Servant?

Servant Leadership

General understanding of leadership is the one who exercise authority, the sole and the ultimate decision maker, either right or wrong, boss is always right. This attitude exists not only in the secular world but has crept in to the Christian leadership as well. For Christian leaders we need to understand the model of our Lord Jesus Christ how he served as leader. At this juncture, I personally felt that we need to redefine what Christian leadership is all about. Nelson Mandela says “Anyone who can influence people can be called a leader”. A good leader is one who has made a lasting impact on people who is not commanding.  The primary definition of a leadership is based on one’s ability to influence. There are more areas on which a leader can be defining though.

Servant Leadership Model

Servanthood can be viewed as Jesus’ model which every Christian leader must bear in mind that whoever wants to become a great leader must first become a humble servant. For even the son of God did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Similarly Peter also exhorts his fellow leaders. ‘Be shepherds of God’s flock….. not lording it over those entrusted to you but being example to the flock’ ( 1 Peter 5:2-3).[1] It is clear that identification leads to openness, friendship, and trust. It is to be fact that servanthood leaders are those ready to close to everyone.

Therefore the servant leaders must be always ready to set an example to others not only through exhortation or encouragement. The church leaders should be the one intended to be a captain of the game not just as coach, shouts and preaches.

Let us briefly look at some model:

1.      Humility

Jesus teaches that servant leaders lead humbly. They are characterized as humble or selfless leaders. Matthew 20:25-26 says: “Jesus called them together and 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.”? ‘In humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others” (Phil 2: 6-7). [2]Critical element of your leadership is how you serve. It’s all about humility, not ego. Leaders must not misuse their authority and abuse their subordinates; instead, we are to serve with humility.

2.      Service

Jesus taught that the essence of servant leadership is service, not status. Combined with the first characteristic of servant leadership, we find that servant leadership is about humble service. This is the kind of service that involves giving of oneself, not taking for oneself.

3.      Focus on Others

Servant leadership is selfless. In Matthew 20:20-28, it talks about our service which focuses on others. Jesus came to serve and give his life for many, and so also must our service be to benefit others, not ourselves. Jesus does not call the disciples to be servants in a general sense. He exhorts them specifically to be servants of one another.

The Christian leader must focus their service on others; a leader must not be self seeking. However, leader should be for the community as he serves them.

4.      Love

The fourth element that is integral to servant leadership is love. The love of leader for their followers is the reason servant leaders serve; it’s their motivation. Probably Jesus washed his disciples’ feet one or two days after Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 20:20:24-28. John makes it very clear that Jesus’ motive was love, “having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” [3]Likewise, leaders must show their love to their followers by fulfilling all their needs and by serving them with humble attitude. As we know love is patient, kind, humble, respectful, selfless, forgiving, honest, and committed.[4]

Strategies of Servant Leadership

There are at least three practical applications for the empowering model for servant leadership or growing people as, mentoring, coaching and team building.

1.      Mentoring

Technically mentoring is the more formal term denoting and intentional, intensive, voluntary relationship between the leader and the follower mentoring is a relational experience in which one person empowers another by sharing him or herself. Coaches and players from the context point of mentoring is also all about an interactive learning relationship mutually between leaders and the followers.[5]

As above in the few line discussion, mentoring is assumed to be a powerful form of leadership in every field particularly it is helpful to teaching and learning. By means of such challenges in the church leaders today how can you identify about the mentoring relationships when we consider over our past life we came across? Are you sure to face situation when you are in trouble? Wake up and set some of the strategies for the solid mentorship for the growth of development as a humble servant of God.

2.      Coaching

It is less structured than mentoring. It is also a participative approach to leadership rather than a directive approach. A leader himself or herself should set an example.

Give personal guidance and direction when someone is learning new, Keep result orientation, Keep the focused on the goals ahead, Try not to say ‘I told you so’, Give at least second chance to try, Maintain an open door policy, Give him/her full attention during discussion hour, so that it won’t be distracted, Make hard work worth it, Preserve the individuality of his/her team member Spend sometimes with them.[6]

A Christian leader must hear a mind that leaders are for the people as, Lincoln says that, ‘Government is for the people’ of the people and by the people; As prior to our discussion, coaching is a participating approach to leadership. The work done is for the good of the mission as well serving the community but not as the people for the people.

3.      Team Building

Team building is closely linked with these two following strategies above. Good coaches produce a good team. The effective leaders needs to be able to build and motivates team of people who take ownership of their unit’s results and participate in the decision that affects their work experience. In a context today leadership become literature and management is more focus on team approaches to leadership, coaching, participating, work groups and that task focuses. To build a team is necessary to keep trust which is component of team unity. The team must also trust the leader and they must know that the leader also trust them.[7]

Conclusion

Leadership is not just about position. Leadership in a truer Christian sense is all about service to others need. Our Christian leaders today need to see how Jesus set an example as leader. He became a servant washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus used his authority in a unique ways. His authority consists in his humility service obedience to the Father’s will. He also showed the exemplary model through his life.

“And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:44-45).

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[1] C.Gene Wilkies, Jesus on  Leadership, (Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 45.

[2] Ibid, 38.

[3] Aubrey Malphurs, Being Leaders, 41.

[4] James C. Hunter, The World Most Powerful Leadership Principle; How to Become a Servant Leader, (New York: Crown Business, 2004), 99.

[5] Andy Stanley, Next Generation Leader, 108.

[6] John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leaders Around You, 156, 157.

[7] Jesudason Basker Jeyarej. Christian Ministry Models of Ministry and Training (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust, 2002), 251.