Earlier this week, I was talking with a friend about servant leadership and realized I haven’t written about it on my blog. Servant leadership is core to my philosophy of life, work, leadership, and ministry. I first heard about servant leadership at the Leadership Summit conferences years ago and discussed it much during my graduate studies at Fuller. Servant-leadership is particularly relevant to the work and ministry we are currently doing in Haiti.
A “servant-leader” and “servant leadership” are concepts coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay he first published in 1970. In that essay, he wrote:
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.“
“The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“
We also see this concept lived out by Jesus. Jesus called his followers to be servants first. According to the Gospels, Jesus said:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28; also Mark 10:42-45).”
In another example, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as a way to demonstrate how to serve each other (John 13: 12-15).
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Question: How has serving others made you a better leader?
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Thank you so much for this post. I first learned the concept of servant leadership at a conference that I attended years and years ago. Ken Blanchard was the speaker. Ever since then, I have recognized it in so many others, including Quint Studer and Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and I try to live it in my own life. I think servant leadership is more rewarding than “leading leadership,” because by serving others and facilitating growth in others, you continue to learn and develop your self. People who are led by a servant leader are empowered and, in effect, they produce results that are tenfold, whereas people who are led by a leading leader may satisfy their requirements but may not produce miracles. Currently I try to make a difference with people whom I have a privilege of serving as a middle manager, and someday I hope to make an even greater impact as an owner of my own company.
Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Hi Misako!
Thanks for pointing out Tony Hsieh, I’m a big fan of his leadership style and sharing how servant leadership empowers. Thanks for commenting…do stay in touch!
Jorge! Just started blogging and found yours! I feel servant leadership is key to life and to ministry. Or at least it should be key to my life and ministry! Not sure how great I am at it all the time. I have also been struggling on how to model and teach this to the students I work with in youth ministry. I work in a community where all these teenagers will probably grow up to be leaders in the world (ie. executives, business owners, etc.) and so instilling this idea of servant leadership within them is incredibly important and yet completely against their culture!
Hey Paul, sorry buddy for the late response. I am just catching up on comments and emails. How is it been?
I just visited your blog and like what you’ve started. I love writing as much as possible too…the challenge is sustaining it. Yes, servant leadership is so counter-cultural, that’s what makes it so special. When youth get it-when they learn serving why serving is important and why Jesus modeled it constantly-their lives begin to change. It’s an “aha moment!” Love it!