(As foreshadowed last week, this is the first post of “Leadership Week.” If you aren’t a leader, read along and let’s see if I can change your mind.)
Whether you know it or not, you have a leadership style. If you don’t know your style or you aren’t loyal to any particular methods yet, I’d like to show you the way I do things, and explain why I think that’s the most effective way to rally people around you.
I’ve been blessed with opportunities to lead others in several different capacities, so it’s important for me to make sure I’m doing the right things, not just doing things right.
Every leader has a particular style. Some rule with an iron fist, others micro-manage. Some leaders delegate, others intimidate. Different styles can be applied in different situations, but there is almost always a core style leaders revert back to.
After years of working with many different people, in many different situations, I’ve enacted a style that I feel works in any situation. It’s modeled after the most humble leader in history—Jesus. The style has been dubbed servant leadership, and its effectiveness is incredible.
Jesus served those he led. He wasn’t asking for his feet to be washed, but instead he washed other’s feet. He didn’t ask them to fight evil alone; he fought right alongside them. He didn’t ask his followers to do anything he wouldn’t do (he even stepped out of heaven to walk this earth and die for his followers—I’d say that’s about as humble as you get). He lowered himself and served, leading by example and dedicating himself to building into his followers and changing their lives forever.
Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Servant leadership is all about humbly serving—considering those you are leading better than you. When you are willing to serve others, they will be willing to follow you.
At times it’s easy to know when you’re succeeding as a leader, but sometimes we need to take a step back and see where we are. Here are a handful of questions I think are critical to ask:
Do those under you feel valued and esteemed?
Are their contributions recognized and appreciated?
Are you developing those under you?
Are the followers reaching their potential?
Are they learning? Serving? Growing?
Are you building leaders or followers?
Who could replace you tomorrow?
Max DuPree says in Leadership is an Art, “Being a leader means…having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.”
You can serve people without loving them, but you cannot love people without serving them.
Love the people you lead, and then serve them—you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to lead people once you’re willing to put their needs above your own.