BIBLICAL SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Biblical Servant Leadership

Biblical Servant Leadership

Introduction

The leader's character is more important, in God's eyes, than his or her conduct: a profound thought given today's predilection to emphasize performance above all other considerations. (Rinehart, 1998, p. 36)

Rinehart (1998) believes that popularity of servant-leadership among secular is often deceiving. He suggests that some say “servant-leadership” but place more emphasis on the second word, leadership, than the first, servant. Some say they may practice “servant-leadership” just so they can gain respect as a leader, and then have a bevy of followers.

Body: Discussion and Analysis

Traditional servant-leadership model

Greenleaf based his mental model on two leaders from the 18th and 19th century. One was an American Quaker and the other a Dutch educator (Brumback, 1999). The 10 characteristics of traditional servant leadership by Greenleaf can all be labeled as behaviors and not attitudes or motives (Huntter, 2002).

Greenleaf developed his idea based on a story by Herman Hesse (1956) where a band of travelers sets out on a spiritual journey. One of the servants taking care of the travelers is Leo. When Leo disappears during the journey, the venture ends due to mass disorientation. Only later on in the story is it revealed that Leo was in fact, a spiritual leader from a religious order. The traditional Greenleaf model only addresses what coherent behavior should look like. This model is essentially humanistic, that is, focus is on one's dependence on one's own abilities and talents. Greenleaf's successor, Larry Spears, has systematized and summarized 10 characteristics of the servant leader:

1. Listening: A deep commitment to listen intently to others; seeks to identify the will of a group and helps to clarify that will; listens receptively to what is being said and unsaid, coupled with periods of reflection.

2. Empathy: People need to be accepted and recognized for their special and individual spirits; one assumes the good intentions of coworkers and colleagues and does not reject them as people, even when one may be forced to refuse to accept certain behaviors or performance; skilled empathetic listeners.

3. Healing: Of relationships for transformation and integration; of one's self and one's relationship to others; help others to become whole again after being broken or hurt.

4. Awareness: This includes general and self-awareness, one that goes beyond sensory experience and other signals from the environment (Greenleaf, 1970). It helps one to understand the mix of ethics, power, and values in any given ...