Serving takes strength

Dr.Catherine Self, P.T., Ph.D., is President and CEO of the Baptist Healing Trust, and it was an honor to be able to hear her today as she shared with us about servant leadership. While some may find this title a misnomer, it is actually a concept that has been around even longer than the 1970 book by Robert Greenleaf to which Dr. Self referred. As a Christian, I find the prime example in Jesus Christ, so the concept was not foreign to me as she shared today.

Dr. Self's premise is that leadership is about relationship. Who do we lead? Followers -- who are the followers? Anyone that's watching us. For me, this includes staff and customers, but also can include those above us, such as bosses, boards and local government authorities. However, leading from a servant perspective does not mean that we are working out of weakness but working out of relationship. Not a top down, "I'm here to help you" position, that leads to someone being indebted to you, but a walking beside position, as mutual individuals with differing needs and gifts. 


Wow, does it take effort to lead this way? Absolutely! A task-oriented leader, like I am, will naturally have a tendency to judge behaviors as they see them. However, a servant-leader, like I'm striving to be, will realize that every behavior is a result of feelings that stem from a deeper need that has been met or not met. Now the challenge is for the emerging servant leader is to stop, listen to the other person and ask questions to discern not just the feelings that led to the behavior but the felt need beneath. 

What does it mean for your work environment? It means first of all that staff know you care about them as persons. When someone realizes you both hear them and care about them, then they are encouraged and empowered to do their job better. They will seek to be better which can only benefit everyone around them. This is a good thing.