Servant Leadership

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:26–28 (ESV)

When God gives us opportunities and people to lead, He is entrusting us with His creations and charging us to model His character while interacting with them.  In turn, we are to inspire them to do His good works in the workplace, the home, the church, community, etc., demonstrating to them ways in which we should respond with and to each other.  According to John Maxwell, “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts.  It is about one life influencing another.” Our efforts to influence others should teach them to serve and lead like Jesus.

Serving is the heart of a Christian leader.  It displays concern for the benefit of others and a desire to always please God. Servant leadership is a form of discipleship which in and of itself is an expected duty of a Christian.  When we lead with a servant’s heart, we replicate Christ’s example of love for one another.  Modeling His love for one another pleases the Father.  Effective leaders serve.  More importantly, effective leaders serve from a heart of love.

Servant leaders start with the instinctual feeling to serve first.  Their lives are marked by humility and caring for the whole person.  They are respectful and have positive attitudes even in tough situations, being self-aware and accountable for results. This is the heart of their ministry to others, because it takes all these things to adequately support and serve other people.  Together, these things allow us to live out the words of the apostle Paul: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves . . .” (Phil 2:3).

Serving leaders inspire others to be their best selves and to inspire others as well.  They don’t focus on being first but instead upend standards to put emphasis on those they are leading instead of themselves.  They also turn negatives into positives by continually raising expectations so that those they are leading continually grow.  They build strength in themselves, their followers and their organizations by addressing weaknesses to raise the bar and blaze new trails.  By serving others, servant leaders show an infectious love for others that trains them to impact everyone within their spheres of influence.

“Leadership happens anytime we influence the thinking, behavior, or development of another person.”

Blanchard, Hodges, & Hendry, Lead Like Jesus.