Follow Jesus’ example (Serve Others)

This blog is the third in a new series on excellence in leadership. Drawn from Chapter 11 of my book “More Than Your Business Card,” it explores Jesus’ conduct as the perfect example we are called to imitate.

GREAT LEADERS SERVE OTHERS 

It is thought that the phrase “servant leadership” was first used by Robert Greenleaf in his 1970 essay “The Servant as Leader.” Since then, many businesses and other organizations have adopted servant leadership as a key organizational concept. 

In reality, every leader serves someone. Sadly, many leaders act as though they themselves should be the primary beneficiaries of their service. According to Jesus, however, great leaders are not driven by self-interest. Rather, they are driven by the desire to serve others within the context of a noble cause greater than themselves. One could say that their life paradigm is servanthood. For example, the late Rich DeVos was an American billionaire businessman and owner of the Orlando Magic. According to an article in National Review, DeVos’s biography illustrates the spirit of servanthood. In both his professional and personal life, DeVos focused on others within the context of noble causes, including many substantial philanthropic endeavors.

Throughout the entire history of humankind, no one better illustrates servant leadership than Jesus Christ. In one incident recorded in the New Testament, Jesus gently rebuked two followers who asked Him to specifically promote them above His other followers. In the following passage, He encouraged servanthood as the primary leadership paradigm, using Himself as the ultimate example: 

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man [Jesus] came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

(Mark 10:42–45) 

Jesus defines servant leadership as the intersection of the Golden Rule and the prioritizing of giving over receiving.

Jesus defines servant leadership as the intersection of the Golden Rule and the prioritizing of giving over receiving. Throughout His life, Jesus was consistently driven by a passionate focus on other people’s best interests. The many times He healed those who came to Him are obvious examples. So was the time He saved a wedding banquet by miraculously replacing the wine! Always concerned for the well-being of others, He called them out on occasion for wrongful thoughts, words, or deeds. Without disrespecting them, Jesus sometimes made decisions that flew in the face of their opinions as to what actions He should take. An excellent example was His obstinate refusal to fulfill their passionate pleas that He abandon His journey to the cross. In fulfilling His destiny by dying for all of us, He perfectly and profoundly demonstrated servant leadership!

Here’s a key question to consider. Are others the primary beneficiaries of my leadership or am I? Put differently, how well am I emulating Jesus’ example of servant leadership?

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay