Servant leader: the model and the method

True leadership is servanthood. Its strength comes, not from manifestations of outer power, but from an inner determination to so live as to be of service to God and man.

Joel N, Musvosvi, Ph. D., served as pastor for several years. He is now associate professor of New Testament studies at Solusi College, Zimbabwe.

 

In a significant study done some 35 years ago, Samuel Blizzard showed that if there was one role that pas tors valued the least and felt least effective and satisfying in their work, it was the role of leadership and administration. 1 At about the same time Richard Niebuhr spoke of the emerging image of the pastor as "pastoral director." 2 Therein lies a great irony of ministry in our times: leadership is thrust on the pas tor even as he struggles to project himself as a servant-pastor. How can one be a servant and a leader at the same time? The leadership style of Jesus sets forth some possible answers.

Jesus exemplified a new leadership style in the way He organized and trained His disciples for the ministry. Luke 6:12, 13 points out that Jesus' selection of  was no arbitrary guesswork: "Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles." * Prayer and much thought preceded the calling of His team members. Herbert Lockyer ob serves that "to the outward eye it seemed as if the Divine Potter had chosen very common clay indeed out of which to fashion His witnesses and mighty work men. "3 With little learning and a lot less to commend themselves, they stood as common men but with an uncommon task. "To all appearances, no mission seemed more hopeless than theirs. Were they not facing an enterprise doomed to failure, seeing they had no social status, no organization behind them, no wealth of their own or wealthy backers?" 4 In His choice, Jesus was not guided by any outward stamp of success, but by the great potential He could read in their unassuming and teachable simplicity.

Having selected these individuals, Jesus invited them to be with Him and share His life (Mark 3:14). Their first assignment was to spend time with Jesus. This was to be a time of intensive, life changing relationships. God was and is in the people-making business. And He uses people to make other people. Jesus was the method God used for transforming common people into dynamic leaders for the church. "The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me.'"5Identification and fellowship were part of His leadership method. Leaders must identify with their followers if they are to succeed in motivating them for sacrificial service.

Faced with a world that was opposed to His mission, He had a vision of God's kingdom already superseding the old order. From this unique vantage point, Jesus constantly set before the disciples a vision of a tomorrow that would be greater than today: "You will do greater works than I have done if you believe in Me." "You will see the Son of Man coming in power and great glory." "You will sit on the 12 thrones judging the tribes of Israel."

By communicating His vision, Jesus gave the disciples a sense of being the foundation of a greater unfolding future. He said that the grandest era of history was just dawning, and those 12 men had the distinctive opportunity of making it happen. What an inspiring and motivating challenge! It made them feel a sense of mission and meaning in their sacrificial service for their master. If people feel a sense of purpose and meaning arising from what they are called upon to do, they are likely to exert more energy doing it. Most people like to identify with success and to contribute toward success.

 Jesus, a people leader

 Jesus was a people leader, not merely a program leader. At least two points deserve special note. First, He invested Himself in His disciples. He ate with them; He worked with them; He traveled with them; He planned with them. Jesus identified with His team and shared His total life with them. He met their human needs.

Is there a relationship between meet ing human needs and developing leadership? The need theory of Abraham Maslow, so helpful in understanding psychological issues, may give us a clue. The famous psychologist articulated the hypothesis of "increased frustration tolerance through early gratification."6This thesis simply suggests that people who have consistently had their needs met early in their experience seem to develop superior abilities to withstand deprivation of those needs while striving to teach ideals they believe in.

So, as Jesus lived with His disciples He met their needs for association and identity. By giving them unconditional love He met their love needs. The miracles He performed met their safety and security needs. Hence, the disciples could be deprived of a lot, but yet could go on to spread the good news of the kingdom. Leaders who are going to succeed in motivating their members must identify with them and meet their needs. They must have a genuine love and interest in their membersas persons. Only then can they call on them to follow their lead. This is relational leadership. The members gladly follow because they are related meaningfully to the leader.

Second, Jesus offered the best to His team, and He expected the best from them. He believed in them. Listen to Him as He commands them to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20), or commissions them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:6-8). This was believing leadership at its very best.

While Jesus expected the best of each of His followers, He did not assume a watchdog mentality, for this would have encouraged an adversarial relationship. Such a relationship would, in turn, have destroyed the commitment and inhibited the motivation of the followers. The human spirit bursts into bloom under an atmosphere of appreciation and trust. As a result of this "I am trusted and counted on" awareness, the apostles were able to communicate the gospel to their whole world despite painful difficulties, unflagging opposition, and minimal material benefits.

Three steps may be noted in the developmentof their motivation. First, the disciples developed a loving identity with Jesus. Second, they experienced a growing appreciation of and commitment to His cause. Third, they adopted His program in the world as their life purpose. So, the progression in leadership motivation begins with the winsome qualities of the leader, progresses to an internalization of the leader's values and cause, and culminates in sacrificial commitment to the program that is necessitated by that cause. Every leader brings about this motivational progression among his or her team.

Jesus, a servant leader

The mother of James and John came to Jesus with the request that her two sons be granted the top two positions in His kingdom. Jesus promised them instead the cup of personal sacrifice that accompanies all true leadership. Then He added: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:25-28)..While the world's model of leadership espouses love of power, Christ's model operates on the power of selfless love.

Robert K. Greenleaf, former management research director for American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), once said that ruthless, self-serving, manipulative leadership never resulted in long-term success. Greenleaf pointed out that "to be a lone chief atop a pyramid is abnormal and corrupting. "With perception developed through experiments, he concluded that "when someone is moved atop a pyramid, that person no longer has colleagues, only subordinates." He urged leaders to adopt the attitude of a servant.7

The ideal leader is one who is first regarded by his or her followers as the great est servant. Followers gladly give such leaders the authority to lead them be cause they see them as unselfish and other-oriented. Such leaders never feel threatened. They know that the power and authorityof their position do not reside in outward tokens of greatness but in the ability to inspire their team.

Christian leadership should be rooted in the servant leader model Jesus set forth, a model in which the leader asks "How can I help my people ?" not "What can my people do for me ?" This is not a popular model, for it calls for humility and personal sacrifice on the part of the leader. Furthermore, this model of lead ership is not likely to be hailed and welcomed as what is needed in our times, because we are so accustomed to pomp and circumstance as the external tokens of greatness. But after a while this model will yield the fruit of loving commitment and self-generating motivation. Significantly, Jesus did not merely propose this model; He lived it. He is the greatest leader the world has ever known, but how unassuming He was in terms of out ward greatness.

 Acceptance was a great factor in His leadership style. Acceptance is the art of communicating to people our recognition and appreciation of their value as persons quite apart from their performance. Those so accepted will find in vigorating release and freedom to grow as persons.

Jesus' team members knew that they did not have to be "successful" to be accepted. When they made mistakes or failed, Jesus did not distance Himself from them or publicly castigate them. He freely and fully forgave them and preserved their self-respect. He continued to treat them as if they deserved His total love. In this way, Jesus communicated acceptance to them. Because of this the disciples were willing to serve Him with love and loyalty at any cost.

Sustaining a servant-leadership model

 The pastoral calling involves the roles of both leadership and servanthood. The two functions are not contradictory. Both can be performed adequately if we keep in perspective the One who calls and the task to which we are called. I have found the following 10 principles helpful in sustaining a servant-leader model in my ministry.

1. Focus on transforming people. In handling sensitive issues or in proposing change, servant leaders often have to accomplish their tasks one at a time. John Woolman, an eighteenth-century Quaker, was concerned that some Quakers held slaves. To change this state of affairs, Woolmandid not censure the slaveholders. Rather, he traveled on horseback, visiting each slaveholder in  and sharing with each one his concern. It took him 30 years to persuade all of them, but in the end not one Quaker owned a slave. It can be argued that passing laws would have brought about faster results. Maybe so, but not without pain and lingering bitterness. Servant leaders are not overly concerned with quick results; rather, they want to generate self-perpetuating change. As servant leaders, their task is to change people, not just to formulate and enforce rules.

2. Implement one change at a time. Some great things can only be done one small step at a time. Often leaderstry to impress people by outlining a series of changes to be made. Instead of impress ing them, they succeed only in over whelming them with fear. Change tends to breed insecurity in some. In a small church we wanted to have married couples serve each other in the ordinance of humility during a special Friday evening Communion. At first there was opposition: many were not prepared to accept the new idea, different timing, and spe cial Communion. But long before the day of the service, we contacted the church members and explained to them what the service was all about. We let them question us and verbalize their fears. We made it clear that having coupleswash each other's feet was only an option, and we described some of the possible relational benefits couples might derive. We also emphasized that this was just a one-time experiment. The service went beautifully. When the time for next Communion service came around, the members requested that the option for couples to wash each other's feet be made available again, and the request came from those who had opposed the idea the first time. Taking people along is more important than implementing programs.

3. Develop positive group dynamics. People thrive in community. We are creatures of community. Servant leaders realize that people are our single most important asset in the church. Despite big institutions, money, a great organization, and efficient policies, people are our main business. Servant leaders de velop meaningful relationships with members of their team, and facilitate nourishing interpersonal relationships among their followers. Within such a setting there is a group chemistry that comes into operation. A certain amount of commitment and enthusiasm for a common goal is generated. If the leader keeps this at a high level, the momentum will grow until it reaches a level called "critical mass"--a stage within an interacting group at which the enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment to a common cause becomes self-generating and self-perpetuating. When the disciples reached such a "critical mass," neither emperors nor armies could stop their mission. Energized by the Holy Spirit, they accomplished their task.

4. Use the power of love to impart new values. The trouble with coercive and manipulative leadership is that it breeds and strengthens resistance. J. S. Knox said, "You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time." Ideally, leaders will first win the love and confidence of their followers, and then proceed to lead them in a new direction. Persuasive lead ership results in organic change. When leaders have changed their people by introducing and instilling new values in them and not just by changing laws, growth and development continue even after the leader is gone.

When Jesus detected self-centered tendencies among the disciples--"Who will be the greatest among us?"--He was concerned. But He did not scold and shame them. Rather, He loved them. By treating them with respect, He helped them to discover their self-worth. This discovery of self-worth led them to see intrinsic value in their companions. In this way He instilled in them a selfless love for one another. Those who have not discovered their self-worth will be dominated by an inferiority or a superior ity complex.

5. Develop openness with your team. People often go through life wearing "masks" in an attempt to project a certainimage of themselves to those about them. Many fear to be known for who they really are. A low self-image leads some to fear rejection by those who are related to them in significant ways, so they wear masks that present modified and often unreal images of themselves to others. It is important for leaders to de velop and project an attitude of openness with members of their teams. This involves letting the teams see not only the leaders' strengths but also their weaknesses. We are not suggesting psychological nudity the baring of our inmost selves but a healthy sharing of genuine humanity.

6. Delegate responsibility. "I need you." These are among the most power ful words in interpersonal relationships. Human beings have a great longing for being needed. We feel worthwhile as persons when we perceive ourselves needed by someone. This helps to boost our self-image. One way in which leaders can communicate to members of their teams that they do need them is by delegating responsibilityto them. Jesus dele gated the responsibility of making preparations for the Lord's supper (Luke 22:8- 13), preaching the good news (Luke 9:1- 6), and teaching and baptizing new converts (John 4:1, 2).

As another way of communicating His sense of need Jesus asked for favors--for instance, asking the Samaritan woman for a cup of water (John 4:7). In the Gar den of Gethsemane He shared with the disciples His deep and awful sorrow, and asked them to watch and pray with Him (Matt. 26:37, 38). A leader who projects an image of self-sufficiency misses an opportunity for drawing the team closer to himself or herself. The strength that chooses to stand alone insulates itself from meaningful relationships, and to that extent it remains weak.

7. Set a high standard for your team. Leaders without high standards cannot expect loyalty and commitment from those they lead. Teams derive much of their emotional cohesiveness, organizational purpose, and directional unity from the standards their leaders set and follow. By setting high personal and cor porate standards, leaders communicate to their team members that they have faith in their capabilities. This in itself brings them satisfaction and motivates them to reach their potential. Humans, made in God's image, operate at their best when they are challenged to reach out to the great beyond in any line of service.

8. Be liberal with praise. "I can live for two months on one good compliment," said Mark Twain. The eminent psychologist William James concurs: "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." 9 The con sciousnessof being appreciated is a great satisfaction and a wonderful stimulus for trying our very best. 10 Leaders must know how to give genuine praise. Often a compliment makes a deeper impression on the recipient when it comes at an unexpected time. The idea is not to with hold a compliment when it is due, but to express it for qualities that are generally overlooked. The good leader looks for the good in his or her team and affirms it. This encourages the team members to rally behind their leader and attempt their best.

 9. Focus on people's needs and goals. Jesus identified Himself with people, helped to meet their needs, and won their confidence. After that He could expect them to respond to His call, "Fol low Me." Because each person is unique, the needs of people vary. The wise leader will therefore seek to become acquainted personally with each team member in order to discover each one's needs, desires, and abilities. With this knowledge in hand, the leader will better know how to motivate the team to achieve its goals.

10. Build a team spirit. Jesus built a team spirit among His disciples by eating with them, sharing life with them, as signing them team projects (such as witnessing by twos), and setting up a new culture among them. At times Jesus took His disciples on a retreat so that dynamic fellowship could take place. From these moments of togetherness, they emerged to face the world as a united team. Lead ers need to spend time with their people. This time may be spent in planning recreation, in evaluation, in potlucks, and in other forms of fellowship. In moments of genuine fellowship human hearts tend to bond together.

Admittedly, mere techniques do not make one a leader. The leader must be committed to the team, to the growth of each person in the team, and to the primary obj ective of the team. With church leadership, the supreme reference point is our Lord and His kingdom. Doing His will, hastening the establishment of His kingdom, modeling its precepts is what pastoral leadership is all about. To accomplish these ends, self must get off the stage--leaving it open for Christ. When we do that, we will naturally become servant leaders.

1 Samuel Blizzard, "The Minister's Dilemma," Christian Century, Apr. 25, 1956.

 2 Richard Niebuhr, The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry (New York: Harper and Bros., 1956). 

3 Herbert Lockyer, AH the Apostles of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), p. 11.

 4 Ibid., p. 1.

5 Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1942), p. 143.

6 Abraham H. Maslow, "A Theory of Human Motivation," in Management and Motivation, eds. Victor H. Vroon and Edward L. Deci (Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1970), pp. 27-41.

7 Robert K. Greenleaf, Servant Leadership: A Journey Into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness (Ramsey, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1977), p. 63.

8 Quoted in B. C. Forbes, The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life (New York: B.C. Forbes and Sons, 1950), p. 246.

9 Quoted in Alan Loy McGinniss, The Friendship Factor (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1979), pp. 99, 100.

10 White, op. at, p. 361.

Joel N, Musvosvi, Ph. D., served as pastor for several years. He is now associate professor of New Testament studies at Solusi College, Zimbabwe.

 

March 1991

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