Finding Leo

Philip Mathew's Finding Leo presents servant leadership as a way for readers to reshape their own lives and the groups they belong to. Rather than staying with abstract theory, the book follows the real journeys, hardships, and lasting insights of ten people who made a difference by putting others first.

The framework comes from Larry C. Spears's ten characteristics of the servant leader, which Mathew uses to organize his close study of his subjects. They include Herb Kelleher, the chief executive of Southwest Airlines; Harriet Tubman, a conductor on the Underground Railroad; Mother Teresa, a missionary devoted to the destitute; and Malala Yousafzai, an educational activist. Also profiled are the Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, the freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Wangari Maathai, founder of the Greenbelt Movement, Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The lessons are meant for settings ranging from schools to corporate boardrooms. The book is intended for individuals, organizations, and communities that want to pursue a higher purpose and find a practical direction rooted in serving others.