Spirit Matters: Servant leaders have humble hearts

What qualities do you look for in a leader?

Think about the qualities you appreciate in a boss.

Is your boss more concerned with the bottom line, or with recognizing what each of his or her employees brings to the organization, to work as a team, where everyone is valued and appreciated?

Are you motivated to do a good job by a boss who rules with an iron fist, or are you driven to succeed by a boss who empowers you and encourages you to develop your gifts, talents and abilities?

The qualities you seek in a boss should be the same qualities you seek in leaders in all aspects of your life, whether it be at home, church or the government.

A good leader does not seek to elevate himself, ignoring the needs of the people he governs.

A good leader – “a servant leader” – leads and acts with a selfless commitment to a cause, an organization or their teammates. He or she seeks what is best for the organization and the team, not what is best for himself.

Servant leaders have humble hearts.

I have been fortunate to have the latter kind of bosses in my work at a camp for people with disabilities and in my development from a green-around-the-gills newspaper reporter to an award-winning writer.

In fact, when I worked in the early 2000s at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, the Easter Seals’ leadership team was required to read John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” In an organization such as Easter Seals, the goal is clearly around serving others.

There is no room for selfishness when you are seeking to improve others’ lives.

By asking the leadership team to read Maxwell’s book and incorporate his tenets into their leadership style, Easter Seals was ultimately placing the focus on the clients they serve. Because servant leaders guide their team in such a way that the team members feel not only capable, but equipped and empowered. And in such an environment, everyone benefits, but most importantly, those clients the organization serves.

Perry Holley, a coach and facilitator with the John Maxwell Company’s Corporate Solutions Group says there are five areas one must embrace to develop a servant leader mindset:

• A leader must examine intent and motive. What drives (the leader)? Are (they) motivated by serving and empowering the people on the team to be successful or are (they) motivated by a desire to grow revenue and a profit? Intent reveals itself in your daily agenda and everything you say and do.
• A leader must be physically and emotionally present with their team. A traditional leader might provide instruction and guidance to their team. A servant leader does that and then makes themselves available to provide additional support in executing the work. Servant leaders are fully engaged in what their team members are doing.
• Servant leaders provide for the needs of the people on their team. The provision could come in the form of tools and resources to do their job, personal development to help them grow as people, and even help to remove obstacles that hinder them in their personal lives.
• Servant leaders are known for their ability to care. They care about their people first and anything that affects their people. Servant leaders care for how their people work and where they work. With a high level of care, a servant leader puts the needs of others first and helps put others in a position to win.
• Servant leaders reward those on their team. They reward and celebrate the efforts, progress and results of people on their team. Traditional leaders also reward, but it is usually focused on results only. When you reward effort and progress, you promote a growth mindset in others. People will engage at a higher level and invest in their growth to help improve their performance. (corporateresolutions.johnmaxwell.com)

When we have the privilege of choosing who leads us, these qualities of a servant leader should be carefully considered and applied, as the leadership we choose will ultimately affect our lives for better or for worse.

So, we need to choose wisely.

Finally, when it comes to what to look for in a servant leader, we need look no further than the heart of Jesus, who spent his life healing the sick, feeding the hungry and ministering to the poor and the downtrodden:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.” ~ Matthew 11:29

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.