Servant Leadership: To Serve, Not to Be Served
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
I first came across the phrase “servant leadership” during my undergraduate studies. My immediate reaction to this leadership style was that it was a contradiction, as the words “servant” and “leader” are typically on opposite ends of a hierarchical paradigm. I also recall immediately thinking of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet in John 13-1-7.
So began my personal journey of understanding and embracing this type of leadership, not only in my career but in all aspects of my life.
What Is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership is characterized by the desire to serve and empower others by focusing on inspiring and enabling people to achieve their full potential. It occurs in pursuit of a shared and common purpose, with the belief that servant leadership is the best way to achieve a high-performance enterprise.
A successful servant leader listens to other people, empathizes with the hardships and challenges of others, is committed to win-win-win situations, and builds true friendships wherever he or she goes. Perhaps the greatest summary of servant leadership is found in one of Jesus' golden rules: ”Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
A Widely Accepted Leadership Style
Robert Greenleaf coined the phrase “servant leader” in the early 1970s, and it is now a mainstream secular leadership approach. It works regardless of organization size to deliver significant operational and financial benefits. It underpins organizational success by creating an environment that establishes a people-focused, collaborative style of working and generates a sense of commitment to the values, vision, and goals of the organization.
However, at its heart, servant leadership is neither a worldly nor a modern concept. As we have seen, it is found in the Biblical account of the life of Jesus Christ, the perfect exemplar of a servant leader. He not only served but laid down his life for his friends.
Jesus, the Model Servant Leader
While none of us has the power and majesty of Jesus, we can follow his example by yielding all we are and all we have to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus submitted his own life in sacrificial service to the will of God (Luke 22:42) and in service to others (John 10:30). In John 13, Jesus illustrates what it means to serve others by washing the feet of his followers, which was usually the responsibility of the house servant.
Examination of this passage shows that:
Jesus’ motivation was love for his followers (verse 1).
Jesus was aware of his position as leader (verse 14). Before the disciples saw him as their servant, they had already seen him many times as a strong and powerful leader.
Jesus voluntarily became a servant to his followers (verses 5-12).
Examination of how the Gospels describe Jesus’ relationship with—and the development of—his disciples also reveals many examples of servant leadership. When James and John;s mother sought positions of power and authority for her sons (Matthew 20-28), Jesus challenged them. They were not to seek a power relationship over others, as did the leaders of their world. Rather, they were to become the servants of the people they led. The disciples were the men he was helping to become leaders—servant leaders.
True Strength
The main criticism of servant leadership is that there are times when a forceful hand is necessary. However, servant leadership, if understood properly, does not deny the strength of a leader. Rather, it emphasizes the motivations behind leadership. Remember: Jesus himself overturned tables in the temple. It was hardly a “nice” thing to do, but he used his strength for the good of the people he led.
Developing Servant Leadership
In “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” John Maxwell teaches servant leadership inside his Law of Addition:
“The best place for a leader isn’t always the top position. It isn’t the most prominent or powerful place. It’s the place where he or she can serve the best and add the most value to other people … You’ve got to love your people more than your position.”
John Maxwell also provides some recommendations for practicing daily to become a better servant leader in “Developing the Leader Within You 2.0”:
“I Don’t Rely on My Position or Title: I work to earn respect every day by delivering on what I promise and by serving others.”
“I Choose to Believe in People and Their Potential: I believe in people’s potential and the more I serve them, the more their potential increases. That creates a win for everyone.”
“I Try to See Things from the Perspective of Others: I intentionally connect with people and try to see from their point of view to serve them better.”
“I Work to Create an Environment of Encouragement: When leaders are willing to serve people and encourage others to serve, a spirit of cooperation emerges where it’s ‘one for all and all for one.’ That makes the environment positive and develops a sense of loyalty among team members.”
“I Measure My Success by How Much Value I Add to Others: It is true: one is too small a number to achieve greatness. Few things surpass helping your team to win together.”
Maxwell writes, “I’m still not where I would like to be when it comes to serving people, but I’m continually striving to get better at it.”
Continue striving to become a better servant leader in all aspects of your life, with the greatest example of a servant leader, Jesus Christ, as your guide. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Shivonne Sant-Solomon is a wife and mother of two, blessed with the responsibility of raising them in this dynamic world! In all of her work, and in her most important roles as mother and wife, her relationship with God has been and continues to be central, as she is first and foremost a child of God. Over the past 19 years, Shivonne has had the opportunity to work in a variety of commercial roles within the energy industry, as well as assuming the role of a stay-at-home mother to her then-younger kids for three years—a transformational experience indeed, and one where the challenges and due respect are saluted and applauded. As Shivonne continues along her spiritual and professional growth and development paths, she seeks out opportunities to share her faith and contribute and support the achievement of the world’s energy transition goals in caring for God’s creation.