From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
January 9, 2026
Servant Leadership in the Marketplace
Robert L. Luddy is a North Carolina based Catholic business and educational entrepreneur. His most recent publication, Seeking Wisdom: The Road to Prosperity (Raleigh, North Carolina: Thales Press, 2025) is now available at In His Name Catholic Bookstore: Seeking Wisdom: The Road to Prosperity
Mr. Luddy is the founder of CaptiveAir Systems, a leading national manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation and HVAC systems, and of several highly successful educational institutions located in North Carolina: Franklin Academy, Thales Academy, St. Thomas More Academy, and Thales College. As he clearly and succinctly explains in this volume of 131 pages, all these operations are built upon common philosophical principles and convictions. He shares some details of his own personal history, and endeavors to outline the principles which would lead others to seek the wisdom necessary to develop a style that can be called “servant leadership,” in business, as well as in one's civic and personal life.
Luddy insists that this is “not a self-help book, but rather an argument for continuous personal formation and growth.” He credits many others for having influenced and mentored him during his life and he frequently quotes from them. (This reader respectfully recommends that if there is a second edition of this worthy volume, precise footnotes indicating the exact sources of these numerous, insightful quotes be provided). At the conclusion of the book, he recommends nine authors and texts for further reading.
This book insists that the search for and the attainment of wisdom demands discipline. While not explicitly Catholic, Luddy’s philosophical presuppositions presume an acceptance of the natural law as understood by the Catholic tradition. He advances a view of American history that many will find congenial to their thinking while others might find it challenging. But self-challenge is one of the author’s main themes! This book would make a lovely New Year's gift for a young adult immersed in today's culture. For some of them, it would be a welcome word of affirmation of their own contra mundum beliefs. For others, it might be a challenge to the “group thinking” to which they have become attached. But for any sincere reader and open-minded reader, Seeking Wisdom can provide much needed mentoring for our time.
