids Forward, the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, and City Council President Michael P. Ross’ Campaign and Office at the City of Boston.
    Sara is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and holds a Masters of Public Affairs from the Robert M. La Follette School and Masters of Public Health from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

    Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University.

    Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University.

    Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

    • 56 min
    Wisconsin Women in Conservation

    Wisconsin Women in Conservation

    In today’s episode, Rick and Sam are joined by members of Wisconsin Women in Conservation: Dr. Esther Shekinah is a Research Agronomist at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute; Jennifer Nelson works with Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES); and Val Dantoin is a Conservation Coach for Wisconsin Women in Conservation. These inspiring women join us today to share their work, describing the challenges and successes the organization has faced thus far and its focus on community, the greater good, and sustainable farming. Finally, they share their hope for the future of sustainability and involvement by women of all ages as part of the solution for the challenges we face.

    Dr. Esther Shekinah is a Research Agronomist at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute with more than 20 years of sustainable agriculture research experience in both India and the US. In addition to leading the Wisconsin Women in Conservation team, she is researching cover crops and industrial hemp with the goal of developing production practices that encourage diversity in organic cropping systems.

    Jennifer Nelson works with Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES), facilitating farmer education and farmland access. With her partner, she co-owns Humble Pie Farm in Plum City, Wis., growing Certified Organic bedding plants, produce and flowers. Jennifer has managed and been on the board of multiple farmers’ markets in the Midwest.

    Val Dantoin is a Conservation Coach for Wisconsin Women in Conservation. Val’s Full Circle Community Farm is located outside of Green Bay. They focus on grazing, permaculture, riparian buffers, wetlands, organic, pollinator habitat. Valerie is a farmer-teacher who models her 240 acre farm after the workings of natural eco-systems. She has B.S. in bacteriology, a Masters Degree in Agronomy and an all but dissertated Ph.D. in land resources. Valerie developed and teaches 20 courses in the Sustainable Food & Ag Systems program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

    Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University.

    Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University.

    Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
10 Ratings

10 Ratings

Pa-PaGeorgio ,

I am truly blessed… even more to have been a Viterbo grad.

Such an excellent reminder how how important servant leadership is. I myself got to have Tom as a professor and I felt the sense of connection - since I always like to be a hospitable person. Before listening to this podcast , I noticed my neighbors car was parked in the driveway for a few days with snow and I text messaged him. He informed me he had a bad cold. I decided to make some hot home made chicken soup. I set it on his door step with some crackers… and he was so appreciative. I was more appreciative that I can spread that hospitality to others. It gives me hope that there are people out there who are truly grateful. It gives me hope that people may see the goodness in others. Pax et bonum Tom, Rick and Sam. Such a great podcast and reminder.

Nbyurhnvroh ,

Military Perspective

Servant Leadership is the single most important ideology/style/method in which to lead anyone in any situation. I have been blessed to take part In Viterbo’s training program, and facilitate it for others at Fort McCoy, WI.

Thank you for this podcast!
M. Modawell

Timberlane74 ,

Learning from history

If you take nothing more out of this episode except why an educated society is important you will be justly rewarded. Sam Scinta and Rick Kyte are providing the opportunity to understand our responsibilities as citizens. Great lessons !

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

This American Life
This American Life
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Wishbone Production
The Viall Files
Nick Viall
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan | Cumulus Podcast Network
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher