6 characteristics of servant leadership
1 – “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 – And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3 – Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 – He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 – After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 – Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 – Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 – Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 – Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” (John chapter 13 verses 1 to 9)
Jesus came to the earth as the begotten son of God, and lived as a servant. Jesus became the King of kings by first living a life of a servant. He came on earth not as a king, but as a servant. No one is eligible to obtain the leadership position who does not first been a servant in the act of leadership. It is through being a servant that one can become.
When you think servant, you think of responsibility; when you think of responsibility, you think of leadership; when you think leadership, you think servant leader.
The concept of servant leadership is the leader serving others. No one is qualified to think leadership, who does not first think servant. Servant leadership secures the fellowship, and humility of the followers. When you think servant, you think of responsibility; when you think of responsibility, you think of leadership; when you think leadership, you think servant leader.
Leadership calls for responsibility. Anyone who does not have the capacity to handle responsibility should not think to assume the place of leadership. Leadership is never for lazy people. If you can’t lead oneself, you can’t lead others. Service is responsibility. Leadership is responsibility.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP
- Servant leadership is being responsible for others.
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” (John chapter 17 verses 12)
- A servant leader speaks right kind of word to the people.
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” (Proverbs chapter 15 verses 4)
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Proverbs chapter 16 verses 24)
One of the goals of a servant leader is to speak life to the people working with him. He was take the responsibility to speak right about the people surrounding him. Servant leadership understands words are seeds. He understands speaking pleasant words cultivates the staff.
- A servant leader listens to the people.
A servant leader understands better that the best communicator or leader is the one who listen. There are issues he might not know much about until he learn to listen to people.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James chapter 1 verses 19)
- A servant leader invests in the people.
The people don’t just work for him, he works on the people. A servant leader is not the one who makes withdrawal all the time, he always have to balance it with the deposit he makes in the lives of the people. A servant leader understands to multiply for productivity; he has to multiply the capacity of the people.
1 – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 – For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 – That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John chapter 1 verses 1 to 3)
- A servant leader takes interest in the welfare of the people.
A servant leader understands that people does not know how much you know, they want to know how much you care. If a servant leader does not show people how far he cares, some day he will look for people only to find out he is standing alone.
“Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” (Genesis chapter 14 verses 24)
- A servant leader helps the people realise their destiny.
He is not the kind of leader that keeps people down.
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2Timothy chapter 2 verses 2)
Conclusion:
To be a servant leader calls for a huge price. You can’t become a servant leader if you did not first make up your mind to go through the furnace tunnel of character building. It takes the formation of the right character and yield to responsibility to become a servant leader.
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