Leadership Torque

Build your Leadership Cred: Serve

Someone said to me the other day "When I think of servant leadership, I think of you!" I've waited a long, long time to hear those words! Well in fact I've never actually waited to hear them, but I have tried, ever since I began leading people to above everything else, serve them. The fact that someone named that, validated what I feel has been a major defining element in my leadership.

I'm a great starter of things, but in the (now very distant) past have been a poor finisher. Mainly because finishing requires allot of the behind the scenes, hard going, floor mopping, vacuum driving, chair shifting, rubbish clearing, servant work and I'd rather not do that! But I realised that if I don't, nobody else will. But if I as the leader do, then hopefully my example will inspire others to also serve.

I know how easy it is to sit back after an event and feel a sense of achievement and not realise there are others still working to clean up the mess I've created. So to gain credibility with those who are still at work, and to finish what I have started, and to show that I would never expect someone under my leadership to do a job I'm not willing to do, I like to serve!

More times than I care to remember have I seen a leader lose cred, because they're sitting back while people (literally) work around them to clean up the mess. I find it hard to comprehend nowadays why you wouldn't want to be working in the trenches with the team till the job is done, so we can all celebrate together on it's completion.

THE CALL TO ACTION: When is the next situation where there Will be a chance for you to serve? Work out when it is and what you can do, and then plan to roll your sleeves up and jump in, then make sure you execute the plan. You'll see things from a different point of view, and gain some cred in the process!

Sharpening the Servant Edge

Jesus' definition of leadership was a servant who lead others to serve! Which is why it is imperative that we leaders maintain a sharp serving edge to everything we do.

 

This occurred to me the other day in the form of a thought that went something like this: "I could do that for those friends. Sure it's a bit of effort and time, but they'll really appreciate it. In fact you'll probably not ever get to know if they will, but they will benefit from it. That's enough too isn't it? That they'll benefit from it. Heck you'll benefit from it because your practicing how to be a servant!"

 

You're quite right in thinking it was a lengthy thought but it dawned on me, in that instant, that to be servant leaders we need to practice serving regularly so that when it comes to fulfilling our function of leadership, the leadership that we offer has an undeniable sharp servant edge to it!