The seven faces of servant leadership
Website design By BotEap.comThe 7 faces of leadership
Website design By BotEap.comMost people can get by when things are going well, but true leadership is how we deal with people when times are tough. Our expectations are often unrealistic and not focused on what leadership really is. Too often, people mistake a strong-willed personality for an effective leader. Leadership is not having a strong will, but having a strong sense of purpose and compassion. Too many organizations replace ethical leaders with strong-willed people and see no distinction, because the people who put them in power don’t know the difference. Effective leadership involves equipping people to live competently and safely.
Website design By BotEap.comThe traits of effective leadership are as varied and numerous, not to mention subtle, as the human mind and heart. No list will ever be complete, nor will it be the most suitable for each individual reader. The Bible gives insight into the essential characteristics of effective leadership in 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and 2 Timothy, such as humility, integrity, focus, courage, discipline, compassion, and encouragement. The following paragraphs will place those characteristics in an organizational context.
Website design By BotEap.comthe humble leader
Website design By BotEap.com“Be completely humble and meek; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
Website design By BotEap.comHumility is not just about our relationship with God, but also about our relationship with other people. Relationships are built on listening, God’s Word and each other. The relationship between a leader and a follower is only as good as their ability to listen. The effective leader will not be a force of personality and power plays, but will be relationship oriented, focused on building and mentoring.
Website design By BotEap.comFrom an organizational context, humble leaders invite feedback and turn lessons into failures. “The poor-spirited leader recognizes that many people know more than he does, and as such, shows respect for all.” (Winston 2002) Humility is the acceptance of our human limitations along with the resolve to do something about it: I can’t do it alone, so I will enlist the help of others. This is the essence of leadership.
Website design By BotEap.comthe honest leader
Website design By BotEap.com“Each of you must cast off falsehood and speak the truth to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25)
Website design By BotEap.comHonesty is achieved through Discretion and truthfulness. Discretion keeps our minds and we focus on good judgment, paying serious attention and thought to what is happening. He will carefully choose our words, attitudes, and actions to be appropriate for any given situation, thus avoiding words and actions that may have adverse consequences. Truthfulness means being honest with others and doing the right thing.
Website design By BotEap.com“It is after we have contemplated our own actions, measuring how they align with our values, intentions and words, that we are more likely to make a contribution of integrity to the world.” (Sherman, 2003) Discretion and truthfulness allow leaders to earn trust by being accurate with facts and situations. This does not simply mean honesty or acting in accordance with a consistent set of values. This also means wholeness in the sense of solidity, completeness, and unity. Aligning our personality with our values and not compromising is the spirit of leadership.
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Website design By BotEap.comLeaders must be willing to carefully explore their values and how they can move their organization in the direction of an unwavering vision. Effective leaders lead with a purpose rather than “run like a man running aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). In the biblical sense, this means that we live for his purpose, not ours. As Christians, we recognize that our need for Christ will carry us beyond our failures so that we can become ever more effective for our Lord. As we grow in Christ, we will realize our futility and inadequacy as human beings.
Website design By BotEap.comFrom an organizational perspective, “leaders must continually put the vision and mission (related to purpose) in front of followers.” (Winston, 2002) Followers must understand the organization’s vision and know their role in supporting the mission. They must know their purpose and how it contributes to organizational success, this is the soul of leadership.
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Website design By BotEap.com“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Website design By BotEap.comThe servant leader’s goal should be to do God’s will. Otherwise, we will be too afraid to go beyond our comfort zones to do something meaningful. When we depend on the Holy Spirit; then our self-confidence is rooted in and dependent on Christ working through us. So we are not driven by ourselves but driven by Christ; resulting in our willingness to be in total surrender to the will of God as the driving force of our existence. When we are aware that we are not responsible for the results of our leadership, but only for obeying his call, only then can we persevere to move on to serve him without fear of failure.
Website design By BotEap.comMalphurs (2003) refers to courage as “the strength to lead in these difficult circumstances, which means that courageous leaders are strong and unlikely to quit.” This type of courage is displayed in an organization when a leader is willing to admit her mistake, when she is willing to stand up for her beliefs, or when she must challenge others.
Website design By BotEap.comCourageous leaders often get extraordinary results from their followers because they aren’t afraid to do the right thing. This is evident in Paul’s letter regarding discipline in 1 Corinthians 8:13, “if what I eat causes my brother to sin, I will eat meat no more, lest he make him fall.” Conveying who you are, your goals and what you stand for can have a significant impact on the performance and attitudes of your followers. Controlled discipline, according to Winston (2002), “draws people closer to you, while uncontrolled discipline drives them away.” Leaders and followers are two sides of the same coin, and the actions of one impact the other. Courage and discipline are the armor of leadership.
Website design By BotEap.comthe compassionate leader
Website design By BotEap.comThe compassionate leader is rooted and grounded in the spiritual disciplines of faith. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand firm against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). With the power of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of faith in Christ, when we model his image with love, we become a strong building with the foundation of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that gives us the realization of being the best for ourselves. . the glory of God
Website design By BotEap.com“Loyalty and dedication to the task and are born from the trust and knowledge of the protection that comes from the employment relationship.” (Winston, 2002) Compassionate leadership acts in the interest of their followers, their peers, and their organization. This is the boss for whom employees are willing to work the hardest. Employees may feel your support for them and are compelled to give their full support in return. This manager brings out the best in her subordinates by her own example. There is often a line of people waiting to join this department. This is the heart of leadership.
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Website design By BotEap.com“Try diligently to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the same hope when you were called.” (Ephesians 4:3-4)
Website design By BotEap.comThe effective leader will not be a force of personality and power plays. Servant leaders cannot be controllers of the lives of others who seek power, when it is the Lord who is in control. Effective leaders must be relationship oriented, focused on building and guiding others.
Website design By BotEap.comIn an organizational setting, an encouraging leader is a motivator. “Leadership is being able to both motivate and manage.” (Miller, 1995) A leader’s ability to motivate revolves around his ability to harness power and influence within the organization, among peers, and over followers. Influence involves moving people to change their thinking and ultimately their behavior. Power is the ability to exert control over another person, thing, or event. “Power and influence are intertwined in the leadership process. Most of the time, leaders use both depending on the situation and the people involved.” (Malphurs, 2003) Leaders sometimes use power to influence followers. Power itself is amoral. However, the use of power (abuse or neglect) determines how leaders influence others. The proper use of that power is the stimulus, which is the initiator of leadership.
Website design By BotEap.comThe Call to Servant Leadership
Website design By BotEap.comIn Matthew 5, Jesus makes us aware of what God expects not only of Christian leaders, but of all Christians. Effective leaders are expected to lead by example. If our actions cause our followers to fail because they followed our example as in 1 Corinthians 8:13, then we must avoid such things because “…those who indulge will become more and more wicked.” (2 Timothy 2:15) Everything we do as leaders is under the scrutiny of our followers. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives very specific characteristics: humility, compassion, meekness, justice, mercy, honesty, and perseverance.
Website design By BotEap.comIn organizations, as in the Christian community, there are times when leaders stray from these characteristics because of personal loss or personal sin. Building and developing these characteristics is not something we simply learn from a book or hear from a sermon. He doesn’t sneak up on us in the middle of the night. It does not come automatically, accidentally or suddenly. It is a process that comes from living in it. It is a slow process. Many don’t realize they have it until others point it out. Effective leadership is not permanent once it is formed. It requires our continued appreciation and practice.
Website design By BotEap.comReferences
Website design By BotEap.comFields, Bea (2005). The ten pillars of leadership and business development. Electronically retrieved. http://www.arte-del-liderazgo.com/index.html
Website design By BotEap.comHoly Bible (1985). King James Version Study Bible. Zondervan, Grand Rapids Michigan
Website design By BotEap.comMalphurs, Aubrey (2003) Leading: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership. Baker Books. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Website design By BotEap.comMiller, Calvino (1995). The Empowered Leader: 10 Keys to Servant Leadership. Publisher Broadman & Holman. Nashville, Tennessee.
Website design By BotEap.comSherman, Stratford (2003). Rethink integrity. Leader to Leader, No. 28
Website design By BotEap.comWinston, Bruce (2002). Be a leader for God’s sake. Regent University, School of Leadership Studies. Virginia Beach, Virginia.