What is a Servant Leader

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Chapter 1 What is a Servant Leader?

How often do we actually stop and think about what makes a good leader? We are quick to

criticise and find fault with those in leadership positions but would not necessarily be willing tostand in their place. Australian culture, sadly I believe, often seeks to find the weakness ratherthan praise what is good. Who amongst would say or admit that we worked for a good boss? Afavoured past-time of many Australian workers is to ridicule the boss. Perhaps this is becausemany people in leadership positions are managers and not leaders, or not the leader that peoplewould willingly choose to follow.

The question before us then is, what is a servant leader? The term is used regularly in Christiancircles but is not well understood. Indeed, what constitutes a good leader? What qualities shouldthey have? Are these qualities inherited or can they be learned? These questions need to beexplored to identify the principles of leadership which will form the basis of the program.

Community UnderstandingBefore we answer those questions it is useful to gain an appreciation of what our own community,the community of Burgmann, presently believe about these questions of leadership. To find out asurvey was sent out for interested students, staff and parents to complete.

The response rate was disappointing with a total of 27 students and staff (no parents) completingthe survey. This may reflect a number of things including a lack of time, a lack of interest or a lackof understanding of the notion of leadership. It may indicate that a program of leadership has toinclude not only leadership opportunities but also clear teaching about leadership itself. Of thepeople who chose to identify themselves in the survey, the majority I would classify as beingeither in positions of leadership or having leadership potential; this was also reflected in theanswers they provided.

The first question looked at the qualities of a good leader (see table 1).

Table 1

What makes a good leader?

Student Response [sic]

They have to not be self centered but do what others want as well as what they want.

They have to listen to there followers and put others before themselves.

Someone who is confident with themselves and their beliefs but not cocky about it.

The ability to give fair orders, recognise better ideas from others, listening to everyones opinionequally

A good leader is someone that can help and guide others. This person is someone that is confidentin what they do and are glad to share what they know with others.

I think that a good leader would be someone who can set a good example for others, listens andcares about raised issues and treats people the way they would like to be treated (equally) theydon't abuse their "power"


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Good people skills and a happy person

Someone that can relate to others well.

A person who can manage and guide people under them and listen to what others have to say. they

can take criticism from others and think about why this may happen. they are confident with whatthey do and are aren't scared to speak out.

Someone who can take control of a group, make informed decisions, organise things, they should

also be understanding, patient and fair.

Has good spirit and encourages others to persuvae them in doing things in a friendly warm

Someone who cares for their followers; someone who thinks in perspective and treats everyone

fairly; someone who is patient and honest to everyone. They have initiative and good ideas andalways up for a challenge. they set a good example and people look up to them.

Staff response [sic]Confident, sympathetic, open to changing personal ideas/systems in view of new ones presented by

others. Acknowledges good ideas Ability to put themselves in others shoes. Stands firm onimportant issues flexible on others.

I believe a good leader is someone that others choose to follow.

A good leader is someone who can recognise the importance of the people that are working forthem, and to acknowledge their efforts.

A good leader appreciates the role of those being led, and is able to uplift them by example,commitment and enthusiasm. Leaves a legacy of good leadership for others to aspire to and follow.

A good leader is someone who has empathy, excellent social skills, the ability to enthuse and inspirepeople, is organised, is approachable and above all has a sense of purpose and direction.

Someone who has the ability to devise a vision and act on it, bringing out the strengths in his or herteam. A leader should model a servant attitude.

A good leader is a person with a high level of personal integrity and self-awareness that allows foran insightful attitude towards those under his/her leadership. A good leader is a thoughtful and firmdecision maker who is able to see the bigger picture without losing sight of the smaller details ofpeople's lives. A good leader is willing to serve others to enable the collaborative achievement ofgoals. A good leader is a careful and empowering delegator as well as a responsible manager.

Someone who cares about the strengths and needs of those they are leading. Who is strong and

grounded, though flexible when necessary. Who copes well under pressure.

The responses provided, while few in number, display a good understanding of leadership and inparticular, servant leadership. A pertinent statement was made by a staff member, a good leaderis someone that others choose to follow.

Respondents were also asked to provide the qualit ies that should typify a good leader. Wordsprovided included:


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Quality Number ofresponses

Honesty (sincerity, trustworthy,integrity)

Approachable (open-minded,friendly)

ConfidenceCommitted (dedicated, loyal)Cheerful (optimistic, hopeful)Respect (acknowledges individuals)Innovative (creative, visionary)Kind (caring, compassionate,thoughtful)ListenerHardworking (energetic)FairCourage (brave)Enthusiasm (passionate)Communicator

EmpathyInspiringFlexible

11

8

765444

433333

322

IntelligentSense of HumourPatienceDecision maker

Team BuilderStrongGoal orientatedDeterminedForesightForgivingHumilityInitiativeOrganisedSelf-awareSelf-controlPersonal maturityWise

2222

2211111111111

It is quite an extensive list, which I am sure, very few people could live up to. The list of qualitiescould be classified into two categories, skills and attributes. Skills are those things that can belearned and developed, things that we do, management skills such as communication andorganisation. Attributes are values and virtues that form part of a persons character.

Skills Attributes

communicatorlistenerdecision makerteam builderdelegationorganised etc.

honestykindnesscouragepatiencehumilitywisdom etc.

People who responded to the survey recognise that a good leader has a combination of skills andattributes.

It is interesting to note that the most important quality individuals (albeit a small sample) areseeking to find in a leader is honesty. Honest leaders are trusted leaders:

It takes a leader a long time to build trust, yet one brief incident of untrustworthy behaviourcan permanently destroy trust. Leaders are usually allowed a fair share of honest mistakes.In contrast, dishonest mistakes erode leadership effectiveness quickly. (Dubrin,A.Leadership, CWL Publishing Enterprises, 2000, p78)

When asked to provide examples of admired leaders Nelson Mandela was a name provided bymany the students who responded (was this because they had recently studied NelsonMandela?). Other names provided as examples included General Peter Cosgrove, MotherTeresa, Tim Costello, Weary Dunlop and Gandhi. These names were sighted because theyfought for what was right, often under difficult circumstances and they supported and cared forthe needs of the people. They had courage, confidence and a word that hasnt been provided, butwhich I feel is vital in leadership,principles.


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From the survey, it is clear that the respondents admire those who have strong attributes andskills,who are interested in and care for the people and who are willing to put themselves on theline for the truth and what they believe is right. These are qualities of a servant leader; this is theleader that people will follow.

A good quote provided by one respondent demonstrates a strong understanding of what it is tobe a servant leader:

[sic][of Weary Dunlop] He led his men by example and served his men, he often took thepunishment on behalf of his men and regularly put his men's safety and welfare before hisown. I believe his leadership saved many lives, and kept many spirits high in the face ofadversity. I believe he exhibited what a servant-leader should.

FollowershipI would like to take a few moments to touch on the notion of followership. A leader is not a leaderif no one will follow.

To know what leadership is firstly a person has to follow. Typically a person will follow another forone of three reasons: firstly; out of fear, because they are afraid of what might happen to them if

they dont do what they are asked to do; secondly; because of the benefits that may come tothem if they do and; thirdly; because a person believes in them and what they are trying toaccomplish (Covey, S. Principle-Centred Leadership, Simon and Schuster, 1990).

Who amongst us has actually followed as opposed to obeyed or for selfish ambition? Not manycould say that they follow a leader, perhaps this is why not many can articulate what goodleadership is, rather, they know what it isnt. Indeed, who do you actually follow?

To follow implies that there is a choice; a person willingly chooses to follow another. This notion isin opposition to obeying or to conforming as is often the case in a workplace. Even in ademocracy we may not willingly choose to follow the elected leaders if they were not our firstchoice or if they were just the best of a bad lot.

We are often inspired by, or model our thoughts on the leadership qualities of another. Forexample, people are inspired by the leadership qualities of the greats such as Nelson Mandela,but they do not actually follow them. To be a good leader ourselves we first must follow, have arole model to learn from.

A powerful statement to ponder on is contained in Ken Blanchards book Lead like Jesus:Peoplefollow a great leader because they respect them, not because they have power. People willwillingly choose to follow another if they have vision, a vision that includes them as people.People will choose to follow another if they are trustworthy, honest, reliable, committed, confident,approachable and, above all, caring. Millions of people followed Gandhi because he had a visionfor their nation, for them as individuals. He genuinely cared for each person and he walked thetalk.

No one is aleader withoutsomeone tofollow

Jesus, the greatest leader, transformed twelve unlikely men

into the first generation of leaders of a movement thatcontinues to transform history today. Peter, known as thefather of the church, was one such leader, but he was ableto lead as he first followed another (and continued to do so).

No one is a leader without people who follow. Who do youchoose to follow?


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So what then is Leadership?How often do we actually stop and wonder what leadership is? Do we know how to recognise agood leader or, as Australians, are we more ready to criticise those in leadership positions as arecent Readers Digest survey on trust suggests, which ranked our politicians as one of the leasttrustworthy groups of people in the country (ABC News Online, 23 May 2006).

If you consult a thesaurus under leadershipthe synonyms include: authority, control,administration, effectiveness, superiority, supremacy, skill, capacity and power. Looking at theword leaderyou will find words like: general, commander, director, manager, head, officer,captain, master, chieftain, governor, ruler, executive and boss (Chua Wee Hian, Learning to LeadInter-Varsity Press, 1987).

There is a wealth of l iterature and research on leadership. Many academics have committedyears to studying and understanding leadership. Coupled with this there is a growing industryfocusing on leadership training and coaching. Put the word leadership into any online searchengine and the majority of the hits will be leadership development and training companies tryingto snare a corner of what is becoming a big market place.Perhaps this is because the world hasrealised that leadership can bring wealth, prestige and power? Quoting from Dubrin:

If being a leader didnt have loads of potential benefits, not so many people would want tobecome leaders. A key advantage of being a leader is that it gives you a feeling of powerand prestige (Dubrin, A. Leadership, CWL Publishing Enterprises, 2000, p5).

J.R. Tolkien in his classic, Lord of the Rings makes a chilling statement about the motivation anddesire to be a leader: men, above all else, desire power. Companies are also discovering thatthey can improve potential and efficiency if they focus on developing leadership skills in theiremployees.

Organisations are currently running at 20 to 30% of their potential and there is anopportunity to crank this up to 60% and higher still for short periods. The key to unlockingteamwork and higher levels of energy is to develop better leadership throughout anorganisation (McLean, R in Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and theBottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997, p8).

I believe that there are two views of leadership, a world view and a Christian view. It is helpful todefine the world view of leadership, which has much to bear on the Christian view of leadership.This is not to suggest that a good leader has to be a Christian but that often the differencebetween a good leader and a poor, or untrustworthy leader, is the persons motivating forcebehind his/her desire to lead.

World ViewLeadership is defined by some writers as interpersonal influence directed toward attaining goalsand is achieved through communication. A leader is a person who inspires, persuades, influencesand motivates others (Dubrin, p 10). Sir John Harvey-Jones states that, leadership is the abilityto elicit extraordinary performance from ordinary people. (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives,Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997, p6)

Other quotes defining leadership include:

The art of leadership is getting somebody else to do something you want done becausehe wants to do it. Dwight Eisenhower, US President 1953 to 1961

A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obeyand acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honour people, they fail to honour


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you: But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they willall say, We did this ourselves. Lao Tze 600BC

A leader has got to learn to dominate events which surround him; he must never allowthese events to get the better of him; he must allow nothing to divert him from his aim; hemust always be on top of the job and be prepared to accept responsibility. He mustendeavour to produce, on every level, commanders with the qualities of leadership whichinspire confidence in others. These qualities are possessed in some degree by all menchosen as leaders but they need to be developed and trained. Field Marshal Montgomery

(Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line, ButterworthHeinemann, Australia, 1997 p8).

Leadership is aprocess of influence.

Anytime you seek to

influence thethinking, behaviour,or development ofpeople towardsaccomplishing a gaolyou are taking therole of leadership.

My favourite definition of a leader comes from KenBlanchards (et.al.) book Lead like Jesus.He definesleadership as a process of influence. Anytime youseek to influence the thinking, behaviour, ordevelopment of people towards accomplishing a goalin their professional or personal lives, you are takingthe role of leadership. This statement implies that we

are all leaders at some point in time.

Some people are born leaders, or display leadershippotential at a young age. They are blessed with highenergy, exceptional intelligence, extreme persistence,self-confidence and a yearning to influence others.Many psychologists believe that leadership qualitiesare innate or genetic and therefore are impossible tolearn. However, more recent research has shown thatleadership can be learned (Avolio, B.Are LeadersBorn Or Made? - leadership skills can come fromgenes or education, Psychology Today, Sept 1999),hence the proliferation of organisations pitched at

developing leadership skills. However, the science of leadership cannot be learnt from reading abook, (of even this article) or taught in a classroom but can be developed in those who have thewill and potential to step up to the mark (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork andthe Bottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997). Leadership is learnt by doing, byreflecting and by learning from others. A person cannot improve their tennis game merely byreading tennis books or watching great tennis players. They must get out on the court andpractice what they have read or seen (Covey, S. Principle-Centred Leadership, Simon andSchuster, 1990).

Much of the literature makes distinction between management and leadership. People who aremanagers are not necessarily leaders. Many bosses in the workplace could easily be describedas a manager, but not a leader. Perhaps this is why many of their employees are quick to criticisethem. On the other hand, a leader has to be a good manager.

A manager is defined as a person who manages something, a person who is responsible fordirecting and controlling the work and personnel of a business or the affairs of another person.Managers have their eyes on the bottom line; leaders have their eyes on the horizon(MSNEncarta). Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective Peopledescribesmanagement as the bottom line focus: how can I best accomplish certain things? Leadershipdeals with the top line: what are the things I want to accomplish? Covey provides a good analogyto help grasp the different difference between management and leadership:
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/quote_1861990151/Managers_Managers_have_their_eyes_on_the_bottom.htmlhttp://uk.encarta.msn.com/quote_1861990151/Managers_Managers_have_their_eyes_on_the_bottom.html


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Imagine a group of people cutting a path through the jungle with machetes. Theyre theproducers, the problem solvers. Theyre cutting through the undergrowth, clearing it out.

The managers are behind them, sharpening their machetes, writing policy and proceduremanuals, holding muscle development programs, bringing in improved technologies andsetting up work schedules.

The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells,this way. (Covey, S. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The BusinessLibrary, 1990)

Qualities of leadership:Leaders typically have a number of attributes and skills. These qualities can be identified in allgreat leaders such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. It should be noted thatwhen looking at different leaders, they typically will possess the following attributes but fewleaders, if any, have the same qualities developed to the same level, we are all different, so tooare leaders (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line,Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997). Each leader will have his/her own strengths andweaknesses to bear on the role they play.

The following are attributes and skills of a leader as defined by Tozer; they are qualities that arenot dissimilar to those suggested by other researchers; nor is it an exhaustive list:

Moral Courage: is the courage to act or do something because it is right, correct, andnecessary, even if it is difficult, unpopular, or distasteful to implement.

Integrity: embraces the combination of virtues of honesty, sincerity, reliability,unselfishness and loyalty without which the leader cannot gain the trust and respect ofthe people around them.

Intellect and Clarity of Thought : is the ability to reduce any problem to its simplestbasic components and focus energies on those things and those things alone.

Willpower and Determination the will to lead: no leader will succeed unless he orshe genuinely wants to accept responsibility.

Knowledge: knowledge of the job and the business, knowledge of the people in the teamand knowledge of yourself and your own abilities.

Self-confidence: leaders need to be confident in their ability in order to be decisive inaction and calm in a crisis.

Enthusiasm: leaders are passionate, excited, positive and infectious.

Abil ity to Communicate: leaders must be able to speak and write effectively.

Judgement and Common Sense: leaders must have the maturity and wisdom tobalance conflicting advice in reaching a solution and making a decision.

Pride: leaders must have pride in what they do and in the organisation they work.

Humanity: leaders must be approachable, have empathy and understand the effectdecisions will have on individuals.


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Decisiveness: leaders must be able to make decisions and have the wit and courage tomake them at the right time.

Self-Discipline and Consistency: leaders must be able to maintain their standards andbe consistent so that others know exactly where they stand.

Sense of Humour: leaders should take everything seriously except themselves. Aworkplace must be a happy place.

The Nature of Inspiration: the ability to inspire people is the mark of a successfulleader.

Charisma: is an excessively strong blend of personal attributes that induces people toassign god-like status to the charismatic leader and follow his/her wishes withoutquestion. The charismatic leader can be seen as a saviour from distress for example,Gandhi, Hitler and Mussolini.

Trust: is the belief in a persons reliability and is governed by the persons integrity,loyalty, self-discipline and moral courage. To gain trust from others, we must first give it.

This is a comprehensive list. It is a good list for those in a leadership position or aspiring toleadership positions, to reflect on and measure their own abilities against. It is a lofty list whenyou consider all the qualities you must possess in order to inspire others to follow.

So if this is leadership from a worldly point of view, what then is servant leadership? Is a servantall this and more?

The Servant LeaderThe words servant and leader would appear to be in opposition to each other. How can one be aleader and a servant at the same time? Isnt a servant a person who provides a service, orserves another, particularly to a leader who has an extremely important position, a position thatallows for no time for him/her to make their own coffee? Is a leader not someone who hassignificant authority and influence over others and future outcomes, a general, a commander, aboss?

If a leadersactions are drivenby service anddedication to acause or arelationship thenthey are a servantleader.

While the two words may seem in contradiction to each other,the term servant leader identifies a leaders driving motivation.If a leaders driving motivation is self-promotion and self-protection, they will use their influence with others to fulfilthese needs. If a leaders actions are driven by service anddedication to a cause or a relationship then they are a servantleader (Blanchard, K et.al., Lead Like Jesus,W PublishingGroup, 2005, p4). It is this motivating force that sets a leaderapart. A heart motivated by self-interest looks at the world as agive a little, take a lot proposition. People with hearts

motivated by self-interest put their own agenda, safety, statusand gratification ahead of those affected by their thoughts andactions. Cutting people off on the road or in the car park,punishing those who disagree with you or challenge yourposition and exploiting the weaknesses and fears of others toget what you want are all actions that come from a self-motivated heart (Blanchard, K. et.al., Lead Like Jesus,W

Publishing Group, 2005 p40). Self-serving leaders go about in a never-ending pursuit of short-term pleasure fixes for their material-based self-esteem. If a person is looking out for number


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one or, whats in it for me they will have no sense of stewardship. They may talk the language ofservant leadership, but they will always find a way to promote their own agenda. They may bededicated and hardworking, but they are not focused on stewardship the idea that you dontown anything, that you give life to higher principles, causes and purposes. Rather, they arefocused on power, wealth, fame, position, dominion and possessions (Covey, S, Principle-Centred Leadership, Simon and Schuster, 1990).

If the description of a self-serving leader sounds harsh and doesnt fit you at all then spend sometime in honest reflection. Ask yourself the following questions:

I want to be a leader so I can so I can so I can

I am in a Leadership position so that so that so that

Do I seek recognition or gratitude for what I do? Do I deserve gratitudeand recognition?

Do I deserve to be served by others? Do I seek to serve or be served?

Who do I follow?

If we are truly honest with ourselves we would all have to say that we are often about numberone.

You may have read about Mark Ingus, the double amputee who managed to conquer MountEverest on his two artificial legs, a truly remarkable feat. Ingus party, nearing the summit in May2006, passed a British climber, David Sharpe who lay dying on the path. In that moment theIngus party had an extremely difficult decision to make. Sharpe was near to death due to a lack ofoxygen. He had obviously been left behind by his own party to face his fate.

The environment on Mount Everest is like none that any of us, save mountaineers, can claim tohave experienced. At an altitude of 8000m there is barely enough oxygen to take 10 steps. Life isso precious that many mountaineers abide by the unwritten code, save yourself.

Ingus and his party, while carrying plenty of oxygen, made the decision to leave Sharpe to die alonely death and pushed on towards the summit. Indeed, it was reported that 40 climbers passedSharpe that day, each making the same decision.

Whilst an extremely difficult decision in the face of certain death against potential glory it revealsthe type of leader that man was on that day, indeed, what leader/s there were amongst the entireparty. What would you have done in that circumstance? What kind of leader would you be whenasked to make a tough call? That contentious debate can be answered with the simple question

who was Ingus serving? Who in fact are you serving if faced with the same situation?


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There have been many leaders who could be classed as servant leaders, people who have beensolely motivated by the interests and needs of others and not themselves; indeed leaders whohave made a significant impact on history itself, people like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi,Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

Mahatma Gandhi was one such person who did not aspire to be a leader but served his countryand his people because he had a vision for an India free from the rule of the British Empire.Gandhi was epitomised by his simplistic dress and appearance, his hard work and his willingness

to suffer for what he believed. Gandhi was renowned for his opposition to violence:

The program which Gandhi had placed before the country was different to this. For thefirst time in the struggle for independence, there was no question of doing an injury to theopponent, nor was there any question of functioning secretly. Everything was to be donein the open; and the sentence which was imposed was to be accepted with a smile andborne with pleasure (Prasad, R.At the Feet of Mahatma Gandhi,Asia Publishing House,India, 1961, p84).

At his state funeral commentators said this about him:.

Gandhi, he died as he always lived, a private man without wealth, without property,without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of armies, nor theruler of vast lands. He could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift and yetgovernments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands to honour the manwho lead his country to freedom (Attenborough, R. Gandhi, Columbia Pictures, 1982).

The ultimate example we have of a true servant leader is Jesus Christ; Jesus, the Son of theMost High God, the God who created all things, who came not to serve but to be served:

Jesus called them together and said, You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it overthem, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be


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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 man (Matthew 20: 25-28).

At the time of the Messiahs coming the Israelite people were waiting for a conqueror, a leaderwho would rid them of the Romans who were occupying their land; but instead God sent His Son,not to rid them of the occupation of the Romans, but to free them from themselves. He sent hisSon, not to be served as one might expect a King to be served, but to serve, ultimately giving Hislife as a ransom for ours. His example of servant leadership is clearly documented in the gospels.His example of leadership and His training of His disciples ensured that the Christian messageand movement has not died out over the millennia, even under fierce persecution, but rather, hasgrown and continues to grow.

For followers of Jesus, servant leadership isnt an option; its a mandate. Servant leadership is tobe a living statement of who we are in Christ, how we treat one another and how we demonstratethe love of Christ to the whole world.

As a servant leader nothing is beneath us, all men and women are created equal, no job is moreor less important. Gandhi modelled this while living in a small community in South Africa, he said,every man is equal, no job is more important, we all take our turn to clean the latrine and whenwe do, it is the most important job in the world at the time. (Attenborough, R. Gandhi, Columbia

Pictures, 1982) Jesus continually modelled the equality of men and women; nothing was beneaththe Son of God when He washed his disciples feet.

Interestingly, the notion of servant leadership is becoming popular in non-Christian circles.Organisations are beginning to realise that the go get it mentality has been, and is having asignificant negative impact on individuals, organisations, health and well-being and ultimately,productivity. The Australian/New Zealand Greenleaf Centre is one such group who has investedmuch time and energy into understanding the notion of servant-leadership because it sees theconcept as the future of leadership. Robert Greenleaf, for who the centre is named, first pennedthe notion of servant leadership in 1970 while waiting for a flight in Melbournes airport. Theconcepts and understanding of servant leadership that has since been published is very much inline with the Christian understanding of servant leadership. However, it is perplexing that theorganisation does not lay any claim to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the epitome of servant

leadership, who modelled the characteristics of a true servant leader well before 1970!

"Servant-Leaders seek not to be served, but rather to serve. They view leadershippositions as opportunities to help, support, and aid other people. Servant-Leaders createtrusting work environments in which people are highly appreciated. Servant-Leadersvisibly model appropriate behaviour and function as effective mentors. They have a highdegree of credibility because of their honesty, integrity, and competence. These personshave a clear leadership vision and implement pioneering approaches to work. Servant-Leaders are also conscientious stewards of resources. They have good communicationswith others and exercise ethical persuasion as a means of influence. Servant-Leadersinvite others to participate in carrying out a shared vision. They empower people byenabling them to perform at their best and by delegating decision-making responsibilities.Overall, Servant-Leaders provide direction and guidance by assuming the role of

attendant to humanity." (Russell, R. Regent University Centre for Leadership StudiesWho is a Servant-Leader? www.greenleaf.org.au)

The Greenleaf organisation has recognised what Christians throughout the millennia have known,people want to follow those who genuinely care and value them, as a unique and special person.The main failing with this is that sinful humans can never fully value, respect and care for anindividual, we will always fall short because deep within us is the desire to fulfil our own needsfirst. Few world leaders have come close, Mother Teresa is one such person who earned therespect to be heard for what she believed because of what she firstly did, lived her beliefs as atrue servant leader.
http://www.greenleaf.org.au/http://www.greenleaf.org.au/


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The driving motivation behind a leader is what makes a servant leader. Lets return for a momentto the analogy of the group of people cutting their way through the jungle with machetes, themanagers behind them sharpening the machetes and organising rosters and the leader at the topof the tallest tree, spying the direction to take. The self-serving leader is the person who remainsat the top of the tree, barking the directions to the workers below. They have their eye on adistant goal, a mine of gold that promises immeasurable wealth for the leader and perhaps a fewothers. On the other hand, the servant leader climbs the tree, sees the direction to go, thenscurries back down to encourage the workers, provide them with cool refreshing drinks and evenpicks up a machete to cut for a time him/herself, only to climb back up the tree to check that theyall havent deviated off course. The servant leader will have his/her eye fixed on a goal that willultimately benefit all those who wish to be part of the project. The Christian servant leader willhave his/her eye firmly fixed on God as the goal, for he/she knows that all will share in thetreasure that He promises.

If you are motivated by self-promotion, self-protection, wealth or prestige you will use yourinfluence with others to fulfil these needs. If your actions are driven by service and dedication to acause or a relationship, then you will model and encourage these values in others you are aservant leader.

this naturally leadstofocused ondeveloping skills

and mayhave

Self-serving leaders(motivated by prestige, wealth,

power and recognition)its all about me

Servant Leaders(motivated by unconditional love

for others)its not about me

Two types of leaders

humility, honesty, empathy,forgiveness etc, all the qualities

followers seek in a leader

Communication, management,organisation, decision making

Communication, management,organisation, decision makingskills

then comes

Goals, success, wealth,productivity

to achieve

A visionhumility, honesty, empathy,forgiveness etc.

to achieve


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Typically all leaders could be divided into these two categories, self-serving leaders and servantleaders. Sadly though, as sinful people, we will never be truly a servant leader as there willalways be times that we seek our own interests, times when it will be about me.

The journey of a leader starts with the heart, with motivation and intent. Then it must travelthrough the head which is the leaders belief system (values), to their habits (attributes) and finallyto their skills (what they do). When your heart, head, habits and skills are aligned, extraordinarylevels of loyalty, trust and productivity will result. When these areas are out of alignment,frustration, mistrust and diminished long-term productivity will result (Blanchard, K. et.al. LeadLike Jesus,W Publishing Group, 2005).

Heart(self- or servant-

serving)

Head(values and beliefs)

Habits(attributes, virtues e.g.

trustworthiness, honesty,integrity)

Skills(e.g. communication,

organisational...)

Skills can be learned and developed, skills such as organisational skills, management ofresources and communication, but it is the heart that determines the qualities and virtues of theperson. If it is all about me then naturally greed, dishonesty and self-ambition will follow, attributesthat people will not choose to follow. If its not about me then it stands to reason thattrustworthiness, honesty and humility have to be a natural out flowing of the persons motivation.What is in the heart will determine the attributes of the person.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5:22)

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me thatbears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be evenmore fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain inme, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.(John 15: 1-4)


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This is not to say that skills are not important. A leader can have the right heart and motivationbut not be able to realise a vision if they do not have the management skills to implement thatvision. A servant leader is all of the things a worldly leader is but their motivation is focusedaway from themselves and is on others. A worldly leader may spend much time in coaching,developing his/her skills, but never shift from a self-serving leader to being a servant leader asthey dont firstly focus on what is in their heart.

Interestingly God calls people to be leaders and equips them with the skills that they need tocarry out the job He gives to them. If you look back at the greatest leaders in the Bible you willfind that they were all ordinary people, not people you would see as having leadership potential.Moses was a coward who ran away but went on to lead the Israelite nation out of captivity, Davidwas a shepherd boy who was called to defeat the Philistines and become the nations greatestKing. It is God who will call and God who will provide truly great leaders with all that they need tocarry out the task at hand, as long as their heart is right.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not toharm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come andpray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me withall your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29: 11-14).

If our heart is right then our leadership will be one that others will want to follow.

Sadly, there is a perception that servant leadership is weakness; it means that the leader is tryingto please everyone. Some would think that being a servant leader means that you allow yourselfto be walked on by others. This is certainly not what true servant leadership is. Did Jesus, theSon of God allow himself to be walked over or did He fulfil Gods plan for Him? Did He pleaseeveryone He met? A servant leader is still a leader, a leader who has to make tough decisions,decisions that sometimes may not seem to be in the interests of an individual; decisions that maylead to hurt and pain. A servant leader is still a leader who has to manage resources wisely andwell. It is the heart of a person, the motivation of a person that will determine what kind of leaderthey are. Others will follow the heart of a leader; a leader is no leader at all without people whowilling choose to follow.

Vision without Actionis merely a dream;

Action without Visionis merely passing thetime;

Vision with Action willchange the world.

Ultimately, a leader must have vision, a servantleader will have a vision for people, a vision thatwill lead a person to serve those people aboveall else, even themselves. God is the one whoprovides the vision. It is He who calls andequips whomever He chooses to lead. Thoseleaders He calls are stewards of the positionthey are given just as we are stewards of allcreation.

Life and leadership are about choices. Choicesare made based on your values, your heart andyour head. You are a monument to the choices

you have made over the course of your life. Ifyou want to change your life, embrace thevalues of Christ, the servant leader.

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What is a Servant Leader