SERVANT.LEADERSHIP
- whatshesaid2020
- Apr 15, 2022
- 2 min read
Good Friday? Have you heard the story? What could be good about being crucified? In the Christian tradition, Good Friday was the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Three days later Easter Sunday is the day he rose as the Savior of the world. Before that, his three-year ministry was one of giving back to others and helping others to understand the importance of others before themselves.
It sounds a lot like philanthropy! Plus a model of servant leadership from the greatest example of this specific leadership style.
Philanthropy is "the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes" (Google Dictionary). As someone who has worked in the nonprofit arena for over 40 years, donors, supporters, and volunteers who align with the organization's mission is the best ally for those in need. A savior (per se).
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,
to serve first.” -Robert K. Greenleaf
Greenleaf continues to state, "Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is a leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them, some shadings and blends are part of the infinite variety of human nature."
The Center for Servant Leadership believes that servant leadership is a non-traditional leadership philosophy, embedded in a set of behaviors and practices that place a primary emphasis on the well-being of those being served (https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/)
Today I heard about a wonderful man who volunteered for an organization for 42 years and raised $1.2 million so the organization could feed, clothe, and shelter those in need. He was Doing The Most Good as the organization would say.
Characteristically, servant leaders are very humble. Not self-serving and always willing to put others before themselves. Historically, the greatest of servant leaders was Jesus. He continues to be the most popular model of servant leadership.
As a woman of faith, I was raised on the stories of Jesus. While I like to believe I am an authentic leader (a subject for another blog), I also believe that I was raised by servant leader parents so that I would be a servant leader.
On this Good Friday, I encourage you to contemplate the servant leaders in your life. Visualize him or her? How did they model servant behavior? What regular practices of serving others did you observe? Was it enough to admire them? To model your leadership style after them?
So let this Holy Day be a day of reflection. What type of leader are you? What type do you want to be? Being a servant leader isn't so bad in our philanthropic world as it needs more of others and less of us.
What She Said ~ Beverly
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