Chapter 1 What is a Servant Leader?

How often do we actually stop and think about what makes a good leader? We are quick to
criticise and find fault with those in leadership positions but would not necessarily be willing to
stand in their place. Australian culture, sadly I believe, often seeks to find the weakness rather
than praise what is good. Who amongst would say or admit that we worked for a good boss? A
favoured past-time of many Australian workers is to ridicule the boss. Perhaps this is because
many people in leadership positions are managers and not leaders, or not the leader that people
would willingly choose to follow.
The question before us then is, what is a servant leader? The term is used regularly in Christian
circles but is not well understood. Indeed, what constitutes a good leader? What qualities should
they have? Are these qualities inherited or can they be learned? These questions need to be
explored to identify the principles of leadership which will form the basis of the program.

Community Understanding
Before we answer those questions it is useful to gain an appreciation of what our own community,
the community of Burgmann, presently believe about these questions of leadership. To find out a
survey was sent out for interested students, staff and parents to complete.
The response rate was disappointing with a total of 27 students and staff (no parents) completing
the survey. This may reflect a number of things including a lack of time, a lack of interest or a lack
of understanding of the notion of leadership. It may indicate that a program of leadership has to
include not only leadership opportunities but also clear teaching about leadership itself. Of the
people who chose to identify themselves in the survey, the majority I would classify as being
either in positions of leadership or having leadership potential; this was also reflected in the
answers they provided.
The first question looked at the qualities of a good leader (see table 1).
Table 1
What makes a good leader?
Student Response [sic]
They have to not be self centered but do what others want as well as what they want.
They have to listen to there followers and put others before themselves.
Someone who is confident with themselves and their beliefs but not cocky about it.
The ability to give fair orders, recognise better ideas from others, listening to everyones opinion
equally
A good leader is someone that can help and guide others. This person is someone that is confident
in what they do and are glad to share what they know with others.
I think that a good leader would be someone who can set a good example for others, listens and
cares about raised issues and treats people the way they would like to be treated (equally) they
don't abuse their "power"

Good people skills and a happy person

Someone that can relate to others well.
A person who can manage and guide people under them and listen to what others have to say. they
can take criticism from others and think about why this may happen. they are confident with what
they do and are aren't scared to speak out.
Someone who can take control of a group, make informed decisions, organise things, they should
also be understanding, patient and fair.
Has good spirit and encourages others to persuvae them in doing things in a friendly warm
Someone who cares for their followers; someone who thinks in perspective and treats everyone
fairly; someone who is patient and honest to everyone. They have initiative and good ideas and
always up for a challenge. they set a good example and people look up to them.
Staff response [sic]
Confident, sympathetic, open to changing personal ideas/systems in view of new ones presented by
others. Acknowledges good ideas Ability to put themselves in others shoes. Stands firm on
important issues flexible on others.
I believe a good leader is someone that others choose to follow.
A good leader is someone who can recognise the importance of the people that are working for
them, and to acknowledge their efforts.
A good leader appreciates the role of those being led, and is able to uplift them by example,
commitment and enthusiasm. Leaves a legacy of good leadership for others to aspire to and follow.
A good leader is someone who has empathy, excellent social skills, the ability to enthuse and inspire
people, is organised, is approachable and above all has a sense of purpose and direction.
Someone who has the ability to devise a vision and act on it, bringing out the strengths in his or her
team. A leader should model a servant attitude.
A good leader is a person with a high level of personal integrity and self-awareness that allows for
an insightful attitude towards those under his/her leadership. A good leader is a thoughtful and firm
decision maker who is able to see the bigger picture without losing sight of the smaller details of
people's lives. A good leader is willing to serve others to enable the collaborative achievement of
goals. A good leader is a careful and empowering delegator as well as a responsible manager.
Someone who cares about the strengths and needs of those they are leading. Who is strong and
grounded, though flexible when necessary. Who copes well under pressure.

The responses provided, while few in number, display a good understanding of leadership and in
particular, servant leadership. A pertinent statement was made by a staff member, a good leader
is someone that others choose to follow.
Respondents were also asked to provide the qualities that should typify a good leader. Words
provided included:

Quality
Honesty (sincerity, trustworthy,
integrity)
Approachable (open-minded,
friendly)
Confidence
Committed (dedicated, loyal)
Cheerful (optimistic, hopeful)
Respect (acknowledges individuals)
Innovative (creative, visionary)
Kind (caring, compassionate,
thoughtful)
Listener
Hardworking (energetic)
Fair
Courage (brave)
Enthusiasm (passionate)
Communicator
Empathy
Inspiring
Flexible

Number of
responses
11
8
7
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2

Intelligent
Sense of Humour
Patience
Decision maker
Team Builder
Strong
Goal orientated
Determined
Foresight
Forgiving
Humility
Initiative
Organised
Self-aware
Self-control
Personal maturity
Wise

2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

It is quite an extensive list, which I am sure, very few people could live up to. The list of qualities
could be classified into two categories, skills and attributes. Skills are those things that can be
learned and developed, things that we do, management skills such as communication and
organisation. Attributes are values and virtues that form part of a persons character.
Skills
communicator
listener
decision maker
team builder
delegation
organised etc.

Attributes
honesty
kindness
courage
patience
humility
wisdom etc.

People who responded to the survey recognise that a good leader has a combination of skills and
attributes.
It is interesting to note that the most important quality individuals (albeit a small sample) are
seeking to find in a leader is honesty. Honest leaders are trusted leaders:
It takes a leader a long time to build trust, yet one brief incident of untrustworthy behaviour
can permanently destroy trust. Leaders are usually allowed a fair share of honest mistakes.
In contrast, dishonest mistakes erode leadership effectiveness quickly. (Dubrin, A.
Leadership, CWL Publishing Enterprises, 2000, p78)
When asked to provide examples of admired leaders Nelson Mandela was a name provided by
many the students who responded (was this because they had recently studied Nelson
Mandela?). Other names provided as examples included General Peter Cosgrove, Mother
Teresa, Tim Costello, Weary Dunlop and Gandhi. These names were sighted because they
fought for what was right, often under difficult circumstances and they supported and cared for
the needs of the people. They had courage, confidence and a word that hasnt been provided, but
which I feel is vital in leadership, principles.

From the survey, it is clear that the respondents admire those who have strong attributes and
skills, who are interested in and care for the people and who are willing to put themselves on the
line for the truth and what they believe is right. These are qualities of a servant leader; this is the
leader that people will follow.
A good quote provided by one respondent demonstrates a strong understanding of what it is to
be a servant leader:
[sic] [of Weary Dunlop] He led his men by example and served his men, he often took the
punishment on behalf of his men and regularly put his men's safety and welfare before his
own. I believe his leadership saved many lives, and kept many spirits high in the face of
adversity. I believe he exhibited what a servant-leader should.

Followership
I would like to take a few moments to touch on the notion of followership. A leader is not a leader
if no one will follow.
To know what leadership is firstly a person has to follow. Typically a person will follow another for
one of three reasons: firstly; out of fear, because they are afraid of what might happen to them if
they dont do what they are asked to do; secondly; because of the benefits that may come to
them if they do and; thirdly; because a person believes in them and what they are trying to
accomplish (Covey, S. Principle-Centred Leadership, Simon and Schuster, 1990).
Who amongst us has actually followed as opposed to obeyed or for selfish ambition? Not many
could say that they follow a leader, perhaps this is why not many can articulate what good
leadership is, rather, they know what it isnt. Indeed, who do you actually follow?
To follow implies that there is a choice; a person willingly chooses to follow another. This notion is
in opposition to obeying or to conforming as is often the case in a workplace. Even in a
democracy we may not willingly choose to follow the elected leaders if they were not our first
choice or if they were just the best of a bad lot.
We are often inspired by, or model our thoughts on the leadership qualities of another. For
example, people are inspired by the leadership qualities of the greats such as Nelson Mandela,
but they do not actually follow them. To be a good leader ourselves we first must follow, have a
role model to learn from.
A powerful statement to ponder on is contained in Ken Blanchards book Lead like Jesus: People
follow a great leader because they respect them, not because they have power. People will
willingly choose to follow another if they have vision, a vision that includes them as people.
People will choose to follow another if they are trustworthy, honest, reliable, committed, confident,
approachable and, above all, caring. Millions of people followed Gandhi because he had a vision
for their nation, for them as individuals. He genuinely cared for each person and he walked the
talk.
Jesus, the greatest leader, transformed twelve unlikely men
into the first generation of leaders of a movement that
continues to transform history today. Peter, known as the
father of the church, was one such leader, but he was able
to lead as he first followed another (and continued to do so).
No one is a leader without people who follow. Who do you
choose to follow?

No one is a
leader without
someone to
follow

So what then is Leadership?

How often do we actually stop and wonder what leadership is? Do we know how to recognise a
good leader or, as Australians, are we more ready to criticise those in leadership positions as a
recent Readers Digest survey on trust suggests, which ranked our politicians as one of the least
trustworthy groups of people in the country (ABC News Online, 23 May 2006).
If you consult a thesaurus under leadership the synonyms include: authority, control,
administration, effectiveness, superiority, supremacy, skill, capacity and power. Looking at the
word leader you will find words like: general, commander, director, manager, head, officer,
captain, master, chieftain, governor, ruler, executive and boss (Chua Wee Hian, Learning to Lead
Inter-Varsity Press, 1987).
There is a wealth of literature and research on leadership. Many academics have committed
years to studying and understanding leadership. Coupled with this there is a growing industry
focusing on leadership training and coaching. Put the word leadership into any online search
engine and the majority of the hits will be leadership development and training companies trying
to snare a corner of what is becoming a big market place. Perhaps this is because the world has
realised that leadership can bring wealth, prestige and power? Quoting from Dubrin:
If being a leader didnt have loads of potential benefits, not so many people would want to
become leaders. A key advantage of being a leader is that it gives you a feeling of power
and prestige (Dubrin, A. Leadership, CWL Publishing Enterprises, 2000, p5).
J.R. Tolkien in his classic, Lord of the Rings makes a chilling statement about the motivation and
desire to be a leader: men, above all else, desire power. Companies are also discovering that
they can improve potential and efficiency if they focus on developing leadership skills in their
employees.
Organisations are currently running at 20 to 30% of their potential and there is an
opportunity to crank this up to 60% and higher still for short periods. The key to unlocking
teamwork and higher levels of energy is to develop better leadership throughout an
organisation (McLean, R in Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and the
Bottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997, p8).
I believe that there are two views of leadership, a world view and a Christian view. It is helpful to
define the world view of leadership, which has much to bear on the Christian view of leadership.
This is not to suggest that a good leader has to be a Christian but that often the difference
between a good leader and a poor, or untrustworthy leader, is the persons motivating force
behind his/her desire to lead.
World View
Leadership is defined by some writers as interpersonal influence directed toward attaining goals
and is achieved through communication. A leader is a person who inspires, persuades, influences
and motivates others (Dubrin, p 10). Sir John Harvey-Jones states that, leadership is the ability
to elicit extraordinary performance from ordinary people. (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives,
Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997, p6)
Other quotes defining leadership include:
The art of leadership is getting somebody else to do something you want done because
he wants to do it. Dwight Eisenhower, US President 1953 to 1961
A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey
and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honour people, they fail to honour

you: But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will
all say, We did this ourselves. Lao Tze 600BC
A leader has got to learn to dominate events which surround him; he must never allow
these events to get the better of him; he must allow nothing to divert him from his aim; he
must always be on top of the job and be prepared to accept responsibility. He must
endeavour to produce, on every level, commanders with the qualities of leadership which
inspire confidence in others. These qualities are possessed in some degree by all men
chosen as leaders but they need to be developed and trained. Field Marshal Montgomery
(Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line, Butterworth
Heinemann, Australia, 1997 p8).
My favourite definition of a leader comes from Ken
Blanchards (et.al.) book Lead like Jesus. He defines
leadership as a process of influence. Anytime you
seek to influence the thinking, behaviour, or
development of people towards accomplishing a goal
in their professional or personal lives, you are taking
the role of leadership. This statement implies that we
are all leaders at some point in time.

Leadership is a
process of influence.
Anytime you seek to
influence the
thinking, behaviour,
or development of
people towards
accomplishing a gaol
you are taking the
role of leadership.

Some people are born leaders, or display leadership

potential at a young age. They are blessed with high
energy, exceptional intelligence, extreme persistence,
self-confidence and a yearning to influence others.
Many psychologists believe that leadership qualities
are innate or genetic and therefore are impossible to
learn. However, more recent research has shown that
leadership can be learned (Avolio, B. Are Leaders
Born Or Made? - leadership skills can come from
genes or education, Psychology Today, Sept 1999),
hence the proliferation of organisations pitched at
developing leadership skills. However, the science of leadership cannot be learnt from reading a
book, (of even this article) or taught in a classroom but can be developed in those who have the
will and potential to step up to the mark (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and
the Bottom Line, Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997). Leadership is learnt by doing, by
reflecting and by learning from others. A person cannot improve their tennis game merely by
reading tennis books or watching great tennis players. They must get out on the court and
practice what they have read or seen (Covey, S. Principle-Centred Leadership, Simon and
Schuster, 1990).
Much of the literature makes distinction between management and leadership. People who are
managers are not necessarily leaders. Many bosses in the workplace could easily be described
as a manager, but not a leader. Perhaps this is why many of their employees are quick to criticise
them. On the other hand, a leader has to be a good manager.
A manager is defined as a person who manages something, a person who is responsible for
directing and controlling the work and personnel of a business or the affairs of another person.
Managers have their eyes on the bottom line; leaders have their eyes on the horizon (MSN
Encarta). Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People describes
management as the bottom line focus: how can I best accomplish certain things? Leadership
deals with the top line: what are the things I want to accomplish? Covey provides a good analogy
to help grasp the different difference between management and leadership:

Imagine a group of people cutting a path through the jungle with machetes. Theyre the
producers, the problem solvers. Theyre cutting through the undergrowth, clearing it out.
The managers are behind them, sharpening their machetes, writing policy and procedure
manuals, holding muscle development programs, bringing in improved technologies and
setting up work schedules.
The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells,
this way. (Covey, S. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Business
Library, 1990)

Qualities of leadership:
Leaders typically have a number of attributes and skills. These qualities can be identified in all
great leaders such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. It should be noted that
when looking at different leaders, they typically will possess the following attributes but few
leaders, if any, have the same qualities developed to the same level, we are all different, so too
are leaders (Tozer, J. Leading Initiatives, Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line,
Butterworth Heinemann, Australia, 1997). Each leader will have his/her own strengths and
weaknesses to bear on the role they play.
The following are attributes and skills of a leader as defined by Tozer; they are qualities that are
not dissimilar to those suggested by other researchers; nor is it an exhaustive list:
Moral Courage: is the courage to act or do something because it is right, correct, and
necessary, even if it is difficult, unpopular, or distasteful to implement.
Integrity: embraces the combination of virtues of honesty, sincerity, reliability,
unselfishness and loyalty without which the leader cannot gain the trust and respect of
the people around them.
Intellect and Clarity of Thought: is the ability to reduce any problem to its simplest
basic components and focus energies on those things and those things alone.
Willpower and Determination the will to lead: no leader will succeed unless he or
she genuinely wants to accept responsibility.
Knowledge: knowledge of the job and the business, knowledge of the people in the team
and knowledge of yourself and your own abilities.
Self-confidence: leaders need to be confident in their ability in order to be decisive in
action and calm in a crisis.
Enthusiasm: leaders are passionate, excited, positive and infectious.
Ability to Communicate: leaders must be able to speak and write effectively.
Judgement and Common Sense: leaders must have the maturity and wisdom to
balance conflicting advice in reaching a solution and making a decision.
Pride: leaders must have pride in what they do and in the organisation they work.
Humanity: leaders must be approachable, have empathy and understand the effect
decisions will have on individuals.

Decisiveness: leaders must be able to make decisions and have the wit and courage to
make them at the right time.
Self-Discipline and Consistency: leaders must be able to maintain their standards and
be consistent so that others know exactly where they stand.
Sense of Humour: leaders should take everything seriously except themselves. A
workplace must be a happy place.
The Nature of Inspiration: the ability to inspire people is the mark of a successful
leader.
Charisma: is an excessively strong blend of personal attributes that induces people to
assign god-like status to the charismatic leader and follow his/her wishes without
question. The charismatic leader can be seen as a saviour from distress for example,
Gandhi, Hitler and Mussolini.
Trust: is the belief in a persons reliability and is governed by the persons integrity,
loyalty, self-discipline and moral courage. To gain trust from others, we must first give it.
This is a comprehensive list. It is a good list for those in a leadership position or aspiring to
leadership positions, to reflect on and measure their own abilities against. It is a lofty list when
you consider all the qualities you must possess in order to inspire others to follow.
So if this is leadership from a worldly point of view, what then is servant leadership? Is a servant
all this and more?

The Servant Leader

The words servant and leader would appear to be in opposition to each other. How can one be a
leader and a servant at the same time? Isnt a servant a person who provides a service, or
serves another, particularly to a leader who has an extremely important position, a position that
allows for no time for him/her to make their own coffee? Is a leader not someone who has
significant authority and influence over others and future outcomes, a general, a commander, a
boss?
While the two words may seem in contradiction to each other,
the term servant leader identifies a leaders driving motivation.
If a leaders driving motivation is self-promotion and selfprotection, they will use their influence with others to fulfil
these needs. If a leaders actions are driven by service and
dedication to a cause or a relationship then they are a servant
leader (Blanchard, K et.al., Lead Like Jesus, W Publishing
Group, 2005, p4). It is this motivating force that sets a leader
apart. A heart motivated by self-interest looks at the world as a
give a little, take a lot proposition. People with hearts
motivated by self-interest put their own agenda, safety, status
and gratification ahead of those affected by their thoughts and
actions. Cutting people off on the road or in the car park,
punishing those who disagree with you or challenge your
position and exploiting the weaknesses and fears of others to
get what you want are all actions that come from a selfmotivated heart (Blanchard, K. et.al., Lead Like Jesus, W
Publishing Group, 2005 p40). Self-serving leaders go about in a never-ending pursuit of shortterm pleasure fixes for their material-based self-esteem. If a person is looking out for number

If a leaders
actions are driven
by service and
dedication to a
cause or a
relationship then
they are a servant
leader.

one or, whats in it for me they will have no sense of stewardship. They may talk the language of
servant leadership, but they will always find a way to promote their own agenda. They may be
dedicated and hardworking, but they are not focused on stewardship the idea that you dont
own anything, that you give life to higher principles, causes and purposes. Rather, they are
focused on power, wealth, fame, position, dominion and possessions (Covey, S, PrincipleCentred Leadership, Simon and Schuster, 1990).
If the description of a self-serving leader sounds harsh and doesnt fit you at all then spend some
time in honest reflection. Ask yourself the following questions:

I want to be a leader so I can

so I can
so I can
I am in a Leadership position so that
so that
so that
Do I seek recognition or gratitude for what I do? Do I deserve gratitude
and recognition?
Do I deserve to be served by others?
Do I seek to serve or be served?
Who do I follow?

If we are truly honest with ourselves we would all have to say that we are often about number
one.
You may have read about Mark Ingus, the double amputee who managed to conquer Mount
Everest on his two artificial legs, a truly remarkable feat. Ingus party, nearing the summit in May
2006, passed a British climber, David Sharpe who lay dying on the path. In that moment the
Ingus party had an extremely difficult decision to make. Sharpe was near to death due to a lack of
oxygen. He had obviously been left behind by his own party to face his fate.
The environment on Mount Everest is like none that any of us, save mountaineers, can claim to
have experienced. At an altitude of 8000m there is barely enough oxygen to take 10 steps. Life is
so precious that many mountaineers abide by the unwritten code, save yourself.
Ingus and his party, while carrying plenty of oxygen, made the decision to leave Sharpe to die a
lonely death and pushed on towards the summit. Indeed, it was reported that 40 climbers passed
Sharpe that day, each making the same decision.
Whilst an extremely difficult decision in the face of certain death against potential glory it reveals
the type of leader that man was on that day, indeed, what leader/s there were amongst the entire
party. What would you have done in that circumstance? What kind of leader would you be when
asked to make a tough call? That contentious debate can be answered with the simple question
who was Ingus serving? Who in fact are you serving if faced with the same situation?

There have been many leaders who could be classed as servant leaders, people who have been
solely motivated by the interests and needs of others and not themselves; indeed leaders who
have made a significant impact on history itself, people like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.
Mahatma Gandhi was one such person who did not aspire to be a leader but served his country
and his people because he had a vision for an India free from the rule of the British Empire.
Gandhi was epitomised by his simplistic dress and appearance, his hard work and his willingness
to suffer for what he believed. Gandhi was renowned for his opposition to violence:
The program which Gandhi had placed before the country was different to this. For the
first time in the struggle for independence, there was no question of doing an injury to the
opponent, nor was there any question of functioning secretly. Everything was to be done
in the open; and the sentence which was imposed was to be accepted with a smile and
borne with pleasure (Prasad, R. At the Feet of Mahatma Gandhi, Asia Publishing House,
India, 1961, p84).
At his state funeral commentators said this about him:
.
Gandhi, he died as he always lived, a private man without wealth, without property,
without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of armies, nor the
ruler of vast lands. He could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift and yet
governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands to honour the man
who lead his country to freedom (Attenborough, R. Gandhi, Columbia Pictures, 1982).
The ultimate example we have of a true servant leader is Jesus Christ; Jesus, the Son of the
Most High God, the God who created all things, who came not to serve but to be served:
Jesus called them together and said, You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to be great among you must be 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 man (Matthew 20: 25-28).
At the time of the Messiahs coming the Israelite people were waiting for a conqueror, a leader
who would rid them of the Romans who were occupying their land; but instead God sent His Son,
not to rid them of the occupation of the Romans, but to free them from themselves. He sent his
Son, not to be served as one might expect a King to be served, but to serve, ultimately giving His
life as a ransom for ours. His example of servant leadership is clearly documented in the gospels.
His example of leadership and His training of His disciples ensured that the Christian message
and movement has not died out over the millennia, even under fierce persecution, but rather, has
grown and continues to grow.
For followers of Jesus, servant leadership isnt an option; its a mandate. Servant leadership is to
be a living statement of who we are in Christ, how we treat one another and how we demonstrate
the love of Christ to the whole world.
As a servant leader nothing is beneath us, all men and women are created equal, no job is more
or less important. Gandhi modelled this while living in a small community in South Africa, he said,
every man is equal, no job is more important, we all take our turn to clean the latrine and when
we do, it is the most important job in the world at the time. (Attenborough, R. Gandhi, Columbia
Pictures, 1982) Jesus continually modelled the equality of men and women; nothing was beneath
the Son of God when He washed his disciples feet.
Interestingly, the notion of servant leadership is becoming popular in non-Christian circles.
Organisations are beginning to realise that the go get it mentality has been, and is having a
significant negative impact on individuals, organisations, health and well-being and ultimately,
productivity. The Australian/New Zealand Greenleaf Centre is one such group who has invested
much time and energy into understanding the notion of servant-leadership because it sees the
concept as the future of leadership. Robert Greenleaf, for who the centre is named, first penned
the notion of servant leadership in 1970 while waiting for a flight in Melbournes airport. The
concepts and understanding of servant leadership that has since been published is very much in
line with the Christian understanding of servant leadership. However, it is perplexing that the
organisation does not lay any claim to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the epitome of servant
leadership, who modelled the characteristics of a true servant leader well before 1970!
"Servant-Leaders seek not to be served, but rather to serve. They view leadership
positions as opportunities to help, support, and aid other people. Servant-Leaders create
trusting work environments in which people are highly appreciated. Servant-Leaders
visibly model appropriate behaviour and function as effective mentors. They have a high
degree of credibility because of their honesty, integrity, and competence. These persons
have a clear leadership vision and implement pioneering approaches to work. ServantLeaders are also conscientious stewards of resources. They have good communications
with others and exercise ethical persuasion as a means of influence. Servant-Leaders
invite others to participate in carrying out a shared vision. They empower people by
enabling them to perform at their best and by delegating decision-making responsibilities.
Overall, Servant-Leaders provide direction and guidance by assuming the role of
attendant to humanity." (Russell, R. Regent University Centre for Leadership Studies
Who is a Servant-Leader? www.greenleaf.org.au)
The Greenleaf organisation has recognised what Christians throughout the millennia have known,
people want to follow those who genuinely care and value them, as a unique and special person.
The main failing with this is that sinful humans can never fully value, respect and care for an
individual, we will always fall short because deep within us is the desire to fulfil our own needs
first. Few world leaders have come close, Mother Teresa is one such person who earned the
respect to be heard for what she believed because of what she firstly did, lived her beliefs as a
true servant leader.

The driving motivation behind a leader is what makes a servant leader. Lets return for a moment
to the analogy of the group of people cutting their way through the jungle with machetes, the
managers behind them sharpening the machetes and organising rosters and the leader at the top
of the tallest tree, spying the direction to take. The self-serving leader is the person who remains
at the top of the tree, barking the directions to the workers below. They have their eye on a
distant goal, a mine of gold that promises immeasurable wealth for the leader and perhaps a few
others. On the other hand, the servant leader climbs the tree, sees the direction to go, then
scurries back down to encourage the workers, provide them with cool refreshing drinks and even
picks up a machete to cut for a time him/herself, only to climb back up the tree to check that they
all havent deviated off course. The servant leader will have his/her eye fixed on a goal that will
ultimately benefit all those who wish to be part of the project. The Christian servant leader will
have his/her eye firmly fixed on God as the goal, for he/she knows that all will share in the
treasure that He promises.
If you are motivated by self-promotion, self-protection, wealth or prestige you will use your
influence with others to fulfil these needs. If your actions are driven by service and dedication to a
cause or a relationship, then you will model and encourage these values in others you are a
servant leader.

Two types of leaders

Self-serving leaders

Servant Leaders

(motivated by prestige, wealth,

power and recognition)
its all about me

(motivated by unconditional love

for others)
its not about me

focused on
developing skills
Communication, management,
organisation, decision making

this naturally leads

to
humility, honesty, empathy,
forgiveness etc, all the qualities
followers seek in a leader

to achieve

Goals, success, wealth,

productivity

then comes

Communication, management,
organisation, decision making
skills

and may
have
humility, honesty, empathy,
forgiveness etc.

to achieve

A vision

Typically all leaders could be divided into these two categories, self-serving leaders and servant
leaders. Sadly though, as sinful people, we will never be truly a servant leader as there will
always be times that we seek our own interests, times when it will be about me.
The journey of a leader starts with the heart, with motivation and intent. Then it must travel
through the head which is the leaders belief system (values), to their habits (attributes) and finally
to their skills (what they do). When your heart, head, habits and skills are aligned, extraordinary
levels of loyalty, trust and productivity will result. When these areas are out of alignment,
frustration, mistrust and diminished long-term productivity will result (Blanchard, K. et.al. Lead
Like Jesus, W Publishing Group, 2005).

Heart
(self- or servantserving)

Head
(values and beliefs)

Habits
(attributes, virtues e.g.
trustworthiness, honesty,
integrity)

Skills
(e.g. communication,
organisational...)

Skills can be learned and developed, skills such as organisational skills, management of
resources and communication, but it is the heart that determines the qualities and virtues of the
person. If it is all about me then naturally greed, dishonesty and self-ambition will follow, attributes
that people will not choose to follow. If its not about me then it stands to reason that
trustworthiness, honesty and humility have to be a natural out flowing of the persons motivation.
What is in the heart will determine the attributes of the person.
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5:22)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that
bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even
more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in
me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15: 1-4)

This is not to say that skills are not important. A leader can have the right heart and motivation
but not be able to realise a vision if they do not have the management skills to implement that
vision. A servant leader is all of the things a worldly leader is but their motivation is focused
away from themselves and is on others. A worldly leader may spend much time in coaching,
developing his/her skills, but never shift from a self-serving leader to being a servant leader as
they dont firstly focus on what is in their heart.
Interestingly God calls people to be leaders and equips them with the skills that they need to
carry out the job He gives to them. If you look back at the greatest leaders in the Bible you will
find that they were all ordinary people, not people you would see as having leadership potential.
Moses was a coward who ran away but went on to lead the Israelite nation out of captivity, David
was a shepherd boy who was called to defeat the Philistines and become the nations greatest
King. It is God who will call and God who will provide truly great leaders with all that they need to
carry out the task at hand, as long as their heart is right.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and
pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with
all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29: 11-14).
If our heart is right then our leadership will be one that others will want to follow.
Sadly, there is a perception that servant leadership is weakness; it means that the leader is trying
to please everyone. Some would think that being a servant leader means that you allow yourself
to be walked on by others. This is certainly not what true servant leadership is. Did Jesus, the
Son of God allow himself to be walked over or did He fulfil Gods plan for Him? Did He please
everyone He met? A servant leader is still a leader, a leader who has to make tough decisions,
decisions that sometimes may not seem to be in the interests of an individual; decisions that may
lead to hurt and pain. A servant leader is still a leader who has to manage resources wisely and
well. It is the heart of a person, the motivation of a person that will determine what kind of leader
they are. Others will follow the heart of a leader; a leader is no leader at all without people who
willing choose to follow.
Ultimately, a leader must have vision, a servant
leader will have a vision for people, a vision that
will lead a person to serve those people above
all else, even themselves. God is the one who
provides the vision. It is He who calls and
equips whomever He chooses to lead. Those
leaders He calls are stewards of the position
they are given just as we are stewards of all
creation.
Life and leadership are about choices. Choices
are made based on your values, your heart and
your head. You are a monument to the choices
you have made over the course of your life. If
you want to change your life, embrace the
values of Christ, the servant leader.

Vision without Action

is merely a dream;
Action without Vision
is merely passing the
time;
Vision with Action will
change the world.