Servant Leadership

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” – Mark 10:43

Do you aspire to be a leader? What is your leadership worldview? Are you willing to pay the price of leadership?

The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay he first published in 1970. In that essay, he said, “The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”

This concept of leadership did not originate with Robert K. Greenleaf, Jesus not only taught this concept over two thousand years earlier but He also illustrated it in His own life. In Mark 10:35 – 45 two of Jesus’ disciples who aspire to have leadership positions in His new organization, learn this concept first hand from the Master. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, request that Jesus make them His right and left hand lieutenants (Mark 10:35-37). Jesus uses this occasion to
teach all of His disciples some basic leadership principles.

The first lesson that Jesus teaches them is that leadership is not full of perks but responsibilities. His exact statement is, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink of the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The next time someone within your organization asks for a promotion give them the responsibility test. Are they seeking the promotion due to their desire for the perks of the promotion or their understanding of the responsibilities of the position?

The next thing Jesus teaches them is that leadership positions are assigned by God not men (Mark 10:40). Now you understand why you are having a hard time with your current position or with the manager you put in that particular position. Did God assign you that position or did men? Did you assign that person in that position or did God? Leadership is a calling that must be carefully considered and not taken lightly; just because someone can serve does not make them a leader. Every leader must be a servant but not all servants are leaders. I disagree with the notion that we all have the capacity for positional leadership; it is a calling that one must carefully count the cost for before responding to. We are all servants but only those who are called should accept the leadership responsibility. Can we all be president of the United States? Can we all be presidents of companies? Can we all be managers and supervisors? Of course
not, but no matter our positions we must all serve.

The next thing Jesus teaches them is leadership in His organization will not be like leadership in the world; His leaders must be servant leaders Mark 10:42-45. Jesus recognizes that His apostles see leadership as lordship. He makes sure they recognize that although that is the way the world approaches leadership that is not the way his followers should approach leadership. He states that in his organization, “Whoever desires to become great shall be servants, and whoever desires to be first shall be slaves of all” just as He modeled (Mark 10:43-45).

Jesus was not denouncing one’s aspiration for leadership positions, whether to start a business, become a department head, run for political office or lead a civic organization. It is actually commendable to aspire to lead as long as you understand that it begins with service. Servant leadership then is the ability to influence through service. Servant leaders put their service and the people they are called to serve before their position. They see greatness as an outcome of service rather than a goal to aspire towards. They model the Master Servant, Jesus Christ, in their leadership and management.

My prayer for you this week is that you will seek God’s will concerning your leadership and aspire to be a servant leader.