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Servant Leadership

Rocky Lindley
Many people view leadership as a means to success. However, leadership is not
about “how far we can advance ourselves, but how far we advance others. That is
achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”[1] In the minds of many in
today’s society, the words “servant” and “leader” are quite different. They do not go
together. However, in the Christian realm the two words are inseparable. The term
“servant leader” reaches into the heart of everything the believer is to be as a leader
and defines their very essence. But what is servant leadership, really?
In order to begin to understand servant leadership, one must understand that there “is
a way to lead that honors God and restores health and effectiveness to organizations
and relationships. It is the way Jesus calls us to follow as leaders: to serve rather than
be served.”[2] Serving as you lead rather than being served, that is servant leadership.
In his book Team Leadership and Christian Ministry, Kenneth Gangel points out that
one of the derived principles of leadership found in Scripture is that leadership is
servant hood. He quotes Francis Cosgrove, who was commenting on Matthew 20:25-
28, and states, “This teaching of leading by serving continues to have an unfamiliar ring
in an age that calls for us to do everything we can to climb to the top. The Bible
teaches that to lead is to serve.”[3]
Furthermore, Gangel points out that another derived principle of leadership is that
leadership is ministry. He states, “The emphasis on diakonia and the thrust of the gift
of leadership in Romans 12:8 show us that if New Testament leadership means
anything, it means serving other people.”[4] Simply put, a servant leader is one who
ministers to, or serves those whom they are leading. They serve those they lead
unselfishly, influencing them and empowering them in and for Christ.
A servant leader is not motivated by self-interest, but by obedience and love of God
and others. “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 that of those affected by their thoughts and
actions.”[5] A heart motivated by obedience to God and love of God and others does
not see the world as a “give a little, take a lot” proposition, but rather sees it as a “give
a lot” proposition as it looks through the lenses of the gospel. It is not motivated by
self-agenda, but by God’s commands and will, with others in mind.
It is relatively easy to think of oneself as a servant of God. There lies the distinction of
mortal verse the immortal or finite verses the infinite. Conversely, the area in which
one may become someone reluctant to think of him or herself as a servant is in relation
to people. However, service to others is the life that Christians are called to live.
Peterson points out, “As a person grows and matures in the Christian way, it is
necessary to acquire certain skills. One is to serve.”[6]
If a Christian is called to live a life of service, how much more ought the Christian
leader to serve? Kouzes states that, “leadership is a service and that leaders are
servants are likely the most significant Christian teachings about the nature of
leadership.”[7] Furthermore, “You cannot be a Christian leader unless you see yourself
as a servant first. There is no choice here. You either are or you aren’t. It comes with
the territory.”[8]
The leader must become a servant to those they lead. Though many have forgotten
this truth, the reality is, it is part of the job description. I would love to hear your
thoughts on this.
[1] John C. Maxwell. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Workbook (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 43.
[2] Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. Lead Like Jesus (Nashville: W Publishing, 2005), 4.
[3] Kenneth O. Gangel. Team Leadership and Christian Ministry (Chicago: Moody, 1997), 58.
[4] Ibid., 62.
[5] Blanchard and Hodges, Lead Like Jesus, 40.
[6] Eugene H. Peterson. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000), 61).
[7] Jams M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, edit. Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge (San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2004), 123.
[8] Ibid., 124.
Robert Greenleaf and Larry Spears point out eleven characteristics of a servant leader. Those
characteristics are: calling, listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion,
conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth, and building community.[1] According to
Greg Ogden there are six characteristics. First, servant leaders are secure, knowing God
values us. Second, servant leaders find joy in encouraging and supporting staff and team
members. Third, servant leaders don’t need credit for their ideas or visions. Fourth, Servant
leaders are high in relationships and low on control and coercion. Fifth, servant leaders shun
the trappings of authority and status. Sixth, servant leaders base their authority on character,
not the position they occupy. While those characteristics are definitely part of a servant leader,
in the life of the Christian leader some other characteristics define them as a servant leader.[2]
The first characteristic in the life of a Christian servant leader is they are a committed follower,
or pursuer of Christ. A relationship with Christ is necessary; however, it must stop there. The
leader must pursue Christ. A servant leader serves those they lead unselfishly, influencing them
and empowering them in and for Christ.
The leader cannot influence and empower them in and for Christ if he is not pursuing Christ
himself. Furthermore, as a Christian servant leader serves and leads as he pursues Christ, they
do not serve nor lead in their own power. Rather, they serve and lead in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
The reality is a Christian leader cannot lead in the flesh. If the Christian leader leads in the
flesh, or his own power, he will develop a heart motivated by self-interest. Believers are told to
walk after the Spirit, not the flesh. Romans 8:5 says, “For they that are after the flesh do mind
the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” A Christian
leader cannot be a servant leader if he leads in the flesh, but only by the power of the Spirit as
he walks in the Spirit, pursuing Him.
The second characteristic in the life of a Christian servant leader is love. In Matthew 22:37-39
we read, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” These are the two great commandments, love
God and love people. Love is a key element in the life of the Christian. Jesus said, “By this
shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
If love is to be a key element in the life of a Christian, then it should be one of the leading
characteristics in the life, leadership, and service of the Christian leader. A Christian leader
cannot effectively serve without a genuine love for the people he serves. When a Christian
leader loves people, people come first.
The third element of a Christian servant leader is humility. Kouzes states, “The key to a servant
leader’s heart is humility.”[3] Servant leaders lead with humility. “Jesus teaches that servant
leaders lead humbly.”[4] A servant leader does not lead a life filled with self, but a life emptied
of self in humility. Simply put, “people with humility do not think less of themselves; they just
don’t think of themselves.”[5]
A danger in leadership is pride. While humility leads to God being the goal of leadership, pride
leads to a goal of self. To illustrate this Aubrey Malphurs states. “The ever-present temptation
for leaders is to allow their leadership to become an ego thing – an exercise of ego – to subtly
and sometimes not so subtly dominate their followers. With subordinates, this involves making
sure they know who is boss, using one’s authority to put them in their proper place. This kind of
leader is careful to let others know as often as possible that he or she occupies a position of
prominence and prestige and is someone special, someone to be treated with respect and
admiration.”[6]
In humility, a servant leader empties himself of self and in love serves people. That is the fourth
characteristic of a Christian servant leader, service. You cannot be a servant leader without
serving. A servant serves, and leaders have been called to be servants both to God and to
those whom they lead.[7]
Serving people is approached in a similar way to serving God. Peterson said, “The moment we
look up to God we are in the posture of servitude.”[8] That is how the leader truly comes to
serve others, not by looking down on them as lords over them, but buy lowering themselves and
looking up from the position of a servant.
A servant leader is not afraid to get down and get their hands dirty, work hard, and exhaust
themselves all for the furtherance of others and the glory of God.[9] In addition, a servant leader
realizes and accepts the fact that their service may go unnoticed by those whom they serve. As
Donald Whitney states, “Serving may be as appreciated as a good testimony in a worship service,
but typically it is as thankless as washing dishes after a church social. Most service, even that
which seems the most glamorous, is like an iceberg. Only the eye of God ever sees the larger,
hidden part of it.”[10]
The final characteristic is altruism. Altruism means, “unselfish regard for or devotion to the
welfare of others.”[11] In other words, it means to be selfless. A love for others, the emptying
of oneself in humility, the lowering of oneself to serve other can all only be performed when one
is truly selfless. Therefore, the servant leader must bear this characteristic in order to bear the
others.

[1] John E. Barbuto Jr. and Daniel W. Wheeler, “Becoming a Servant Leader: Do You Have What It Takes?,” NebGuide,
October 2007 [article on-line]; available fromhttp://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1481/build/g1481.pdf; Internet;
accessed 7 July 2010.
[2] James D. Berkley, edit. Leadership Handbook of Management and Administration (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997), 150-
151.
[3] Kouzes and Berry, Christian Reflections, 104.
[4] Aubrey Malphurs. Being Leaders (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003), 34.
[5] Christian Reflections, 104.
[6] Malphurs, Being Leaders, 35.
[7] David Henry Sorenson. The Art of Pastoring (Duluth, MN: Northstar Ministries, 1998), 182.
[8] Peterson, A Long Obedience, 63.
[9] Paul W. Chappell. The Spiritual Leader (Lancaster, CA: Striving Together Publications, 2008), 27.
[10] Donald S. Whitney. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991), 110.
[11] altruism. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved July 8, 2010, fromhttp://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/altruism
What do you think? Are there some characteristics of servant leadership that I
left out? Is there anything you would add?
Throughout God’s Word there are leaders who help define servant leadership for the
Christian leader. The greatest example being that of Christ, there were others as well.
While their examples are not perfect, as is that of Christ’s, they are worthy of noting.
As one travels through the pages of biblical history, they will find that one of the most
notable servant leaders is none other than Moses.
Moses was a man called by God to lead the people of Israel. Moses led the people of
Israel through service. His life bore the characteristics of a servant leader. This can be
clearly seen through two particular instances, the gold calf (Exodus 32) and the report
of the spies (Numbers 13-14). In both instances God threatens Israel, and in both
instances Moses intercedes for the Lord to relent from His threat to destroy Israel.
The foundation for Moses’ plea is two-fold. First, Moses is concerned for the glory of
God. To destroy the people He had redeemed and established a covenant with would
damage His reputation among the nations. In other words, God was His goal. It was
all about Him. Second, Moses loved the people of Israel and being the humble man
that he was, served them by seeking God on their behalf. He was a servant leader.
Moving forward, we find another example of servant leadership, not often considered,
in the person of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a servant of King Araxerxes, his cup
bearer. Having such a heart for his people, he asked to return to help rebuild the walls
of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2).
Once Nehemiah arrived, he privately investigates the walls of the city and then
approaches the local officials. In Nehemiah 2:17-18 it states, “Then said I unto them,
Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof
are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no
more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as
also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and
build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” Although he had been
given authority to rebuild the walls from the king, “he does not rely on this royal
authority to obtain commitment from the people who will have to support the work
voluntarily. Instead, he gathers the facts, then meets with local officials, going to great
lengths to identify with their problem.”[1]
His love for God and his people was evident. He did not try to force his hand as a
leader, but rather identified with them and served alongside them. “The qualities of
leadership Nehemiah exhibited and the management practices he employed to
accomplish this project, as reported in the Old Testament, provide extraordinary
examples paralleling New Testament teachings about leadership and management-
principles we can follow as we seek to lead and manage our organizations today.”[2]
Moving forward into the New Testament, the greatest example of servant leadership
outside of Jesus the Christ is the Apostle Paul. His life of leadership was defined by
his service to others for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. In both Romans 1:1
and Titus 1:1, Paul refers to himself as a servant.
He saw his position as an Apostle, a leader among Christians, to be that of a servant.
In all things Paul did, he did for the glory of God and others. At one point Paul even
expressed that he longed for the people of Israel to put their faith in Christ so much,
that he would willingly give up his own salvation if it meant the salvation of Israel
(Romans 9:3).
In every aspect of Paul’s ministry one can see the characteristics of a servant leader
being lived out. He loved God, and God’s glory was his goal. He loved people and
willingly put his life on the line to take them the gospel of Christ. He humbled himself
and served others, putting them first. He was a servant leader.
Throughout the New Testament, you find those who were leading, serving. In spite of
their position, they considered themselves servants. James considered himself a
servant (James 1:1). Peter considered himself a servant (2 Peter 1:1). Jude
considered himself a servant (Jude 1). John considered himself a servant (Revelation
1:1). Being a servant leader is what defined the leadership of those in the New
Testament. Christian leaders today are called to apply that same attitude toward
leadership as well.
There are others who exemplify servant leadership throughout the Bible that I did not
mention. Other than those mentioned, who stands out to you as an example of servant
leadership?

[1] Joseph Maciariello. “Lessons in Leadership and Management from Nehemiah”. Theology Today. FindArticles.com.
08 Jul, 2010.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3664/is_200310/ai_n9335038/
[2] Ibid.

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