Servant Leadership is in fashion these days. Big and famous companies like Southwest airlines embrace the model. Of course, the most famous of all may well be Chick-Fil-A with over three thousand restaurants that model Servant Leadership in the US food market. Although it is popular now, leading through service is actually two thousand years old. Jesus taught and modeled servant leadership in the Gospels, leaving us a clear path to leading through serving others.
INFLUENCE THROUGH SERVICE
One of the most insightful definitions of leadership comes from J. Oswald Sanders. It is simple: “Leadership is Influence.” One of the reasons this definition is popular and insightful is because it separates leadership from positions or jobs. By this definition, one can be a leader without being the CEO or senior pastor. Anyone who exercises significant influence over others is exercising leadership.
LEARNING FROM JESUS
Anyone who serves and influences others through service has a lot to learn from Jesus. All of his life, especially the three years of his traveling ministry model servant leadership for us, but the best servant leadership moment of them all is the washing of the disciple’s feet, just before their last meal together. There are four leadership lessons that are relevant for us.
Serve from a place of humility. Jesus takes a lowly position and provides care for an immediate need by washing their street-dirty feet before the meal. There is a difference between helping someone and serving them. When we help, we often do it from a position of superiority. Serving, on the other hand, requires that we come to their level and walk with them.
Wow them with extravagant service. We live in a day when slavery is considered a shameful practice. In the time of Jesus it was different. Slavery was common practice, and there were all kinds of slaves. At the lowest level of servitude was the person responsible for washing feet before meals. By taking the role of the lowest possible house slave, Jesus shocks them, which is evident by Peter’s response. The best servant leadership is that which goes above and beyond the “call of duty,” going the extra mile to serve someone else.
Never abdicate your leadership authority. Jesus speaks plainly to his closest friends, stating that he was their “teacher and Lord.” Servant leadership is about more than just serving others. Servant leaders are intentional in their influence and never abdicate authority. In fact, their authority derives from their humility and their extravagant service.
Serve with Love. John starts his narrative of the story stating that “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Leading through service is not about manipulating people into following us, but about loving people as an expression of our love for God.
So, whether you and I hold a “leadership position” or just influence people in a more informal way, Jesus’ radical act of service challenges us to exercise our leadership through service, humbly, wowing people with generosity, while exercising our authority in love.
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