Servant Leadership is Worth Practicing
The Criticism
On the surface, a contradiction of terms, servant leadership is often misunderstood and maligned as being oxymoronic at worst and misleading at best. Juxtaposing the notion of servitude and the role of leadership seems to collide with contemporary definitions of leadership. When surveying the landscape of leadership, in both secular and religious organizations, it is difficult to find strong examples of servant leadership that provide heroes that others can emulate. Taking the criticism seriously, it is necessary to keep the vision and effectiveness of the model in proper perspective.
Mission Statement
You may notice that in the front of Steinbach Bible College's mission hangs the phrase "empowering servant leaders." Other higher education institutions carry similar terminology, while fewer actually spell it out in as clear an aspirational goal of their institution. (A little shout-out to my alma mater, Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies which also uses overt servant leadership language.) A mission statement serves as a guiding beacon signaling to the entire constituency the purpose of organization. It provides clarity to what the organization truly is and seeks to spell out the grand outcome of the institution. When it is used well it draws employees and volunteers together around a common purpose. It communicates to the broader constituency where the institution lies and it provides accountability toward the people that it serves.The problem with a mission statement is that its effectiveness is dependent on the embodiment of the mission within the people of the organization. Journey together with me as we explore a bit more of what it means to be a servant leader in order that we might be effective servant leaders.
Definition of Servant Leadership
Robert Greenleaf brought the term servant-leadership into modern popularity. To further the research and practice of servant leadership he established the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Their definition of servant leadership is, "Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world." He draws a distinction between traditional leadership models and servant leadership when he says, "While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by the one at the "top of the pyramid," servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible."Servant leadership distinguishes itself by placing the commodity of exchange in people as opposed to power. When the currency of an organization revolves around people not power, people are valued above and beyond strategic plans and objectives. Power isn't leveraged for the purpose of change, people are empowered to make the change. The model of servant leadership is difficult because it requires the leader to be focused intently on people vs. product. It is much easier to manipulate power and money to achieve a desire outcome, it is much more difficult to empower others to make the transformation necessary for the outcome to happen.Admittedly servant leadership is difficult, and perhaps even inefficient in terms of productivity standards and financial constraints. It can also be perceived that it puts the organization in a place of vulnerability, open to take-over and potentially eradicate those practicing servant leadership. While servant leadership may expose an organization, its the strength makes it home in the people who are empowered and 'own' the organization. The risk to lead as a servant to those under your leadership is risky and hard. My hope is that we would not shrink back from something just because it is difficult, whether that be in leadership or in practicing our faith.
Biblical Mandate of Servant Leadership
It is my Anabaptist roots, which focuses our hermeneutical lens through the life and teaching of Jesus, that draws me to servant leadership. While the gospels were not written in order to demonstrate the leadership style of Jesus, we do capture glimpses of leadership that can instruct us. We do hear Jesus demonstrating and teaching that following the Jesus is about entering into the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is markedly different than the kingdoms of this world. The synoptic gospels record an interaction between Jesus and his disciples regarding a dispute between the disciples.
After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” - Mk 9:33–37. (NLT)
Jesus turns the command and control model of leadership on its head by calling those who wish to lead to become the servants of those to whom they are given charge over. Jesus further illustrates servant leadership by drawing upon the example of a child. The child in this metaphor becomes the symbol of insignificance and irrelevance. The connection is made to welcoming a child is welcoming Jesus, and welcoming Jesus is welcoming the Father. Serving in a role that cares for and brings worth to the 'least of these' is the radical shift Jesus is trying to help the disciples imagine. To lead in Jesus' way is to place a higher value on those who don't have a voice rather than seeking the power of people of influence.Remarkably Jesus reveals this ultimate empowerment in the text of the great commission. With Jesus' confession of holding complete authority, he initiates a multiplication mission by empowering those who are under his authority. Jesus empowers the hearers with the knowledge that they would not be abandoned, but be provided with the power through the work of the Holy Spirit. Servant leadership is not an abdication of responsibility or authority. It is the most difficult work that requires a clear emphasis on the development of the individual. The model enacted by Jesus is carried on in the life of Paul. An interesting passage can be found in the text of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians.
As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Th 2:7–8. (NLT)
Paul draws on the symbolism of a child to demonstrate the veracity of his apostleship and his commitment to following in the way of Jesus. The imagery that is being conjured up is one of humility and support for the believers. A nurturing for the people. The initial statement in verse seven admits to a predominant top-down command and control model of leadership that would have been expected in light of their position.
Implications of Servant Leadership
Therefore, servant leadership requires that we view leadership in an "upside-down kingdom" way that provides space and empowers those on the margins to be able to thrive and exercise the gifts they have been given. Empowering servant leadership is marked by gathering the voices of those we are wishing to impact with our mission and not only listening to them but setting them up to lead. Let me spell it out with a more specific example. Servant leadership in our North American context takes the shape of empowering women to exercise the abilities and gifts embodied within them. It is bringing people from the margins to the table of leadership and doing more than listening. Empowering requires a transfer of a power, a refusal to provide agency, but be an advocate, a coach, a guide, a mentor.
"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?" - Robert K. Greenleaf
Servant leadership is a model where the structures of power and privilege are knocked down precisely by those holding the power. Expecting those, who through established hierarchies (employee-employer, student-teacher, player-coach, etc.) are in the lesser position of power to exert servant leadership toward those in authority over them fails to capture the thrust of servant leadership. Those given authority over others are invited to lead in such a way that they demonstrate servant leadership.For those who see this as a weakened form of leadership - I would agree, but only if leadership is to serve the purpose of keeping the powerful in their place. To say that servant leadership is a contradiction in terms is to confess that the term leadership is defined through the lexicon of dominion, power, mastery. It is to drink from the poison of the ideology that spurs on greed, abuse, and slavery.
The Call to Servant-Leadership
Allow me to challenge all of us in positions of leadership to practice a style of leadership that places the person above the profit. Your leadership may be in the context of a large corporation, or a multi-faceted non-profit, or as a volunteer mentor, or a parent. No matter your leadership capacity, when we transfer our power through influence and mentor those whom we lead, we are empowering a network of strong, capable people who will carry a greater load than we can do on our own.Servant leadership is not just a great ideal that we can dream to achieve in the perfection of a Utopian society, but it is something that we are called to practice as we work under the kingdom of God.