The Servant Leader

1095 Words5 Pages
Let’s face it, leadership has a bad rap. From sex scandals to embezzlement, from the power hungry monster to the inept bureaucrat, many people have a difficult time putting faith in their leaders, and working with them efficiently to reach shared goals. And yet, there are people leading for what we might call the “right” reasons; people who use leadership as a means to help others, instead of as a way to gain personal power. These people come to leadership because they want to be, to serve others better. How is that? In their service, they have found that they can do the most good by accepting the responsibilities and possibilities of leadership. We call these people who become leaders out of a desire to serve more effectively servant leaders. The term servant leader asks for something more; a different mindset, perhaps. It is truly a unique take on the idea of leadership. What follows are some of the most important qualities of servant leadership. Some of the following ideas and actions are unique to servant leadership. Others, while they may be found in all types of leadership, are simply emphasized more strongly by servant leaders. The servant leader believes himself “first among equals.” This idea is at the very core of servant leadership. A servant leader does not consider himself above those he leads. Rather, he is primus inter pares from Latin, meaning “first among equals.” That is, he sees those he leads as peers to teach an to learn from. Because of this, the servant leader is a consummate team builder. He will draw on the strengths of followers, and be a follower himself when appropriate. Such a leader doesn’t lead by decree or dictate. Instead, he leads by allowing everyone to do what they do well—directing people to their proper position, then stepping out of the spotlight and letting them shine. This idea is hardly new—in fact, it

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