Servant (Not) Leader

In today’s American workplace, there are different responses to leadership than in previous generations. The days are numbered for leaders who rule mercilessly with little regard for the people they manage.

With that, I’ve noticed greater recognition of servant leadership in the marketplace. No other variety is more noble or more significant – leading not out of position, but out of sincerity to those under your influence.

The philosophy of a serving leader can seem upside-down, though. Isn’t one of the goals of attaining leadership to make coworkers to do what you want? And to exert power?

If you follow Christ, you should follow the only opinion that matters on leadership: it is service. One of the most fascinating things about God’s fulfillment of prophecy through Jesus Messiah was that he came not only to save, but to serve. As Jesus said,

Whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wants to be 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 many.

–Matthew 20: 26-28

This discourse on leadership came immediately after Jesus had washed His disciples’ feet – which was also the night before His trial and crucifixion. Jesus humbled Himself to the highest degree, and He wasn’t expecting an award certificate in the mail to commemorate his humility. He was going to the Cross the next day.

As one of His last deeds on earth, Jesus showed the importance of loving one another.

Leadership was embodied by His service; service wasn’t simply one of His KPI’s on the trek to leadership. The Son of God, fully able to demonstrate unbridled power and authority, chose to humble Himself.

Jesus led this way to demonstrate the heart of the Father’s Kingdom, but also to set an example – one that we desperately need if we are to advance His name in our culture.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

–Philippians 2:3

Servant leadership won’t come naturally. God gave us ambition, but we must be wary of selfish ambition. Our human condition means we wake up looking to be served, not to serve. To be servant leaders, it will take a decision of our will and not our feelings.

You can’t be a servant leader without empathy. But you can be an empathetic leader without being a servant. Distinguishing between those two things will require introspection and discipline. Our greatest obstacle to being a true servant leader is our own pride.

As I suggest in my post Lead with Faith, leadership is about influence. I would also suggest it’s about relationship. Any sincere relationship requires high degrees of humility to truly unlock what God has for us.

If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.

– Mark 9:35

What does being a servant look like at work? For me, it means being open to not only acts of service (helping someone with a work or physical task), but spending time with people and listening to them. It also means being willing and available to pray with them should they need it.

A word of caution: there are dangers if your heart and actions aren’t aligned. In workplaces where servant leadership is revered, it might be tempting to “get ahead” by superficially embodying a servant’s heart. This is a dangerous pitfall for Christ-followers, primarily because a) you can’t fake being genuine and b) it is intentionally deceptive and false humility.

We all want God’s best for our life. To be a servant doesn’t mean diminishing ourselves or the value of workplace leadership. What it means is learning the greatest truth about life: it is not about us, it is about God.

Leadership matters. Without leaders, we wouldn’t accomplish much at work. That said, if you want to lead like Jesus, you’ll have to demonstrate a servant’s heart first – with leadership “titles” optional. After all, leadership doesn’t require one.

In the Kingdom of God, service is not a steppingstone to nobility. It is nobility.

–TW Manson

The Better Word:

1. What kind of leader are you? If you serve Christ, you’ve got a model to follow. Jesus Himself came to serve, and was bestowed the greatest leadership title known to creation – Lord and King. His principles don’t just apply to ministerial vocations, they apply to your roles at work and at home.
2. Servant leadership is an honorable goal but can be a minefield for false humility. If you want to be a servant leader, you’ll have to be continually in check of your own ego. Make sure you are looking to serve, not just leveraging acts of service to appear noble.
3. Are you OK with not getting recognized for your service? If you seek servanthood, your definition of leadership will likely change. That doesn’t mean career leadership opportunities won’t come, it just might look different that you expect.