Case 10.1: Everyone Loves Mrs. Noble
Case synopsis and analysis
Sharon Noble is the secretary at Essex High School. She is a servant leader who is beloved at
the school by students, alumni, and staff. Sharon knows the ins and outs of the school, and is the
“go to” person for day–to-day needs. She is of great personal assistance to students, helping
them understand changes at the school and even assisting with their college applications. She
Learning objectives:
1) Students should be able to apply the servant leader behaviors to a leader.
Answers to questions in the text:
1. What servant leader behaviors would you say Mrs. Noble demonstrates?
Mrs. Noble exhibits all seven of these behaviors. She has a solid understanding of the high
school, including its complexities and mission (conceptualizing). She is strong at emotional
healing, because she is sensitive to every student’s differences and personal concerns. She puts
students and families first, as evidenced by the money that she donates for student causes and her
selfless and tireless work that well exceeds her job requirement. As well, she passionately
2. Who are Mrs. Noble’s followers?
3. Based on the model of servant leadership (Figure 10.1), what outcomes did Mrs. Noble’s
servant leadership attain?
4. Can you think of someone at a school or organization you were part of who acted like Mrs.
Noble?
Answers will, of course, vary.
Potential teaching approaches:
Below is a way to structure a class based on skill theory and case study 10.1:
• Hold a lecture on servant leadership.
• Ask students to read case 10.1 and answer questions 1 through 4.
Exercises for this case study:
2) Mrs. Noble is about to retire. In small groups or individually, students should draft a job