Management According to Biblical Principles - Servant-Leader - A Counter-Intuitive Leadership Model
To many, leadership is about promoting self and lording it over others; however, Jesus offers a different style of leadership model which may seem counter intuitive and yet is ultimately more effective than most other models of leadership.
The leadership model Jesus displays and promotes is servant leadership.
To some, servant leadership may seem like an oxymoron because to them a leader is the one upfront, large and in charge, barking orders and directing personnel here, there and everywhere.
A leader is not a servant; he employs servants to do whatever pleases him and never the other way around.
A servant on the other hand takes orders and does whatever the leader tells him to do at the time the leader wants it done.
But, this view of leader-follower relationship is short-sided because the leader cannot accomplish the optimum goals of the company without satisfied employees.
Together they serve the common goal to build up the company name and reputation thereby ensuring optimum profitability and long-term viability.
Jesus understood this principle that when a leader treats employees and customers well, those employees and customers will pledge their allegiance and demonstrate it through peak performance and brand loyalty.
How does a servant leader act? He is humble and kind and yet no less driven to complete the company objectives.
To be humble means to be self-effacing, authentic and grateful for the efforts of others.
To be kind means the leader understands that he reaches out to others as fellow human beings and serves them with compassion no matter their status or situation in life.
To be no less driven means that they do not leave the business to chance but carefully strategize and plan and execute the plan with enthusiasm and strong work ethic.
When employees drop the ball, the servant leader takes responsibility and then, rather than drive that employee out of the company, takes him or her aside, goes over the incident, trains them how to do it better the next time, and develops step by step action plans to monitor that employees growth and progress.
Servant leadership is counter intuitive.
It goes against the idea of the leader being top gun ordering around a bunch of mindless minions.
It treats customers and employees as valuable partners, vital to the long-term success of the organization.
The leadership model Jesus displays and promotes is servant leadership.
To some, servant leadership may seem like an oxymoron because to them a leader is the one upfront, large and in charge, barking orders and directing personnel here, there and everywhere.
A leader is not a servant; he employs servants to do whatever pleases him and never the other way around.
A servant on the other hand takes orders and does whatever the leader tells him to do at the time the leader wants it done.
But, this view of leader-follower relationship is short-sided because the leader cannot accomplish the optimum goals of the company without satisfied employees.
Together they serve the common goal to build up the company name and reputation thereby ensuring optimum profitability and long-term viability.
Jesus understood this principle that when a leader treats employees and customers well, those employees and customers will pledge their allegiance and demonstrate it through peak performance and brand loyalty.
How does a servant leader act? He is humble and kind and yet no less driven to complete the company objectives.
To be humble means to be self-effacing, authentic and grateful for the efforts of others.
To be kind means the leader understands that he reaches out to others as fellow human beings and serves them with compassion no matter their status or situation in life.
To be no less driven means that they do not leave the business to chance but carefully strategize and plan and execute the plan with enthusiasm and strong work ethic.
When employees drop the ball, the servant leader takes responsibility and then, rather than drive that employee out of the company, takes him or her aside, goes over the incident, trains them how to do it better the next time, and develops step by step action plans to monitor that employees growth and progress.
Servant leadership is counter intuitive.
It goes against the idea of the leader being top gun ordering around a bunch of mindless minions.
It treats customers and employees as valuable partners, vital to the long-term success of the organization.
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