Okay, so the poster is a little sarcastic, but the rest of this post is so serious that I needed to inject a little humour. I was reading a post about leadership over at one of the blogs I follow. I was drafting a comment, when I realised that I have actually written something about this before; it was one of my first posts on Sharkbait's Reef before facebook removed me. So I decided to re-post it here.
Who or what is a servant leader? Are all leaders called to be servants? Are all servants called to be leaders?
The essence of this question comes down to this. We are all called to serve. To serve others, and to serve God. We are however called to serve in different ways. The true leader recognises his need to serve those around him, but also recognises that the best way to do this is to lead them. His decision to lead is not motivated by a desire to be the leader, but by a true desire to serve his followers. To have in his heart a burning desire to be of service to them, and to walk with them, for their sake, and as a service to God.
On the other hand, the leader who wants to lead, and decides he must do so by serving is not going to be able to do either. His desire to be a leader is going to hamper his ability to serve, and his attempts to serve will drain him as a leader. God gives leaders the special gifts to equip them: leadership; teaching; counselling; shepherding etc. But if our desire is to be leaders, we will burn ourselves out. If our primary desire is to serve God, and serve our fellow man in love for God and them, then God will sustain us.
God will sustain us in our service of him. We are all called to serve, and we are all called to lead. But while serving does not always involve leading, leading must always involve serving.
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That was really, really good, Shark Bait. I can't believe Facebook removed you -- what's a fish to do?
ReplyDeleteI do have a bone to pick with you, however. What does everyone living outside the USA have against the letter "Z"? What did that letter ever do to you? What's wrong with "recognize" instead of "recognise".
Can't we all just get along?
I zave the letter 'z' for when my zite getz zyndicated and I have to do a continental verzion.
ReplyDeleteIt will be called "Zhark Bait'z Reef"
I think I tend to agree. We must serve but leaders need to recognize when serving is overload. That is part of leadership and something the church often doesn't get.
ReplyDeleteIn the church, I find that many people assume that the pastor will serve in everything because he is the leader, but the pastor does need to serve by leading. He teaches and equips. He should empower his staff to do the same and thus each person in the church becomes a participant in ministry since we are all called to service.
The person that aspires to lead and so seeks leadership through service is a failure and the leader that serves in everything not allowing (or forcing as is often required) others to serve as well will fail.
Great post. Servant leaders are really hard to come by. And I love the 'de-motivating' posters.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts here.
ReplyDeleteI try to keep my eyes and ears open to those around me, or people brought before my eyes or ears through the blogs, television, work, home, neighborhood etc. It usually becomes pretty apparent to whom I should be reaching out. You're right though. Much easier to do, than to sit as His feet. Makes NO SENSE at all, but I still find doing easier. Mary and Martha. I blame them.
Sherri - was that awesome comment meant to be here, or here?
ReplyDelete