Art Barter believes “how you get the results is more important than the results themselves.” To teach people about the power of servant leadership, Art started in his own backyard by rebuilding the culture of the manufacturing company he bought in 2004, Datron World Communications. Art took Datron’s traditional power-led model and turned it upside down. Together with his management team, he began to serve first. The result: a small international radio manufacturer grew from a $10 million company to a $200 million company in six years. In late 2016, Datron received a record $495 million order which Art feels is a direct result of the company’s servant leadership culture.
Fueled by his passion for servant leadership and the lessons learned from the implementation of Datron’s culture shift, Art founded the Servant Leadership Institute (SLI) in 2008 as a vehicle to share his knowledge and to teach others how to inspire and equip those they influence.
As an authority on servant leadership implementation, Art shares his expertise in business books, on websites, through podcasts, and in articles. Currently he is a contributor to the digital magazine Forbes.com. Art is the author of Farmer Able: A Fable About Servant Leadership Transforming Organizations And People From The Inside Out, The Servant Leadership Journal: An 18 Week Journey To Transform You and Your Organization, and The Art of Servant Leadership II: How You Get Results Is More Important Than the Results Themselves.
Art was recognized in 2015 as one of the top thirty leaders named to the John C. Maxwell Leadership Awards. He has also been named by Trust Across America as one of the Top Thought Leaders In Trust for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Carol Malinski made the critical decision that would change the course of her life In 1996 when she accepted a position at Datron World Communications. As part of the material planning team, Carol rose within the company, becoming part of the leadership team that took Datron to a $200-million company in six years.
In 2013, Carol became part of the team at the Servant Leadership Institute, making the move from material planning to writer, podcast and webinar host, and director of content and curriculum. Equip to Serve came from her desire to share with others what she observed and learned during the last sixteen years of servant leadership practice under Art’s leadership.
