What is a Servant Leader? Who Cares?
Many leaders know, but I suggest that What is a Servant Leader is still valuable to think on more.
Leaders are people who get others do to work. They get work done through other people. Further, we could also say they set direction.
We can get others to do work or follow us by threat, manipulation, reward system, or by being the only one who knows how to do the work.
Servant Leadership was first formally described in AD 29.
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles(people) lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 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.
Contextually. reading about his life, it is clear that he was no doormat. He definitely set direction. He was very strong and yet, could be very gentle.
Faithful readers likely know that I went to school at West Point and served as a leader in the Army there for several years.
What is a Servant Leader and How Does it Look?
There, I puzzled over how to influence people and had some tendency toward wanting to manipulate or make people do what I want. As I puzzled on the above quote, I came to realize that my job as a leader is to facilitate the success of those I lead.
Servant leaders commit to this model as do I. These leaders exist in China. They are the kind of leaders who inspire workers and get every one to put their whole heart into the work. We also find them to be force multipliers.
Servant leaders get data from the whole organization as draw out the talent of each individual that they are facilitating. Instead of having one smart person in the room, they make the whole organization smart. Their support of those who work for them leads to each person bring their heart and energy to work. Better answers just keep coming. The whole organization works better. Just hanging the Servant leader sign does not make anyone such. It is both and attitude and many behaviors small and big. Servant leaders will see each person’s genius and make them genius by their support. It is fun to see developing. We are glad to help you get there by checking leaders very close.
I also wrote about servant leadership here in another vein of thinking. Let’s pursue and find better leaders.