What Is A Servant Leader?
ByHave you ever voted for a President? How did you make your decision? Did you vote the way your parents did? What are your major concerns for the USA and the world? Do you believe that the major skill all Presidents need is leadership?
The best simple definition of a leader is someone who has followers! Historically many of us are familiar with the consequences of Stalin, Hitler, and all of the world leaders as well as all Presidents of the United States. Because of the potential of a nuclear holocaust, I believe we now need a true servant leader. Robert K. Greenleaf author of Servant Leadership, says, “A servant leader is servant first then a leader second.”
My first recommendation to a leader is to develop intact Self-Esteem and model Self-Esteem behavior for the world. Leaders with intact Self-Esteem are servants. We need servant leaders in families, government, business, education, health care, and spiritual groups.
How can you identify a servant leader? A servant leader leads through the influence of their example. Walt Whitman answered this when he wrote, “We convince by our presence.” Servant leaders help other people meet their highest priority needs. The best test of a servant leader, as well as the most difficult to administer, is to ask these questions: Do those served grow as people? During the process of being served, do these people become healthier, wiser, and freer? Are those being served more autonomous (self-directing), and are they more likely to become servants? What effect is the leader having on the less privileged in society? Will these individuals benefit or, at least not suffer additional deprivation?
All leaders have outcomes. The servant leader creates trust in their outcomes. Followers recognize that the servant leader serves
with integrity by helping them discover their own outcomes. Leaders do not elicit trust unless they have intact Self-Esteem and reflect this in their values and competence. They also need to have a driving force that will support the tenacious pursuit of an outcome regardless of obstacles encountered. Not much happens without a dream. Behind every great achievement is a dreamer of great dreams. However, it takes much more than just a dreamer to bring dreams into reality. The dream, of course, has to be there first. Then, because of commitment and effort, the servant leader acts with integrity to bring the dream into reality.
Elect a servant leader and then, watch what happens!
