Servant Leadership: Letting Your Followers Lead You
The idea of servant leadership is not a newly discovered concept. I find it imperative that we begin with our ultimate example of servant leadership, Jesus Christ. In Mark 9, when some of the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus replied, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35b ESV) He also delivered the message to the hypocritical Pharisees, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12 ESV) Up to his death, we see numerous accounts of Christ serving others, including the famous record of him washing the feet of his apostles during an era when there were no paved roads and nothing but sandals to shod their feet. His complete sacrifice of his life to save the souls of men was a final demonstration of his servant leadership. Philippians 2:5-11 gives us wonderful summation of Jesus' willingness to serve through death. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
As a society, are we abandoning the idea of "followers first"? I have been blessed to know several servant leaders over the years that have had an impact on my life, but the numbers of them are declining in our laissez-faire culture. Responsibility lies with you and with me to become servant leaders. Spears, 2002, studied the ideas of Robert K. Greenleaf on the subject of servant leadership and found ten common characteristics of servant leaders. We must work on embodying these attributes in order to become successful servant leaders.
Listening- Servant leaders listen to their followers. This allows them to become in tune with the needs of their followers so they may better serve and fulfill them.
Empathy- Servant leaders attempt to see the situation from the follower's viewpoint so they may better understand their perspective. This demonstrates to the follower that they are valued by the leader.
Healing- Sometimes as servant leaders we are required to help tend to the emotional needs of our followers and provide a support system to help the follower through their personal issues. Greenleaf even suggests that the leader can find healing for himself by showing such a kindness to others.
Awareness- This speaks to the perceptiveness a leader has to the environment and culture they placed in and how their actions are impactful. This allows them to stand back and see the overall picture.
Persuasion- A servant leader is not coercive, rather, kind, as they gently create change through uncritical debate.
Conceptualization- Servant leaders that are strong at conceptualizing are able to see the mission and goals of the organization. Keeping this in mind, they are able to visualize change to grow and promote these ideas.
Foresight- This is one's ability to look to the future to anticipate obstacles. Someone with foresight may also look to the past to learn about circumstances that may be repeated.
Stewardship- A servant leader understands that he is a steward of the leadership role he has been granted. He sees the responsibility he has in directing his followers.
Commitment to the growth of people- After servant leaders listen and get to know their followers, they dedicate themselves to helping their followers seek out the best opportunities before them. They exhibit an interest in the unique abilities of others and push them to develop their strengths.
Building Community- Through their service, servant leaders impact not only their followers, but the community as well. This may be direct, by promoting community events and service, or indirect by preparing followers to go out and have an impact on the world. They allow others to feel connected to their surroundings.
After taking the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (Leadership: Theory and Practice, Northouse) I discovered that my lowest category was that of "empowering". I matched that category with the servant leader traits of "empathy" and "commitment to the growth of people". I need to do better about understanding and valuing the viewpoints of others and help them use their strengths to build their careers and achieve personal goals. First off, I need to do better about directly asking about exciting things happening in the lives of others. I've fallen into the bad habit of waiting for others to volunteer information. Another way to learn more about others is to ask deeper questions when an opinion is expressed so I can better follow their stance. This frees me from the chance of making uninformed assumptions. I've also fallen into the trap of giving too much advice based off of my own personal experiences. To an extent that's ok, but I can't expect everyone to follow the same life path as me. I can't force others to wait on or accomplish things at a certain age or point in life. Everyone is on a unique journey and the best I can provide is a simple word of encouragement along the way. I must remember that it's not about me or what I am doing, it's about what the individual dreams to pursue!
Will you take the leap with me to grow into a servant leader? I'm learning that the process requires daily evaluation to check on my heart and attitude. God's word prescribes servanthood in order to become great in the kingdom of heaven. "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." (Philippians 2;3 ESV)
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