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)
This week has been rather emotional for me. Three highly competent leaders whom I love and respect were terminated from the association through which I was initially certified as a Trauma Recovery Coach because they posed a threat to the narcissistic Director. This was the third round of leadership removals I observed in this organization, so there is a pattern.
Whenever there are big changes, like removing the entire senior leadership team, an organization will become unstable and eventually collapse. While it might be said that this organization has imploded due to toxic leadership, I am observing strong leaders rising up from the ashes to shepherd a wounded community of trauma recovery coaches.
These leaders showed up vulnerably and in the power of the truth. Even though they were the ones who were terminated, their first priority was caring for and ministering to their students and peers. THAT, my friend, is servant leadership!!!
What is Servant Leadership?
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and set of practices that prioritize serving others — including employees, customers, and the community — as the top priority of the leader. The main goal of servant leadership is to enrich the lives of individuals, build better organizations, and ultimately create a more just and caring world.
The term “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay “The Servant as Leader.” He argued that the most effective leaders are servants first and that this is a key ingredient in fostering organizational success and employee well-being over the long term.
Key Characteristics of Servant Leadership
- Prioritizing the needs of others over one’s own self-interests
- Focusing on the growth and well-being of people and communities
- Emphasizing collaboration, trust, empathy, and ethical use of power
- Encouraging involvement in decision-making from those who are affected by the decisions
- Demonstrating strong moral behavior towards followers, the organization, and other stakeholders
In essence, servant leaders seek to lift up their teams and organizations rather than consolidate power for themselves. They lead by example in serving others and believe that when team members feel personally and professionally fulfilled, they are more effective and motivated to produce great work.
The Biblical Concept of Servant Leadership
Since this is my spiritual blog, I want to address this topic from a Biblical perspective. In the gospel of Mark (chapter 10), brothers James and John asked Jesus to provide them with a position of power in His kingdom, which caused the other disciples to be “greatly displeased.”
Jesus took the opportunity to teach the disciples about His view of leadership by calling them to Himself for a Master class on Servant Leadership.
“But Jesus called them to [Himself] and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’” (Mark 10:42–45)
Jesus did not chastise them for desiring to be a leader, but He did flip the script on their concept of “leadership as power” by reframing leadership as an act of service. Jesus Himself did not come to be served but to serve.
Servant Leadership Personified
At last night’s impromptu Town Hall meeting convened by these leaders, I think close to 100 people showed up from around the globe to support them. This group of courageous leaders stood together to share the truth of what had transpired within the inner workings of the organization.
They spoke clearly and did not sugarcoat their painful experience. The way they handled themselves throughout this difficult situation and moderated their responses to the toxic Director was truly amazing to me. When I heard what they went through, I was deeply saddened and angry, but also, there was a part of me that wanted to protect them. I wouldn’t have been able to hold my tongue and show as much restraint as they did…I think that was a “God thing.”
From what I have observed in my lifetime, great servant leaders are often forged in the fire of adversity. These leaders personified servant leadership to our coaching community last night…full stop.
Looking Ahead
While it is tempting to jump right into what the opportunities could be for us as a united community freed from the tyrannical leadership we were under because it feels more empowering, it is important for us to allow ourselves to grieve together…to move through the difficult emotions and to lean on each other for support and encouragement.
They are leading by example in practicing self-care and caring for one another. As a community, we are grieving together over what transpired, but this painful experience has drawn us closer together and fortified us. We are truly “better together.”
Once we have adequate time to recover, I suspect we will once again return to and reconnect with our purpose. Our community is made up of brave, courageous, persistent, tenacious, fierce, relentless group of overcomers, and I am honored to be counted among them. As a resilient career coach, this is what resiliency looks like.
I am looking forward to seeing what God will do with these empowered and equipped passionate Trauma Recovery Coaches. I am with you!!!
